This real photo postcard has been in my collection for years and I would appreciate your views concerning the tank and its location, tanslation of the German message, and identification of the unit the sender belonged to.� The postmark is dated Sept. 14, 1917
Tank is Mk I or Mk II female, judging by the sponson. I would refine that to say that it is almost certainly a Mk II, as it has a camouflage pattern on the sponson, but the variation on the hull appears more likely to be mud or stains; only Mk I tanks had full pattern camouflage - the Solomon scheme - but some Mk II tanks (painted khaki brown) were fitted with sponsons removed from Mk Is. This gives the distincive appearance of a monotone hull with a camouflaged sponson, which I believe we have here.
That suggests that the tank is one that was lost during the Battle of Arras in April 1917 - the only combat the Mk II was used in, to my knowledge - they were originally intended for training and did not have hardened armour plate, but mild steel which was not bulletproof (the Mk I sponsons of this tank would be the only properly armoured part). As an emergency measure they were put into action, some with armoured Mk I sponsons to help a little, but I think they were hit very heavily by the action.
Someone here on the forum should be able to add much more detail, and I expect there will be someone who can identify the particular vehicle.
The wreck in the photo is tank 586, a MkII female of 11 Co., D Bn., HBMGC (D28). It was commanded by Lt. Clarkson (KIA 11/4/17), and was knocked out south of Riencourt while supporting the 4th Aus. Div. during the 1st Battle of Bullecourt. It is wreck "4" on the map.
