Landships II

Now i've got the scanner working, here's my collection of original WW1 Tank related postcards. If anyone would like larger copies, let me know and i'll e-mail them over

This postcard card, still with the halfpenny stamp on the back and, judging by the faded stamp, posted 22nd April 1918 (the 8 isn't full but looks like an 8) is probably the earliest design - at the bottom of the front of the card it says 'Sanctioned by Censor, Press Bureau, October 10th, 1916' - as many of you are probably aware, when the tanks were introduced there was still a lot of secrecy so artists went mad with fanciful depictions of what they may look like, not helped by journalist's reports of them. 

This much more accurate depiction has 'pased by press bureau for publication 24th Nov 1916' on the bottom. The back originally appeared to have a normal postcard rear but then overstamped by the publisher on both halves of the postcard is an advertisement for more postcards on the left, including;

'Kindly send me

.... Real Photo Tank Postcards at 14/

.....Collotype Tank Postcards at 7/

.....The End of the "Baby Killer" Collotype Postcards at 7/"

On the address side of the postcard is the address for the publisher, Valentine & Sons of 154 Perth Road, Dundee. The "Baby Killer" postcards referred to are descriped as 'The best postcard of a burning Zeppelin' and I think I have one of these in my collection of Zeppelin postcards

A Real Photo postcard showing a Mk I Male with the caption "A broadside from our Land-Ship". It is a Canadian Official postcard, on the back stamped "The Daily Mail Canadian Official Series". I don't know what this refers to, but I know this series includes other Mk I Tank Real Photo postcards, presumably of the same Tank.

Another posted postcard, no date but it was sent to someone called Dot who lived in Maltby, near Rotherham.

This one is my favourite of the lot

A nice Tuck's postcard showing Medium A Whippet Tanks, with the badge of the Tank Corps at the bottom - the camouflage isn't accurate, nor is the silver colouring of the biplanes in the skies above. No date unfortunately, the back has a short history of Tanks in WW1 and mentions that "The inventor of the Tanks is still shrouded in mystery"