Credit IWM below
4th Tanks (4th Royal Tank Regiment wore "Chinese Eyes" on its tanks for 75 years, from 1918 until amalgamation with 1RTR in 1993. We always claimed the Chinese Eye originated with D Batallion but it now appears that 4th Battalion inherited the tradition at the end of the war and has carried it on to date.
The citation for 2341 on the Mk IV Tanks web site reads as follows:
Photographed: With Chinese eye, and dragon on front, no un-ditching rails.
IWM Q 70951: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205316269
IWM Q 70952 http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205316270
IWM Q 70953: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205316271, X67.p51
IWM Q 70954: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205316272
IWM Q 70955: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205316273
Tank may have been known by both names
his tank was paid for by a Mr Eu Tong Sang, a member of the federal Council of the Malay states; the second name was presumably given in his honour. The eye was from the Chinese motto: "Have no eye, how can see?"
10 Mar 17 - Completed at Fosters (S67.p51)
20 Nov 17 - F Bttn, 18 Coy, F56, 2341, m, “Fly Paper” or "Fan Tan", 2Lt HA Aldridge - In action, rallied. See narrative for more details (H3) .
27 Nov 17 - F Bttn, 18 Coy, F56, 2341, m, “Fly Paper” or "Fan Tan", 2Lt HA Aldridge - In action, rallied. See narrative for more details (H3) .
March 18 - 6th Bttn, Lt Munro (s67.p51)
June 19 - to CW (s67.p51)
Some interesting research into the Chinese Eye tradition is here:
http://hub.hku.hk/bitstream/10722/14449 ... f?accept=1
This tradition allegedly lead to some interesting tattoos on sensitive parts of the anatomy of some members of the Regiment, although I hesitate to name names....
Hope this is of interest to anyone looking for a tank to model.
All the best.
Stephen