Just a guess, but probably for loading the ammunition in a coil for optimizing the feed when firing the gun !   Some excellent modelling/painting there by the way Paul
-- Edited by Paul Bonnett on Sunday 1st of June 2014 12:12:33 PM
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The finest stories of the Great War are those that will never be told.
I would agree with Paul Bonnett's suggestion that the handles may be to wind the ammo belts into neat coils to improve the feed: it must be remembered that the Hotchkiss used in FTs, like other belt-fed MGs, would normally (with infantry) have required one man to fire it and another to guide the belt to avoid mis-feeding.
That extra man was not available in a two-man tank, so it would be necessary to make the belt feed in as smoothly as possible without giving the commander/gunner even more work to do.
 ) and really well painted. 
