How long were the Mk.I and Mk.II supply tanks used? Can I add the red and white stripes on my model or were they pensioned by the time the stripes started to be used?
I believe the recognition stripes only began after the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917, when the Germans managed to recover, repair and deploy about thirty MkIV tanks as Beutpanzer.
The other Landships website (the Google one) shows that early supply tanks were still in use late in 1918. I guess they just ran them until they fell apart.
Elles sent a letter, dated 11 March 1918 to GHQ to inform them that the White/Red/White marking had been selected after trials of different markings, requesting that they have 'official' instructions to have the Tanks marked and Armies and RFC notified.
HQ RFC sent a letter to the Air Ministry on 14 March 1918 informing them that this marking had been selected.
Drawings appear at different dates in War Diaries, I have drawings including one dated 29 April 18, from AIR 1 docs, and these also appear in a Third Army War Diary document dated 8 May 18.