Production No. 2341 – *Fan Tan*

In March 1917, Eu Tong Sen, a prominent Chinese-Singaporean businessman and a lifelong unofficial member of the Federal Council of the Federated Malay States, donated £6,000 to the British Army for the purchase of tanks.

Deeply impressed by the gesture, the British government decided to paint a pair of eyes on one of the tanks funded by his donation in recognition of his Chinese heritage. In Chinese maritime tradition, eyes were painted on the bow of newly built vessels to ensure a safe voyage.

The choice was particularly fitting because, at the time, the British Army still officially regarded tanks as "landships," making the naval symbolism especially appropriate.

  
In Chinese tradition, it was customary to paint a pair of eyes on the bow of a newly built ship to ensure a safe voyage and bring good fortune.

The tank chosen to receive this honor was No. 2341, a male Mark IV, then the newest tank in British service. By the time the British government made its decision in June 1917, No. 2341 had already arrived in France. It was subsequently handed over to the Chinese Labour Corps, who painted the eyes in accordance with their traditional custom and gave the tank the name "Fan Tan."

The tank was then assigned as a reserve vehicle to No. 12 Section, No. 18 Company, F Battalion of the Tank Corps in France. During the Battle of Cambrai, the section's regular tank, F56 "Fly Paper," was so badly damaged that it could no longer be used. On 27 November 1917, *Fan Tan* took its place, inherited the tactical number F56, and entered combat.

Was it the lucky eyes painted on its bow? While many British tanks were lost to mechanical failures or destroyed in combat, *Fan Tan* survived the war.

There were once discussions about displaying the tank in Malaya as a memorial to commemorate the contributions made by the local Chinese community to Britain's war effort. In the end, however, *Fan Tan* met the same fate as most other Mark IVs and was scrapped at Bovington.

Although the original tank itself was lost, the eyes remained a powerful symbol of good fortune. After No. 12 Section became part of the 4th Royal Tank Regiment, the eye motif was adopted as the regiment's emblem. Today, it continues to be carried by the regiment's successor, the Royal Tank Regiment, and can still be seen painted on British Army tanks.

The Origin of the British Army's "Eyes" Painted on Tanks