Renault FT and TSF - ‘Notice’ on Interior of Driver’s Door Panels - Part 1 - Inside Track | Renault TSF Tank Kent

One very obvious immediate impression of a Renault FT with the drivers hatches open is a dark rectangular shadow in the centre of the internal face of the hatch. There are a number of very grainy impressions of this area. Our driver’s hatches did not disappoint. The same tell tale shadows without any evidence of paint were there to see in the area in question. Closer inspection of a few remaining photographs reveal a small plaque on either side fixed to a plate held in place through bolts securing the external hatch handles. The plates are very often missing and there are a few wartime images showing a panel about to come off. A very interesting series of pictures making up a cine sequence of a young US tank crewman trying to impress a local French woman shows one of these panels very clearly. It is obviously quite flimsy as it has curled upwards towards the bolts holding it in place. A blueprint dated 1930 describes this support panel as a “Support de Notice 1 piece tole d’acier de 2mm’. This is a sturdy backing for the plaque. Not only is it fixed to the 20mm diameter handle bolts the plaque is fixed to the panel directly in four separate places in each corner. We know what the backing plate was made of and what its dimensions were, but what was the plaque made of? We had the few images to go from but these black and white photos brought us no closer to the original material used. The Renault GP tractors lent a hand. This tractor built in 1919 on the same assembly line as the Renault FT at Billancourt had a brass plaque on the fuel tank in front of the driver. So, the plaque could have been made of brass? We originally theorised that the brass plaque was fixed directly to the driver's doors. This was rejected after extensive analysis of the original photographs confirmed the existence of a backing plate. The mists cleared when Mr Expedito Carlos Stephani Bastos came to the rescue. Mr Bastos is the Researcher of Military Subjects of Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil. Expedito has written a unique and informative book on the introduction and use of Renault FT 17s in service of the Brazilian Army ‘Renault FT17. O Primeiro Carro De Combate Do Exercito Brasileiro. Expedito. We had seen a number of photographs taken by Expedito of Renault FT survivors owned by the Brazilian Military. One of these examples, restored and owned by the Center for Instruction Armoured General Walter Pires showed the driver’s hatches open revealing two plaques. They were made of brass…..but what was written on them? To follow….

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