Could someone put a name and provide any other details about this tank. The builders merchant where I worked for many years repaired tanks for the Army during WW2 and this is one photographed just after leaving the workshop. Thank you David
Londoner ... MATILDA- Infantry Tank alongside the Valentine pre- and early war even in th desert in early 1942 Followed by the Churchill in seven marks Cheers
Matilda II Great Britain's Infantry Tank Mk II, A12, Matilda Mk II - World War II Vehicles, Tanks, and Airplanes
Thanks. Legend has it that they were also involved in the construction of Mulberry and many airfields but I have no documents about this. Most of the time I worked for them we were ripping up airfields and selling the crushed concrete. David
Out of Print (OOP) The Armour in Profile Series (Armour in Profile No.15) Infantry Tank Mk.II Matilda Out of Print (OOP) The AFV Weapons Profiles Series
Could someone put a name and provide any other details about this tank. The builders merchant where I worked for many years repaired tanks for the Army during WW2 and this is one photographed just after leaving the workshop. Thank you David As has been said, that is a Matilda 2 (infantry tank Mk II), but it perhaps worth remarking that it is a Matilda 2 Mk I - the early model with suspension showing better below the side armour than the later marks (like the wheels stick out more), and fitted with a Vickers watercooled machine gun as the coax. Most of these went to France in 1940 and never came back. Chris
Your comments have prompted me to do a bit more research and I found this written 30th June 1945 “In July 1940, just after Dunkirk, we were asked to provide facilities for the repair of heavy tanks at our engineering works near Redhill, which became one of the main centres for repair and modification of armoured fighting vehicles in the area. At first all work was undertaken by trained Army personnel but when the War Office discovered that our engineers and mechanics were fully qualified to carry out this work owing to their experience with heavy diesel engines and track vehicles, which vehicles are extensively used in our quarries and by our plant hire department, they asked us to do the work for them. From that time to this all armoured fighting vehicles which have passed through our works have been repaired, overhauled or modified by our own men, fully tested and certified by us to be in good running order.” David
