Into the Vally

Book excerpt: The Valentine was unusual, as unlike most British tanks to see service during WW2 it began life as a private venture. That is, it was not designed to a General Staff (GS) specification, but came off the drawing-board with the intention of exciting enough interest within the military establishment to secure an order. The Valentine had the highest production numbers of any wartime British tank, and arguably the most variations. A total of 8000+ Valentines were produced in no fewer than 11 variants. The Valentine tank received its baptism of fire with the British 8th Army in Operation Crusader in North Africa during July 1941, representing just the beginning of a long career, as they would eventually take part in combat in both the European and Pacific Theaters. After the war, Valentines served in several armies as late as 1960. Valentines also saw action with the armed forces of Canada, the Soviet Union, Poland, Australia, and New Zealand. Book contents: Development, Technical Description, Marks Descriptions, Operational Use, Colors and Markings, Variants, Survivors. Author Dick Taylor is a serving British Army officer with wide experience of tank operations, and a history degree. He has written many popular books on British tanks, and has drawn on official and private sources to produce this comprehensive book.