Valentine 17 pdr SPG [Archer]

I have access to digital images taken from two Vickers Works photograph albums held by the Beamish Museum. Most are of interwar subjects and these are posted on my Interwar Tank Development Blog.

However there are also a few WWII photos including some Valentine prototypes and variants, These include this (presumably factory-) roofed Arccer:



Other pictures include Valentine flail, DD and bridgelaying tanks, along with a number of SP gun prototypes.

I can post these photos if there is an interest in seeing them, though they may be better placed in a "Valentine" thread rather than an"Archer" one.

 

An excellent photo, thanks a lot!
there is one photo of the roof kit with the two hatches open installed on an Archer, probably the same vehicle as on your photo, in the Newsome's excellent Valentine Infantry Tank 1938-45 Osprey New Vanguard 233. I think that Newsome is our Don Juan.

 

I’m not very up on the Valentine and I haven’t read that book. I know many of the Interwar pictures hadn’t been published before but I don’t know if the WWII photos are published elsewhere or otherwise unknown.

 

Hello Clive
the author says that all photos in the booklet are courtesy of The Tank Museum but the cover photo which is by Fox Photos/Getty Images.

Juha

 

I was really wondering if they are known elsewhere. They are really good quality, some taken in the works themselves and some e.g. of the trials at Wool. There are some really interesting photos of the RE Vickers Medium bridging tank, for example.

 

Great pic Clive – please do share the others.

This could be the same modification but even looking at the enlarged image from the Alamy website I couldn’t be sure.

 

Has someone maybe posted them before? Funny feeling about that but.... It would always be good to see them again.

The photo of the Archer is amazing.

 

I've put this and other Valentine photos in a separate topic.

There is another 17 pdr SP photograph which I thought I should also add here:



Some of the photos have clearly legible census numbers which may mean someone can identify individual vehicles?

 

Hm, interesting little detail in the second picture - there is a small shield (do you suppose it's made of leather? metal?) just over the gun barrel. Maybe to prevent splinters from getting in? I can't imagine they would want to restrict gun elevation...

 

Brand new Tank Chat with David Fletcher on Valentine Archer categorically states the driver had to stay in the vehicle and the recoil thing is a myth.

 

Haven't actually watched it yet but will cover track tensioning if nothing else...