Rui S
Beautiful Paint job 👍

Danny Ray
Looks great. Was the Vickers an inter-war tank? Ie pre 1939?

Vítězslav Horák Author
Yes. Years of service of Vickers Medium Tank MK II were 1925 - 1939

Danny Ray
Thanks for reply. You can really see where they got the inspiration for The Lee and the Grant and even the Stuart from this. By the way I love the small rear firing cannon/machine guns on the rear sides.

Danny Ray
Actually they look like Vickers MGs. Which would make sense it being a Vickers tank ! 🙂
I am currently trying to get kits of the tanks my grandfather drove in North Africa from 1941 onwards. He was in 10th royal hussars which was part of 2nd arm brig, 1st arm div. He drove Crusaders and Shermans for sure (in North Africa and then Italy so he may even have worked with Cromwell?) but if I can't find any kits with the right markings I'm hoping I'll be able to find specialist decal makers or even stencil some.
I'm having to work my way up though because you have more skill in your fingernails than I do in my whole body 🙂
But eventually I hope to do his memory justice when I build a tribute to him with his cap badges and medals attached.
Regards
Danny

Neuling
Well deserved medal.

Ben M
While many sources say the Medium Mk II was never used in combat, there is some film of the tropical variant in combat in the documentary "Wavell's 30,000". This is a really beautiful build of an interesting subject; well deserved medal!

Danny Ray
Ben M, I guess that makes sense if it was in service until 1939. Maybe there were still a few waiting to be scrapped when the Japanese arrived? Excuse my ignorance (is that where Wavell was? In the Japanese areas of combat?) have you ever read 'Quartered Safe Out Here'? Fantastic combat descriptions in the Far East by George McDonald Fraser (the author of The Flashman novels).
Sorry to have hijacked your thread Viteslav!!

Ben M
Wavell was commanding troops in N. Africa at the time. I found the footage, starting at 2:46 and 4:05 here: iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060021671 - very brief and not showing the full tank, but you can tell it's a Vickers Mk II. I think there's another short clip somewhere else in the movie showing the turret if I recall correctly - yes, at 6:18 -The tropical variant had big asbestos pads on the outside. There is a bustle on the rear of the turret for the radio as well.

(you can watch the entire film but it's sliced up into 5 parts on the IWM website).

Doubtingmango
Excellent work!

Danny Ray
Thanks Ben that's great. I wonder if there's a way to search for footage of actual units? Like 10th royal hussars, etc?
I had lots of war pics of my (step grandfather. My biological grandfather died in the retreat from Greece to Crete in April 1941, aged just 24) but when my grandmother died back in 1993 her house was cleared and all those fantastic pictures were lost. I was so angry when I found out. There were pics of him with his tanks, etc. would've been great as a resource for the builds I'm planning.
Can you add pictures in the comments section here by the way?

Danny Ray
Ben I only live 1.5 miles from IWM. Haven't been for awhile but seeing as I've restarted my modelling career after an almost 50 year break, I think a few visits are in order! Thanks for that footage. Very interesting!

Villiers de Vos
Congratulations. Well deserved.

Danny Ray
I've literally (3 minutes ago) bought a Mirage 1:35 Vickers 6ton kit. Looks relatively straightforward. Also got a Tristar (now defunct I believe?) 1:35 panzer 38(t) kit. £14.99 each with £5.95 postage for both. EBay is great. If a tad dangerous to the obsessive! 🙂