Offered here is a World War II British Valentine tank. 8,275 Valentine tanks of all variants were reportedly manufactured in total between 1940-1944, with 6,855 built in the United Kingdom by Vickers-Armstrongs, Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage & Wagon, and Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company, and another 1,420 built in Canada mainly for export to the Soviet Union under lend lease. Valentine tanks saw widespread use by British Commonwealth forces in the North African campaign against Rommel's forces, where they were found to be reliable in a desert setting, easy to maintain, with decent mobility, well protected and had a low silhouette. They would also see some use in the European Theater prior to being mostly replaced by the larger Churchill and Sherman tanks by 1944. A limited amount also saw use in the Pacific Theater with the 3rd New Zealand Division. This attractive Valentine Mk III variant tank, painted in a desert livery, is fitted with an Ordnance QF 2-pounder 40mm main gun (deactivated) and holds a four man crew including one centrally located driver up front and three tightly fit in the fighting compartment consisting of a commander sitting to the rear of the gun, gunner on the left of the gun, and loader on the right of the gun. The turret rotation uses an electric motor and is operated by the gunner. Due to the advancing enemy armor throughout the war, the 2-pounder equipped Valentine tanks were gradually phased out and put into more secondary roles where they were still used effectively, and later Valentine variants were equipped with larger main guns. Weighing in over approximately 35,000 pounds, the Valentine tank is capable of about 15 mph on road with an operational range of approximately 90 miles. Provenance: The Allan Cors Collection

Very fine, retains 97% combination tan and black painted camouflage finishes with a few areas of light flaking. The interior is fine and appears mostly complete, some of the optics are clear and others are slightly hazy, and there is some general light wear. Fitted with a dummy machine gun. The serviceable tracks are fine, with some light surface corrosion. Mechanically runs fine. Main gun deactivated with back of the breech ring chopped off. This very fine example of a British Valentine tank, out of the respected Allan Cors collection, is a must have item for a World War II collection! This military vehicle will be off-site for preview. Please contact RIAC to schedule your slot for our special open house day in Virginia, May 8th, 2024.