question Valentine Tanks in Cyprus, Where in Cyprus

Hi All,

Recently in Classic Military Vehicle magazine there was an article about 2 Valentine tanks in Cyprus one with a homemade turret the other at the time was original, does anyone know where they are or were at last sighting?

Thanks in advance

From the web

Armored Vehicle (Modified Valentine Mk-II)

First photographed on parade in Nicosia in May 1964, a single modified Valentine Mk-II served in the Cypriot National Guard. It is believed that the example was restored to active use from an abandoned hulk, which lacked a turret. The Greek Cypriots installed a box-shaped turret of their own on the vehicle, sufficient to allow a gunner to fire a Bren gun from a standing position inside the vehicle. Almost certainly served with a two man crew. The fate of the vehicle is unknown. Designated EF-3.

I think the turretless Valentine was shown in CMV a few months ago in an article by David Fletcher about Valentine Bishop and Churchill Gun Carriers -both being rather lack lustle SPGs.

The photo showed the Valentine with the barbette in a scrap yard in Cyprus without tracks -perhaps to make it mobile without power. The photo was included as it has been reported as a Bishop (personally I think it looked like a range OP vehicle). I have been told privately by people who are better connected than myself that the asking price was optimistic.

Oddly enough I was looking at some old corespondance on Valentines only yesterday- dating from 2000, it was mentioned that the remains of a Bishop had been found and that the Valentine now in Saumur France was probably another turretless Valentine which "lived" on an industrial estate in the West country for many years -fitted with a Covenantor turret probably off one of the pillboxes set up on the north coast of Devon.

Steve

The Saumur Valentine has an interesting history. It was built as T60133 by Birmingham Railway as a Mk III hulled bridgelayer but by 1948 it had been converted into a bulldozer and was given the post war number of 53ZR73. It was later scrapped and resided in Pounds scrapyard in Portsmouth for years. It was then sold to someone in Kent (where I first saw it in 1984) but I cannot remember who! Later it was on show with a Covenantor turret in Cornwall before being restored at great expence with a Mk 1 turret from Sennybridge and an engine/gearbox recovered from Cyprus and was then sold to the French Museum. The Cyprus Valentine with the pyramid structure should have come to Bovy as it is probably the last one to fight in action as it is thought to have taken part in the Greek/Turkish problems in 1972? It was half loaded by the Army to come to Bovy when the price trebled and it was dumped off the low loader.

This vehicle could have been the basis of rumours of a Bishop being found, alternatively it might have been a plan to use a Valentine hull from Sennybridge, a spare 25pdr and some 25mm plate to make an exhibit for the Firepower Museum at Woolwich. Unfortunately it never got built.

Thanks for that additional background John I wasn't aware any Valentines were converted to Dozers -didn't think they would have had enough power to be of much use- was this a specialist conversion like those used in ROFs etc.

There were supposed to be quite a few photos knocking around when it was in Cornwall-Devon anyone got a photo of it with its Covenantor turret.

I was told a what was thought to be Bishop wreck had been found in Wales- probably just another range fantasy:(.

There's a Valentine 'dozer preserved in Pioneer park, Port Hedland, WA (Australia).

Whether it's a post-war conversion is another question. There are quite a few Valentine hulls in Australia, that were converted to agricultural tractors.

There's a Valentine 'dozer preserved in Pioneer park, Port Hedland, WA (Australia).

Whether it's a post-war conversion is another question. There are quite a few Valentine hulls in Australia, that were converted to agricultural tractors.

I did not know of this one. Do you have any details and/or photos?

http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Valentines.pdf

from http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzers.html

He's always interested in additions to the lists!

Hello all,

I recently stumbled onto this thread and I can shed some light on the above. In Cyprus there was one Valentine that was modified and used during the Greek Turkish troubles in the early 1960s.

This was a turretless hull used in a quarry which was given a new superstructure and the number EF-19. It has been preserved by the Cyprus National Guard with a view to be displayed in a museum they are planning. It is the same vehicle that was shown in David Fletcher's article about the Valentine Bishop and Churchill Gun Carriers in CMV Sep 2010.

I would very much like to see the photo showing the Valentine in a parade in Nicosia and the designation EF-3 or at least to know where this photo appeared ad when, so that I can try to track it down.

This is the Valentine in its current state:

The following two period photos are from a National Guard hisorical publication and an article by Petros Savides

Any information or more photos would be greatly appreciated.

Fyll

thanks for the information and photos; guys !!

P-O