Vickers Medium MkII

World War II British Military
#1

I am looking for photos or drawings of the Vickers Medium Tank MkII in North Africa, for a modelling project. The model is built, I just need colour scheme & markings.
I’m struggling to find anything other than b/w photos & scale drawings.
I know that 6th R/T/R had a few in 1938/9. But I don’t know how they painted them in those days, and I’m not sure about unit markings for the “Mobile Force”.
There may have been other examples with different tank units too, possibly even in 1940, but I have yet to track anything down. Certainly by the end of 1940 they had been sold to the Egyptian goverment, I wonder if they re-painted them or not?

Can anyone help?

#2

I’m not sure how helpful you’ll find it, but here’s a link to a specimen at the Bovington Tank Museum:

http://tankhistory.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/vickers-light-tank-mk-ii-iii/

#3

Ooops!:oops:
You’ve linked to a Vickers Light tank MkII by mistake.
Never mind, I appreciate the effort.

Actually, I live less than 20 miles from Bovington.

#4

Didn’t you post a topic about this before? Or did I dream it? Never mind if you did, or if I have been dreaming, I’ll search around a bit!

Cheers,
Joppe

#5

You’ll like this one, even if you can’t find what you need…
http://www.btinternet.com/~ian.a.paterson/history.htm
It shows a bit down some divisional sighs used at the time, and at the site a lot can be found about the equipment. I’ll keep on looking…

Cheers,
Joppe

#6

If you scroll down on this page, you’ll find some photo’s of the Medium Mk II.
They’re black/white, but still… it seems only one colour was used.
http://www.afrikakorps.org/british.htm

But I just saw your own name standing beneath the colour table,…
I think that if AoS’ were used, these would be the same as they were in Europe at the time? Further, if the early 7th armoured division would have had some, they would have carried the divisional mark as far as I know… Often, these markings are not seen in photo’s, partly because of a cencor…

Cheers,
Joppe

#7

I may have posted something similar in the past. I belong to too many forums. That and the fact that the brain is beginning to addle with age!;):slight_smile:

I am a member of the AANA. (Well spotted). The problem with the knocked out tank (called “Crusader”)in the photos, is that it is so burnt out that you can’t see any detail on the top half. The bottom half looks like a stone grey colour. But it’s so difficult to tell in B/W photos.
That particular example is I think one of the ex-Egyptain army examples. That were hastily re-purchased when Tobruk fell in June 1942. It was destroyed mear Mersa Matruh if memory serves correctly.

#8

I can’t see what would be wrong in painting the Vickers Medium with the same finish as the Armoured cars such as the Rolls Royce 1920 pattern. The tank is, after all the same age, and so would have come under the same painting regimen.
As to unit markings: any tank unit in the Port Said, Cairo, or Alexandria markings would suffice, since those vehicles all (officially at least) had the same basic colour scheme.

Regards, Uyraell.