West Australia Tank Spotting...

[Rob Dyba]

For WA tankies I have reports of a cut down tank hull on the side of the road that runs to Lake Magic from Hyden. Apparently it has been modified for tree clearing work. Unfortunately no photo's. Hope this helps someone...somewhere......

Rob

[Wayne Henderson]

Thanks Rob,
There are several tanks up around Hyden that I've seen including one at Wave Rock, a Valentine converted to a scrub rubber.

[Bob Potter]

When I was young(er) and stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, there was an electrical contractor running high tension lines who had an M3 Stuart light tank less the turret for stretching the cables. The thing was painted bright red and it blew my mind. Some time later I saw an M3 light tank turret out front of the 1/63 Armored Battalion HQ up on Custer Hill. I guess they belong to each other. I'd love to know if they ever got back together again. It has been thirty years, but maybe there is hope.

Cheers?

Or maybe
Bob

[Roland Koster]

for those who are interested: There's aslo a complete hull of a LP carrier behind the Pink Roadhouse, Oodnadatta, on the Oodnadatta Track, outback South Australia. Properly know by a few people over there. There are also a few old '30 's oltimers lying around. Still having their wooden spoked wheels.

greetings,

Roalnd

[Roland Koster]

p.s. there's also about 2/3 pair of carrier tracks enjoying their retirement as a heavy doormat at a roadhouse at the Tanami track, Australia and the won't sell their doormat. I already tried.

Roland

[Chris.Banhidy]

i was reading another forum > another restorer worked on a station in WA said one pair he played with (valentines) were british ones sold surplus without turrets and shipped to WA and used for clearing.

I am looking at a stripped Valentine to buy now.. its missing all its front armour, no turrent, no engine, I am looking for a project.
I'd rather sometthingt more intact

[Chris.Banhidy]

Originally posted by Wayne Henderson
Thanks Rob,
There are several tanks up around Hyden that I've seen including one at Wave Rock, a Valentine converted to a scrub rubber.

Hi

Anything that is available ?

[Stuart Kirkham]

You will find all the Valentines that were brought into WA for agricultural use have no turrets and most have no front armour. Most of the Valentines you have seen with turrets have had the turrets imported from New Zealand.

How much do you want to spend on a Valentine Chris?

This is my Valentine I used to have many years ago. 25 years sitting in the middle of a paddock and it started first pop.



Another located nearby.
This one and mine had a large chain slung between the two and driven through the bush for the purpose of clearing.



This Valentine had the front armour in place(very rare). I believe it has now been salvaged.

[Chris.Banhidy]

hmmm well i need a project

The one I am looking at - is like the ones you have shown but it has been already sandblasted, cleaned and painted and best of all running under its own power.

Powered with what looks like a modern V8 with auto transmission. The guy is asking $7k.

After looking over the $27k one from Melbourne Tank Museum last year (it went to Sth Aus apparently)- for some reason I fell in love with the old beast that i havent been able to shake.

The old Valentines might have been hopelessly outclassed in Europe, but there is something I love about them.

I will post a photo when i get to see it in the flesh.

[Stuart Kirkham]

Unlike the Grants and Stuart etc, there will not be a source of spares readily available for the Valentine unless you are prepared to buy from NZ or UK.

Front armour is like rocking horse poo and turrets are even harder to find.

Nearly every Valentine that I have seen here in WA is of the same configuration as those in the photos, in other words, no turret, no front armour, no side guards and no accessories. All of these were removed in the UK before shipping over to Australia.

Best of luck though. The Valentine is certainly a beautiful tank.

[charlie fitton]

...you lucky, lucky bas....!!!

[Chris.Banhidy]

NZ.

Well its a start. Anyone have a contact of a armour/scrap dealer in NZ ?

I heard the movie Band Of Brother's Pacific Theatre - being made here in AU - was getting / building their tanks on existing trashed chassis's.

I cant remember the conversations: but it was stuart's on grant chassis's or Grants on Stuart chassis's.

> back to the Valentine.. I saw what I thought was a Valentine turrent on a British wheeled(4) scout car - in a museum somewhere in the UK when i was wandering one year,

[Gunner]

Perhaps you could do the Archer version!

Mike

[Stuart Kirkham]

Great idea Gunner.

Here are some other variants that do not require a turret.

Maybe mock-up a Cruiser Mk1 tank. Hull and running gear looks to be much the same as the Valentine.

Archer



Bishop



Mortar Carrier



Bridge Layer



Cruiser Mk 1

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Chris
According to my deep cover informant they are actually building Shermans on Grant chassis'.
Super Sleuth Bob

[Ryan]

According to the website " Collectors Armoury" this Sherman on a Grant chassis has been sold to the makers of "The Pacific".
Scroll down to the bottom of the page and you'll see it on a low-loader. ( Sorry, still trying to figure out why I can't post pics. )
Link:http://www.collectorsarmoury.com.au/...y/default.html

[phoenix]

here is the pic for you

[Ryan]

That's the one, thanks.

[David Ellery]

Used to be quite a bit of this stuff lying around the farms, but now its getting very thin on the ground.

[Tony Smith]

Originally posted by Tommy K
Here are some other variants that do not require a turret.

Mortar Carrier

That's a BIG mortar! Any details?

[lynx42]

I thought I would put this on this thread first and maybe start another in the For Sale Section.
I was chatting to the owner of this Valentine and he said that he wants to sell it. $9,000.00 is his asking price I think. I'll have to check with him again. Seemed to have an excellent set of rubber on the wheels and good tracks. Origional gearbox etc. but a large V8 for power. I took a few photos so if anyone is interested they can contact me. Regards Rick

[lynx42]

Wheels and Tracks

[Ryan]

What else is lurking next to the Valentine in the last pic? Is that a Stuart or Grant track?

[lynx42]

Well picked Ryan, it's a much modified Stuart and DEFINATELY NOT FOR SALE AT ANY PRICE!!!
It is used by young and not so young women to help to remove their frustrations caused by errant boyfriends and partners. They paint his/her name on to a vehicle and then crush the beastie to a pancake. They tell me it works wonders.

I rang the owner tonight and I was wrong about the price for the Valentine, he wants $10,500.00 not $9,000.00 sorry about that but it is a couple of months since I had spoken to him.

The Valentine has a Ford V8 350, Turbo 400 coupled to the Valentine gearbox. Says it works really well, and has even been used for weddings.
Rick

[Chris.Banhidy]

Interesting.. only in May it was $7K.

Makes the almost complete Valentine from Melb Tank Museum at $27k look suddenly good

[lynx42]

I can only go by what I was told re the price. I guess that whoever comes up with some money will do the deal. I did with the Bren Gun Carrier he had there, and was pleasantly surprised.

[Ryan]

Rick, can I ask, was that Bren gun carrier on ebay some time ago, featuring a six cylinder engine from a Ford Cortina?
$10,500 for the Val is too much for me.

[lynx42]

Ryan, no it was a private sale. Carrier 2216 VR missing most of the internals but a basically complete hull. I'l place a few photos on the carrier forum. You might like to talk to the owner of the Val. If so I'll give you the info.
Regards Rick

[MurrayC]

Adding to the Valentines brought into Western Australia for agricutural ind indurtrial uses is this one living in a pioneer park in Port Hedland along with Haulpacks and other mining type transport. I was told the Valentine was used to cut roads in the Pilbara when the iron ore mines were beginning.

[MurrayC]

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