'The 1st Cruiser', Chiddingfold, Surrey, 1940

Photograph by Major Wilfred Herbert James Sale, MC, 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), 1940.

Cruiser tank (T18156) with its crew named as Doug Clancey, Stanley Rice and Alf Thomson'.

In November 1940 the unit received its first Cruiser tanks, listed in the 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters) war diary as Mark IVAs.

The A13 Mark I Cruiser tank went into production in 1940. Armed with a 2 pounder gun and a Vickers machine gun but it was deemed to be under-armoured and the A13 Mark II was developed utilising additional angled armour plates on the turret. Additional changes were made to the production models including more armour for the gun mantlet and a rounded commander's cupola. The A13 IIA included modifications that allowed a BESA machine gun to replace the Vickers. In June 1940 the A13 Mark I was redesignated the Cruiser Mark III and the A13 Mark II became the Cruiser Mark IV, with the modified BESA carrying Mark II model becoming the Cruiser Mark IVA. The Cruiser variants did not fare well in France and proved, as feared, susceptible to German anti-tank guns but they were still used in large numbers in North Africa until late 1941.

From an album of 328 photographs compiled by Major W H J Sale, MC, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), 1938-1940.