Sorry if this has been asked before but Im just wondering what happened to the Covenantors sent to Egypt.

Did any see action?

I doubt they did given the problems with the radiator but wonder as I recently found a picture of one at a desert workshop being repaired along with a Sherman, a Stuart and several Valentines.

Im guessing the workshop is way behind the lines and repairing vehicles used for training or test purposes but it does have the 'feel' of a workshop near the front.


Im wondering if anyone has any more info on their use in North Africa?


Many thanks for any info.


Vince 'Electro Poof' Noir

Looked into this as I'd thought the Covenanter hadn't actually gone abroad except as a bridgelayer. It appears 'some' were sent to the middle east for use in training, could this be what the picture is?
Any chance we could see it?
Cheers,
Adam.

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"Wars cannot be fought with dream stuff" - Sir Percy Hobart.

I will see if I can do something with the pic... Its in a PDF text file I was sent.

It could be during training, that was the only possible reason I could think of and its born out by the selection of British tanks there. It could even be a workshop training area!

This could come in useful; Very handy and unintrusive free program for extracting pics and screengrabs if you can't save 'em in the usual way:
MWSnap

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"Wars cannot be fought with dream stuff" - Sir Percy Hobart.

I photographed it instead...

Does indeed look like a Covenanter doesn't it. so hard to differentiate from the Crusader but that wheel-gap and the cooling louvres point in that direction.
Thought it could possibly be a modified A13 Mk.II rather than the Covenanter (A13 MkIII) as they were used in France and in the Western desert by 7th armoured?? Don't reckon though, something wrong about the turret, 'Sunroof', louvres and overall shape after having a proper look in the books.

Great shot though.
=

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"Wars cannot be fought with dream stuff" - Sir Percy Hobart.

I've been looking for something just like this, thanks VP!

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"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance." Socrates

The third vehicle back is indeed a covenator. The IWM photo original has it as a repair area in Suez (eg near Alexandria). It was taken about the time of El Alamein (note the Sherman in the far background as well as two Valentines all of which saw their first service in Africa at that time as well).

It would appear that about 6 to 10 covenators went with 1st Armored Division to Egypt most likely to make up for the inevidable shortages in Crusaders. It is also likely that at least some of these saw some combat. But, how much is not known.

Nice one T.A., been bugging me and foolishly didn't check IWM Collections online., surprising amount of Covenanter shots on there, (I suppose as she mostly stayed at home) including this excellent colour shot:

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"Wars cannot be fought with dream stuff" - Sir Percy Hobart.

A clipped version of this photo was an Airfix Magazine cover in the late 60s !

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No Rest for the Wicked!

Actually, I discovered the same photo in a Brian Perrett's book The Valentine in North Africa about 10 or so years ago and got the IWM number from him. I followed up on why a Covenator was present hence, the discovery that a handful were shipped to make up for shortages in equipment.

Full detials from IWM.

Photo No.: E 22739
Photographer: Gladstone (Sgt)
No 1 Army Film & Photographic Unit

Title: THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORTH AFRICA 1942

Collection No.: 4700-32

Description: Newly-arrived Royal Armoured Corps troops working on a variety of tank types at a training camp near Abbasia in Egypt, 2 March 1943. In the foreground are a Valentine and Stuart tank, with Crusaders and more Valentines behind. On the right is a Covenanter tank, perhaps the only example of its kind to have arrived in North Africa.

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There is a thread about this dating back a few years. There was a small number of Covenanter tanks in North Africa. I cannot remember who posted it. Got It

Ally tanks in North Africa.
TA was the poster.
10-12 tanks delivered to the 1st Armd div.

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'We march. The enemy is retreating in transport. We follow on foot.' Lt.Neil McCallum 5/7 Gordons 19th November 1942