The Little World

Or ” The Jolly Green Midget “.

Say what you will about the green paint on this Valentine, it is the closest I can get to the distinctive colour on this tank and an adjacent Matilda as they sit in the CFB Borden museum right now. The colour illustrations that show these are taken in good light and the rest of the colour balance seen on walls, floor, and other vehicles indicate looks correct. So training or delivery green it is.

The museum spray painters have also had some little green overspray on the tracks and wheels – it is not just sloppy brushing on my part.

Set alongside an M4 Sherman, the tiny and complex nature of the Valentine becomes evident. I am amazed at the number of weird castings needed to suspend the hull and the decision to make the basic thing with so many odd angles indicates a pre-war mentality on the part of the Vickers designer.

Then ICM kit has rewarded. The brass enhancements included on two PE sheets folded very well and have done their job perfectly. All the accessories fitted, and even the tiniest bits of nonsense were cemented on.

The tracks were not as difficult to do as I feared – aided by the loan of a track-making jig and some slow-set Fäller cement by John France. I may not have the sag as precise as could be but I think it a good result for a first effort. The museum example has somewhat dirty and corroded tracks anyway, so a little bit of crud went a long way there.

The weathering and crud on the hinges and hatches is also subdued – there are only a few noticeable patches of rust on the Borden tank. And no unit markings visible – though I have found a wonderful period photo of a Valentine loaded on a CPR flat car with an advertising sign nailed to the side. I may make one for the library display of the tank.