Infantry Tank Mk III Valentine Mk II

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The Valentine Tank served the British Army from 1941 through to the end of the War, having been developed privately and therefore lacking a government-issued A number. The Mk.II version was powered by a robust AEC A190 131hp 6-cylinder diesel engine and armed with a potent 2pdr (40mm) Gun. Several theories attempt to explain how the Valentine got its name. One widely accepted explanation is that the design was unveiled at the War Office on St. Valentine's Day, February 14, 1940. Some sources propose alternative dates: Valentine's Day in 1938 or February 10, 1938. Another theory suggests a more personal connection: Sir John V. Carden, a renowned tank designer and creator of the A10 and A11 tanks, happened to have Valentine as his middle name. Yet another explanation posits that Valentine is an acronym for Vickers-Armstrong Ltd Elswick & Tyne, although this remains unsubstantiated. David Fletcher offers a more practical take: he believes it was simply a codename used internally by Vickers with no deeper significance.