GliderRecon

>>Bingo Light Tank Mk VI.....track width 9.5 inches. That's a lovely thought and not beyond the realms of possibility. Tidworth is about 15 miles up the road and there were definitely Mk VIs based there before and during the war: http://www.qdg.org.uk/pages/Armament-59.php When the Historic Military Vehicles Forum (http://www.hmvf.co.uk/) finally get around to approving my registration I may get a definitive verdict. A couple of the regulars look to be Carrier owners. >>What a shame the rest of the tank isn't attached. This weekend I'm heading back to the spot with a trowel and a can of petrol.

Thanks chaps. If the object is indeed a Carrier track link, I'm guessing (with the aid of some cursory Google-research) that's it the by-product of a track tightening session. It seems the Carrier's brake/warp steering system took its toll on track tension/condition and periodically crews would remove a link to keep everything taut.

The area where I live (Southern UK) is dotted with the sites of Iron Age, Roman and Saxon settlements, so I tend to keep my eyes peeled while walking footpaths. Yesterday evening I spotted an interesting bit of iron poking out of the ground, and levering it out, discovered the object pictured here: http://img831.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=tracklink02.jpg I wonder, could this be a track link from a Universal Carrier? The size seems right (width: 9.5 inches).

Thanks chaps. That's all very helpful.

I was wondering if any of the resident armour grogs could help me out with the following questions: 1. Tactical use of smoke. How common was it for Allied tanks to attempt to 'blind' enemy tanks/TDs/AT guns with smoke shells, rather than engage them with AP/HE? 2. Tank positioning. Was it standard practise for a tank aware of a threat at 12'o-clock to re-orientate slightly to reduce the risk of oblique hits? 3. Tank types in Normandy. Where can I go to find information on Allied AFV rarity in the Normandy campaign? For example, I know there were more Shermans on the ground than Cromwells, but I'd like to know the rough ratio. Many thanks, Tim