Two RAF’s Aircraftmen working on the Merlin engine of a Supermarine Spitfire of No 241 Squadron, Royal Air Force on a chilly day in Southern Italy. January 1944. Victor Sierra

A chilly day

The Light Tank Mark I of 1930 was the first light tank to be ordered into production for the British Army, although only a very small number were produced, and the type was used for experiments and trials.
In 1930 the Royal Tank Corps didn't believe that tank-vs-tank combat would be very common, instead believing that the main threat to each sides tanks would come from the others un-armoured anti-tank guns. At most the light tanks would clash with other similar light tanks. As a result the entire family of tanks based on the Light Tank Mark I, which ended with the three-man Mark VI, were under-gunned and under-armoured, and suffered heavy losses during the short campaign in France in 1940. 

The Light Tank Mark I was produced in very small numbers, with four or five vehicles produced (sources differ). Four were given Experimental Numbers, from A4E2 to A4E5, but it isn't clear if the Carden Loyd Mk VIII was a fifth vehicle, or an earlier designation for the A4E2. The Mark I was followed by five examples of the Light Tank Mark IA, with experimental numbers A4E6 to A4E10.

Most of the Marks Is were used for running trails or for other experiments, most notably the A4E2 which was later turned into an experimnental mount for two .5in anti-aircraft machine guns in an open circular mount and the A4E4 which was given Horstmann suspension.
Firing those 2 mg's must have been hell for the gunner's ears and lungs.

greetz,brummbar 



British Lt.Tk. Mk.I 

North Africa 1942. A sign encourages soldiers to salvage materials from crashed airplanes to be reused, rather than kept as souvenirs. The sign states "Salvage. When a plane crashes tell us. Play ball. Don't souvenir it". Victor Sierra