In a message dated 30/07/02 10:25:36 GMT Daylight Time,
ronnie(a)southwest.com.au writes:
Greetings Arthur and all on the list
Can you refresh my memory on which John Carden was the inventor of the
above
please - which line is he in from please?
regards Ronnie Bates
John Valentine Carden (known as "Peter"), born 1892 in Ireland, a member of
the Templemore branch, was an enthusiastic inventor. In the years
immediately after the first world war he produced lightweight racing cars and
an aeroplane, and went on to design and manufacture one of the first
"cyclecars." My brother owns one of these "Carden" cars, and it was
on show
at our Carden Gathering in 1998 together with a later model "The New Carden."
They were open two-seaters, very light in weight, with a twin cylinder
air-cooled engine under the seat overhanging the back axle. The original
"Carden," at 100 pounds sterling, was the cheapest car at the 1921 London
motor show. King Alphonse III of Spain (soon to be deposed by Franco) bought
three, it is said. But the Austin Seven was a much better car and the Carden
firm soon became bankrupt. "Peter" had always been interested in tracked
vehicles and several of his designs were manufactured by Vickers and sold to
armies in various countries. The well known "Bren Gun Carrier" which played
such an important part in the British Army in the second world war was based
on his designs. Sadly he was killed in an air crash in 1935, soon after he
succeeded to the Templemore baronetcy and became Sir John Valentine Carden.
It is said that the highly successful British tank called the "Valentine,"
which played a significant part in the defeat of Rommel in the western
desert, was named after him posthumously. Those who purchased a copy of the
Report on the Carden Gathering will find in it photographs of the cars and an
article by the owner of the "New Carden," who wrote: In military circles he
was considered a man of genius, and his death was a disaster from which
British tank progress never recovered. It was considered that, in the mid
1930s, Britain led the world in military vehicles, mostly due to Carden's
influence.
I don't know the connection, if any, with the Matilda tank.
Arthur.