HOWEVER - if you look at the diary - unfortunately large chunks...including arrival in Egypt!...are missing - you can see that they received their crusaders (Cruiser MkVIs) by dribs and drabs through the year from Chilwell. Throughout the year they were training/exercising on them - so if they arrived without major components, then what must have been ON most of these tanks for all those weeks and months of training must have been removed!
EITHER 1/ we ARE looking at uprated/improved components behing shipped with them, the previous having been removed once the Yeomanry reached Westbury, OR...2/ All that training through the year had already caused major wear - hence replacements being shipped with them?
Moving on....4th County of London Yeomanry and it's Crusaders were on the Strathnaver - http://www.warlinks.com/armour/4_cly/4cly_41.html....
And buried in there, there's THIS! -
Again, unfortunately October is missing!Joined convoy of 5 other ships which included HMT Strathmore and HMT Orion carrying the rest of 22nd Armd Bde.
The last element of 22 Armoured briagde was the 2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars - who although the pertinant mid-1941 months are missing - http://www.warlinks.com/armour/2nd_rgh/2nd_rgh_41.html - must have been in Strathmore, as per the above
Note what it says for the 3rd to the 20th of october 1941 -
Again - looking at those other two diaries, both other units ALSO had their Crusaders for some number of months' training and exercising before they left England! These weren't brand new tanks arriving with the unit, they'd been training on them for some time...and looking at the most detailed, for the 3rd Yeomanry -During this period 52 tanks were modified and equipped RAOC Workshops at ALEXANDRIA and CAIRO.
...there's time for leave, but not time to fit new parts that were apparently missing from their tanks - but that were sitting on the dockside to ship to Egypt with them in separate boxes???1/8/41 Westbury.Personnel recalled from 7 days Privilege leave after 48 hours reported throughout day. Intensive preparation for move abroad commenced.
2/8/41 First 4-day Embarkation leave party departed.
3/8/41 Preparation for move.
4/8/41 Preparation for move. 2nd embarkation leave party.
5/8/41 Preparation for move. 3rd embarkation leave party.
6/8/41 Preparation for move. Personnel recalled from Privilege leave depart for 48 hour Embarkation leave.