Valentine Tank: Burghead Bay, Moray Firth
Overview
This point is possibly a Valentine tank lost during amphibious training in Burghead Bay before D-Day. It lies close to record 101772 and may be a separate vehicle or another position for the same remains.
The vessel and voyage
Valentine tanks took part in landing exercises around the Moray Firth as troops prepared for the invasion of Europe. Landing craft based at Fortrose embarked tanks and practised putting them ashore around Burghead and nearby beaches.
How it was lost
Several vehicles were lost in these hazardous sea exercises. The record does not state whether this possible tank flooded, slipped during unloading or was overwhelmed farther from shore.
Deaths and survival
No crew or death can be safely attached. The local statement that one tank is a war grave does not identify this possible record.
What remains
The point at 57.69014, -3.57385 is only a few hundred metres from 101772. Because this entry says possible armoured vehicle, the two should remain linked for checking but not counted confidently as two tanks.
Why it mattered
Even an uncertain tank point helps map the scale of wartime training in Burghead Bay. Confirming whether it is separate would improve the count of vehicles lost while testing methods later used on invasion beaches.
History checked 2026-08-15 against the named sources below.
A wreck point does not grant permission to dive, disturb the site or recover anything. Check current law and local conditions first.