Tank careers expose design and doctrine

Kershaw's character list uses Bill Close's service across Calais, Greece, North Africa, Normandy, and north-west Europe to span much of the book's story. Close rose to squadron command after experiencing several very different theatres. Robert Crisp, a South African Test cricketer who served in Greece, contributes a sceptical view of British tanks' technical performance. His remark that planners tried to make a tank resemble a horse exposes how cavalry inheritance could distort mechanised design thinking.