Churchill Gallery

Thanks for the info and pm Richard

Ashley

been trying to find this type of thread so here are a few views of Churchills from the RAWHS collection

Hi Folks

Here is a few pics of a Churchill that I located and uncovered two years ago. It was laid alongside a slab sided Sherman which we recovered, we removed the churchills turret before covering it back up.

Rob................................rnixartillery.

Nice photos, i assume this is the early model churchill 7 on feldom 3D that was buried around 2000 along with the Sherman I remanufactured that stood next to it. two photos of the Churchill when it was still encased in concrete

and a photo of the Feldom Sherman T270129

The Churchill was not half as bad as I expected it would be and tends to confirm my view that the Churchill IV 75 uparmoured that stood to the rear of the range could have been salvaged. Was there any T number visible on the exhumed vehicle?

There is or was a Churchill in the FIBUA training area of Catterick does anyone have any photos of this and other targets on the FIBUA range.

Steve

Hi Steve,

Long time no "see", hope all is well with you.

Re. Churchills, see the following links for a couple of rare types on a German range:

http://www.hartziel.de/index.htm?/_typen/churchark.htm

http://www.hartziel.de/index.htm?/_typen/churchavlb.htm

http://www.hartziel.de/index.htm?/_typen/churcharv.htm

Regards,

Hanno

Just realised who steveo578 is!

Hope you are well Steve.

Here is two snaps from Salisbury Plain. Both pictures were taken in 2006 and as far as we know they are still out there. The only safe way to get to these tanks was by Halo hence the reason why the pictures are from above.

Tony

The last of the Churchills on Feldom where stripped of any salvagable parts a couple of years back so there isn't much left on the range now and I believe that the one in FIBUA has also gone but I have had nothing to do with that one.

I am not sure what is left in there now,I think a few post war vehicles ,it is impposible to get in there due to the high state of security.

Pic of the salvaged Sherman after a long day winching it out of its resting place.

Rob...................rnixartillery.

Hi Hanno & Adrian

Still around but I don't currently do active AFV stuff, hope all is well with you both

Plainmilitary

Nice photos, very knocked about crocodile and possibly petard AVRE.

Steve

This is us recovering the turret from that Crocodile back in 1990ish. I've driven miles over all of the plain, was much safer than a helicopter!

rnixartillery

What was reason for the excavation? I wondered about the Sherman what type of final drive armour fitted (3 piece or single) and how much suspension remained.

As regard the other old targets they were badly knocked around by the 2002 parts stripping, the FIBUA churchill which I think was a MkIV was stripped of its tracks at that time -possibly just before it was cut up, there was also a Morris RUC APC in the FIBUA. Retreiving the whole turret from the late production Churchill might have been a better idea than this-

- complete MkVII turrets however many LAW hits would probably have a market in Australia.

Steve

Rather amazingly, that very turret arrived at my yard today to be repaired for shipment to.......Australia!

Hi Adrian

Do you know if the MkVII turret on Warcop was scrapped?

Steve

Hi Steve, I'm afraid I don't though I suspect Mr A from the island might.

Had a job making up my mind where to put this as its a snap but its main feature is the Churchill but think this the best thread for it

Some photos of Warcop Churchill taken some years ago.

First three are of a turretless Churchill leaning against a Conqueror ARV Mk1 in the vicinity of the small arms range near high lane. removed by 2000.

four. Churchill Mk4 75 on high range to the east of N ridge

Five same tank in the distance with a demolished M10c in the foreground.

There is also a Mk7 wreck I posted previously #64

Steve

These are the other two churchills that were on Feldom 3d. The photos show their condition in 1992.

The Mk7 a late production tank with outrigger armour attachments and tropical ventilator, viewed from direction of fire (ie the worst side) rear view note even the rear mud guards were still in place.

Mk4 75 with applique armour and still fitted with the 5 inch rear engine air ventilator.

Both tanks still had tracks and the MkIV in particular was in fairly good condition al things considered.

some great pics , I can remember some of them , and now whats left of the ones thats full of concrete , this all ties in with the pics that I posted "two tracked vehicles"

Otterburn Churchill targets These three were long term residents of the Otterburn Impact Area the first and second were towed into position probably in the 1960s ( this is aparent in that the drive splines were removed) and by the time they were photographed none had any ID visible.

OTA 1 and close up

OTA 2 and close up -of interest this tank had signs of repair from an in service A/T hit and had the remnant of a 79th AD logo on the front plate.

The third tank on Otterburn Impact Area probably driven on in the 1950s (drive shafts in place -so difficult to tow) was used for 25pdr A/T training but like all the tanks on this impact area was heavily battered by 5.5inch guns in the 1970s and were laterly used for mortar and machine gun use -including 50cal A/P.

OTA 3 and close up

These tanks have been further broken up since 2002.

On the Redesdale Impact area on the road down to mobile target at "Stone in the mire" this tank was rarely engaged and again as the splines are in place it may have driven in place in the 1950s. In the 1970s it was filled with concrete and then an attempt was made to pull it to the road -the tracks snapped. This tank had the name Merlin on the engine intake choc bar- but as has been said there is no guarentee that the name is original. AVREs at Bovington RE training estabishment in the 1950s had Camalot style names -like Black Knight etc so Merlin is a possible but I've never seen an in service photo of it. This AVRE is now at Isle of wight Military Museum.

"Merlin"

The other Otterburn Churchill was a Mk3 AVRE which stood as a limit marker on a ridge near DavyShiel BSA. It was fortunate to survive without targeting by weapons bigger than Mortars and small arms and was recovered and refurbished by Bob Grundy for the Tank Museum- I don't have photos for this one perhaps Bob might like to post. Like "Merlin" it was probably driven in place and both were originally very early production Churchill 2s returreted during their many rebuilds.

There was possibly a Churchill Mk7 at Roman Road A/T range in the 1960s. In 1977 we did a brief drive around -without cameras and binos unfortunately, but one of the guys came back and sketched a tank which was remarkably like an A23 -a Cruiser hull like Cromwell with churchillesque suspension which should only be a paper type. In the 1970s Otterburn received several ex MVEE/FVRDE trials vehicles including the Comores Comet and the submersible Centurion probably 43ba64.

If anyone has photos of OTA for the period earlier than 1980s it might be worth starting a new thread

Steve

Hi, does any member have any pics or info on the two Churchills removed from Lulworth Range in the mid 80`s ? During a Chieftain conversion course we were informed not to engage them with main gun due to preservation orders placed on them.? so I assume they were saved ?

Bob Grundy published a photo of a Lulworth Churchill MK7 crocodile without tracks taken about 1984-85 or so(grizzly also photographed) it's in the Range Wreck thread post #95.

Bob Grundy published a photo of a Lulworth Churchill MK7 crocodile without tracks taken about 1984-85 or so(grizzly also photographed) it's in the Range Wreck thread post #95.

Thanks Steve ill check it out

On the Redesdale Impact area on the road down to mobile target at "Stone in the mire" this tank was rarely engaged and again as the splines are in place it may have driven in place in the 1950s. In the 1970s it was filled with concrete and then an attempt was made to pull it to the road -the tracks snapped. This tank had the name Merlin on the engine intake choc bar- but as has been said there is no guarentee that the name is original. AVREs at Bovington RE training estabishment in the 1950s had Camalot style names -like Black Knight etc so Merlin is a possible but I've never seen an in service photo of it. This AVRE is now at Isle of wight Military Museum.

 

Steve, this is "Merlin", correct?

mcspool

Steve, this is "Merlin", correct?

 

 

Hi Hanno

Certainly is -for the interest of members of the forum -note the curved rail around the sprocket to allow the track to move without engaging the teeth.- necessary as the transmission compartment was/is still filled with concrete and it proved impossible to release the sprocket drive spline shafts.

Two photos of the sprocket spline access. On Merlin with bolts removed to withdraw the sline shaft- however it was necessary to access the transmission itself as the spline would not release, the cover plate was reattached.

A view of another Churchill target tank shows the cover removed and the spline extracted- for correct recovery after the spline is withdrawn the sproket support and the cover should be replaced otherwise the bearings of the sprocket will be put under severe strain- in the case of tanks due for targeting it did not matter. It's a generallisation but if a wreck is found with the splines out it was towed into place, with splines in place -assuming it has a transmission drive train in place it probably got there under its own power.

Steve