Going to do yet another try to return to modelling by returning to my favourite subject, ww2 British armour. Would like to build something from the time around D-day.

Haven't built many Shermans so thought I would give it a go. But what versions did the 7th armoured division use at the time? Only Firefly's or they used other versions as well?

And are there any good books for reference on this subject? Or British Shermans at all?

The 7th Armoured Division "The Desert Rats" were not equipment with Shermans other then Fireflys, they only had Cromwells, and were the only British Army Armoured Divison so equipped.

As Derek says, for 7AD in Normandie you are limited to Fireflies on the M4A4 hull. They may have acquired some M4-based Fireflies later in the NWE campaign as many units did.

If you want to build a Sherman from another formation, I can give you a steer as to what types they had (e.g. 8AB was all 75mm M4A2s and M4A4-based Fireflies).

7AD had two types of Sherman on Strength and these were generally all M4A4 variants. They had Firefly VC early in the campaign but I have seen 1c's of both Welded and Composite hulls later in the campaign (Aug). The one everyone missed are the OP M4A4 of which two were lost to a certain Tiger in Villers Bocage.
The best reference for what you are looking for is by Ludic Fortin - "British Tanks in Normandy" by Histoire & Collections. A cheaper option is The British Sherman from Dennis Oliver by Concord but out of print. The new Dennis Oliver title Sherman Tanks of the British Army and Royal Marines: Normandy Campaign 1944 is a pretty good conscise title on British Shermans in Normandy.
Guards AD had M4A4 (plus Vc & 1c Fireflies)
11 AD had M4A4 (plus Vc & 1c Fireflies)
27 & 8 AB had M4A2 (plus Vc & 1c Fireflies)
4AB had M4A1 Shermans (plus Vc & 1c Fireflies)
33AB had M4 Shermans (plus Vc & 1c Fireflies)

All of these formations had Sherman V OP. ARV's were in general M4A4 based in the AD and M4A2 in the Independent Brigades

79 AD had Sherman Crab Flails (V) plus SHerman V guntanks in HQ roles.
By the end of the Normandy campaign the strict division of types had started to change due to a shortage of some types. 8AB was issued a number of M4 Composites and even M4A4 by late 44.


Cheers
Al

Good point about the OP, Al. I really should have remembered that!

Of course I'm open to building Shermans from other units, so I take any info I can get with great appreciation.

since I can't keep my projects nice and small and simple, I have started to go through what models there are to build 7 armoured vehicles past D-day. And also did an inventory of what I already have.

So far I have found out one kit that I don't already have, and it's the M-24 Chaffee, and that there are offerings from AFV and Bronco. And then the obvious question, which one? I don't care if it's not 100% accurate, I'm more interesed in it being easy to build!

For a British Chaffee (or US for that matter) I would go with AFV. Easier build, the Bronco one is great but fiddly. &AD vehicles from Normandy to the Baltic:
M3A1, M3A3, M5
M4 Firefly welded and Composite
M4A4 Firefly
M4A4 OP
M32
Cromwell 75 and 95 mm CS
Challenger
Daimler AC
Daimler SC
Humber SC
AEC Mk III
Staghound
COMET
CHAFFEE (May 45 +)

Cheers
Al