Some pics showing Churchill stowage on hull and turret.

Scroll down to 10th and 11th pics.

As a general rule, in combat crews prefer to keep the turret free to rotate, periscopes clear to see through and air intakes and exhausts free to pass air as designed.

Fortunately there are plenty of pics online of Churchills (I downloaded dozens recently from the IWM site) to give you an idea of what was done, when and by which units.

Reusing discarded metal ammo boxes was common but make sure you use wartime designs, not those for 120mm tank rounds, for example.

Hi Gareth,

Some sound advice already here; the key I feel is to look for examples of the real thing. That's not to disparage anyone else's models but you can't get better than the actual imagery from the time. After all, you don't wish to undertake the equivalent of red and white poles on the side of a Jagdtiger!

Keep it up Gareth, Churchill and scenery all looking outstanding.

Brian

Not a big Churchill fan, And not an “expert” by any means, but I am a Crocodile fan, having scratchbuilt an interior for my Tamiya Crocodile, which subsequently earned a 1st place award for closed top tracked armored vehicles at a local IPMS show several years ago. We also have a Crocodile at our local Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum, owned by the late Paul Allen. Sadly the FHCAM Museum is now closed, with no information on re-opening, if any. But I did a lot of “Churchill” research when building my Crocodile.

My reason for interjecting in this conversation is to clarify the purpose of the removed fenders adjacent to the turret. These were removed by the crews, because they had a tendency to buckle when hit with a round, and would fold up and jam the turret. As far as external stowage, Churchill crews seem to have kept stowage at a minimum, to keep the vehicle ready for action. Mostly on the rear fenders rather than engine deck, and there are two “flimsy” racks on the lower rear fenders, which were also used to carry cargo. The Crocodile trailer roof was used occasionally for stowage, especially for tarps and fuel related items. The Tamiya kit is a late Mk VII, a type that did not see a lot of action in 1944, except for the Crocodile. The earlier Mark AFV club kit is probably best suited to depict Churchills in France in 1944 (other than Crocodiles).

Just another note, the Fruil Mk VII track set is fabulous (but expensive), and will really lend a touch of realism to any Mk VII build. Removing the fenders around the turret is quite an undertaking on the Tamiya kit, as it will expose the empty interior, you’ll have to do some surgery with sheet styrene to patch up the holes, but it’s worth it, and will build into a unique model. Check the internet for photos, as I recall, there’s a “Churchill” web site dedicated specifically to the tank, with lots of photos, but I can’t recall the name.
VR, Russ