Hi there

I'm building a Churchill Tank (Tamiya) and I'd like to make it a 'Caen'-version.

The final tank will be used in a dio - worktitle: Road to Caen - where the tank will be escorted by British infantry, the 50th division (The two red T's on black). Now, did the Churchill fight alongside the 50th division, and in that case, what markings should be used? I hope that I'm specifik enough...

Thanks in advance

Simon

Always a good source of British Markings is this company, i'm pretty sure they have a suitable set:

Bison Decals

Thanks
I'll give it a go.

Thanks for your help

Simon

Hi Simon,

Here's a link to the MAFVA Site, the Grenadier, Coldstream and Scots Guards used the Churchill and there are lots of tank names there and some WD Numbers etc along with AOS.

http://www.mafva.org.uk/Resources.asp

Hope this helps.

Cheers

AL

Hi Alan
Thanks for the link. That will come in handy. Nice articles - especially the one about camo-schemes.

Thanks for your help

Simon

Hi Simon,

Glad to help. They have some useful stuff.

Here's a link that might be of interest if you haven't come across it before:

http://www.armourinfocus.co.uk/a22/

Cheers

Al

Simon,

The Churchill tanks were used to equip the British independent Tank Brigades. The Tank Brigades could then be used to support any particular division. So you will not get a Churchill as part of the 50th Infantry Division, but would get a Churchill from an Independent Brigade fighting in support of the 50th's infantry. Which I presume you were looking for.

The following Independent Tank Brigades were in Normandy - but I'm unable to figure out off hand if any were assigned to support the 50th during the Normandy fighting.

4th, 6th Guards, 8th, 27th, 31st, 33rd and 34th.

The Armour in Focus site provided by AlanL above contains markings and some support assignments for the 31st, 33rd and 34th (see the 31 ATB, 33 ATB and 34 ATB) links on that site. I also know that the 6th Guards operated Chruchills and was mainly attached to the Guards Armoured Division (serving just to the East of Caen).

Also as far as I can gather the 50th Northumbrian Infantry Division did not really take part in any of the Caen fighting. It was part of XXX Corp which was over 10 miles to the west of Caen and seems to of taken a Gold Beach -> Bayeux -> Tilly-sur-Seulles -> Villers Bocage route. The Caen fighting was mainly the British I Corp and the Canadian II Corps which landed on Sword and Juno beaches closest to Caen.

Of course many of the roads they fought across would of eventually lead into Caen, it just depends how Caen specific you intend your diorama to be

Hope this is of some help.

Chris

Hi Chris
Thanks for your information, that really help alot.

The dio will not be a setting in Caen, but on the road to the town, so any place outside Caen in the British Sector will be the setting.

I have noted your brigade numbers so I can get the markings needed for it.

Thanks again - much appreciated.

Simon