I'm planning to build Tamiya's Churchill VII with all its hatches open. The kit parts have no detail for the inside of the hatches, so I'm hoping someone can point me towards some decent references so I can scratch these. I have a collection of photos ofBovington's Churchill but couldn't get high enough to get a good view of the top of the hull. I didn't think it would be appropriate to climb on the exhibits
Any help much appreciated guys!

Sean

There seems to be a conspiracy to hide the hatches of the Churchill Mark VII, though I don't really think they're that complicated inside. If you can find it, the reprint of extracts from the manual that the HMSO issued years ago is the best resource. Especially the reproductions of the stowage diagrams. Here are some more photos, these show the upper hull but not really the hatch insides.

Armour in Focus

There is a battered Crocodile here
Prime Portal

Sean,

I've PM'd you.

Craig

Hi Sean,

Know what you mean about Bovington, very tempting though, If I had to get locked in anywhere for an evening I might just choose there :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) .

There was a post not too long ago, someone, sorry can't remember who, is scratching a Churchill on the beach at Dieppe, and doing a really good job of it, I think it showed the top hatches open so you might get a reference there if you can track the post.

Also check out Cromwells, sorry don't have their web address at the moment - they do lots of conversions and you might get a useful picture there.

I can't remember if I got any shots of the hatches when I was last down at Bovington but Vinnie posted the pictures some time ago, there maybe something there.

Cheers

Al

Sean, I can sympathise. I got a mouthful off one of the staff at Duxford when I climbed onto the T-34 to take pics of the engine deck. Like I'm going to break it! :-)

On Churchills a bit off topic but I found it quite interesting. I used to work in a gents outfitters around 1995 when all the veterans were wanting their medals remounted, which I felt should be free so it was when I took their medals off them. They couldn't believe the shine on them when they got them back...LOL. ( they always got amazing discounts on suits, shirts etc as well :-) although I didn't tell the boss). One bloke came in with the most arthritic hands I've ever seen and wanted a Tank Regt badge sewing on his blazer. Just chatting to him it turned out he'd been a driver on Churchills in Italy. He told me that when you changed gear and track that the levers were so close to a shelf you constantly punched it. No wonder his hands were in such a state.

Hi Sean

Ive almost completed the exact same project and found this site which was a great help...

http://www.mapleleafup.org/vehicles/cac/churchill.html

There is a great view of the MKVII Crocodile commanders cupola and turret roof and if you dig around theres also a few shot fo the hull hatches which may be of some use.


Ian

Hi Sean;
A couple of books that will be of help are:
Vanguard 13, The Churchill Tank, Osprey pub has colour plates of the interior of a Mk VII turret and forward hull positioins on a Crocodile; and
Churchill Tank, Vehicle History and Specification, HMSO. It includes a reproduction of the service handbook for the Mk VII & VIII and and also internal and external stowage diagrams.

Cheers
David

Sean,
Maybe the pics on my site will help: Churchill Crocodile.


Chris "toadman" Hughes
Toadman's Tank Pictures

Don't hold your breath, but I MAY be able to help, i'm going to be doing a large number of pics on thursday of a preserved Churchill, so i'll be bearing this in mind and no, it isn't the Bovington one....

Wow, that's an overwhelming response (amazing since there's apparently so little interest in Commonwealth WW2 armour )!! Thanks very much all of you Really appreciated and very helpful.


Sean

Sean PM your email address and I can send you reference material.
(However the files are large)

There is a churchill in quite good nick at the Coberton Combat Muesum, near Barnstaple, I'm sure if you ask them nicely they'll let you have a look!

Yep, there is indeed

When I return to civilization, next week, i'll be posting a full report on the museum along with some walkrounds of some selected subjects...

Unfortunately, and I apologize profusely, I WASN'T able to clamber up onto the turret of the Churchill...Jim

No need to apologise JIm - the collective response has been so helpful I have some great references now and am all ready to go once I finish the KT dioarma I'm currently working on.


Sean