Private Ownership

This vehicle was recovered to Bovington and held in storage at Sturminster Marshall, Dorset. The lower photograph (Source M.A.F.V.A) shows the vehicle as was before arrival at Bovington. The upper photograpg taken at Bvington some years ago..

The vehicle is now undergoing complete restoration on the Isle of Wight, probably back to a MkIII gun tank.

Reg. 33ZR17

Bovington Tank Museum

Early production vehicle without frontal turret bulges.

In Storage.
Reg. T251952/D - not thought to be original. There are photos
of this tank at Bovington in the 1950s with the number T251949 but number is also doubttful.

This vehicle would appear to be an early re-worked MkI or MkII which has been re-turretted and then upgraded to MkVI spec. by the mounting of a 75mm gun, ARV cuppola and MkVII suspension..

Reg. 37ZK12

Bovington Tank Museum

One of four gun carriers discovered burried on a range. The other three are with the Cadman brothers.

Reg. T347848M

Imperial War Museum, Duxford.

Previously at Hermanville-sur-mer, Normandy. It is marked bulldog with a welded cradle on its upper hull front, Cheiftain tow ropes fitted as well as oddly shaped tin track guards. All welded up & epescopes missing. This vehicle will now undergo some restoration before becoming a centre piece of the part of the Land Warfare Hall's D-Day display.

Previously restored by 6 Armoured Workshop and 26 Engineers Regiment in 1986/7.

Rod & Rex Cadman

From Pounds Yard, Portsmouth.

Rod & Rex Cadman

Best of the three gun carriers owned by the Cadmans. There are plans to use parts from the other other two to cosmetically restore this vehicle for display in an international museum.

Gate guardian on the site of the old tank works now an industrial site.

Although now having the appearance of a gun tank, the turret attachment points for smoke lauchers, manlet cover fixing bevel and hull dozer attachment points indicate that this was originally an AVRE.

D-Day Museum,
Portsmouth.

Sports the name SANDDUNE and markings of C Squadron 141 RAC. W/D number is displayed as T173174 and whilst this may be correct for the 'original SANDDUNE' the Museum vehicle is a later producion churchill.

Owned by the Lowick Homeguard Unit, Lowick, North-Northumberland

Formerly on Display at Museum of Army Transport, Beverley.

Displayed to represent a MkI, this vehicle is without doubt a MkII with a dummy 3" howitzer barrel mounted in what appears to be the BESA mount apperture. Also fitted with a ARV cupola !

War & Peace (Cadmans)

Gate Guardian
The Hop Farm
Beltring.

Early production vehicle without frontal turret bulges. Suspect track guards, no air-intakes and a very suspect 17pdr gun !

Reg. T173250

Ran when placed in the Museum - not since.

Reg. 13ZV70

Early production vehicle without frontal turret bulges.

Reg. T252204

Restored to running condition. From Pound's yard.

Manufactured by Vaxhalls 1944, as part of contract M 7454 for 1000.
Post-war Reg. No. 34ZR24 T251892
Wartime No. A22/12399/R7

Preston Isaac the Vehicle's Owner has contributed the following background info:

"Like most Crocodiles I got it came from Pounds, I think in 1975. We restored it to running order, but has not been run for a few years now, although we have plans afoot to get her going again, especially as we now have a spare recon engine.

All the internal fittings are original manufacture, being taken from donor vehicles in Pounds, which was possible in those days.

Army records showed she was one of a batch allocated to the R E's , which makes sense if she was either built as a Croc, or converted when new."

Gate guardian for the newly built Royal Wessex Yeomanry RHQ at Allenby Barracks, Bovington

Reg. 39ZR17

Previously ATDU gate guardian and before that from Shrivenham R.C.M.S. where it was used as a nuclear phyisics test vehicle. Cosmetic restoration by B. Grundy.

Previously a range target at Larkhill

In storage, awaiting restoration. It was bought about three years ago from the Hall House Farm Historic Collection (a small museum near Kendal owned by David Cheeseman but now closed). It is a runner and it is totally complete less trailer (however a trailer has been located).

T.A. Centre,
Cwmbran.

Reg. 11ZV03

Bovington vehcile loaned out. Bridge absent, deteriorating.

Salvaged from a gunnery range in Germany some 30 years ago and given a cosmetic restoration by members of S.E.M.E.. (School of Electrical & Mechanical Engineers). Lacks the rear spade anchor, engine and winch.

Attached plaque reads:
"This Churchill A.R.V. was restored to its present condition by Mr L Marshall, Mr A Hansford of HVFS SEME Bordon from July 78-Sept 79"

Reg. 51ZR94, W.D No. T386915

Photo taken by kind permission of REME Museum of Technology - Historic Vehicles Collection.

See our in depth photo study of this vehicle.

Unearhed in 1985

Unearthed in 1985. Hull only remains

Unearthed in 1985, applique armour

Unearthed in 1985

Unearthed in 1985

Unearthed in 1985

Range Target
Feldom 3d, Catterick training area, North Yorkshire.

75mm gun and applique armour but retains the 5inch rear air outlet. Filled with concrete but engine is still in place and not filed in.

Range Target
Feldom 3d, Catterick training area, North Yorkshire.

A late model 'tropicalised' churchill with the ventilator replacing the gun tube extraction plate. It also has the applique stand off armour mounting points.

This vehicle has now had its armament and rear venitilator removed.

Isle of White

Recently (September/October 2002) recovered from the Otterburn Training Area, Northumberland. Was filled with concrete but has no penetration damage.

Name: Merlin

Early rebuild to MkIV, linked forward suspension units & remodelled air outlet.

Otterburn Impact Area,
Otterburn Training Area,
Northumberland

Otterburn Impact Area,
Otterburn Training Area,
Northumberland

Otterburn Impact Area,
Otterburn Training Area,
Northumberland.

Possibly a driver training tank as the turret is not fitted with a Petard and lacks traversing gear.

Warcop Range,
Near Appleby,
Cumbria.

Hull only.

Warcop Range,
Near Appleby,
Cumbria.

Turret inverted. Has the later 8" air outlet so probably a MkVI

Warcop Range,
Near Appleby,
Cumbria.

Square door type (Mk1,II, III or IV)

Warcop Range,
Near Appleby,
Cumbria.

Square door type (Mk1,II, III or IV)

Sennybridge Training Area
Mid-Wales

located on a disused anti-tank range - source: After the Battle No.90 (1995).

Identifiable as a MkV from the turret mantlet apperture. May have been driven into position as the cover plate over the sprocket centre is intact (towing usually generally requires the disconnection of the final drive spines and hence the removal of his plate).

ACCESS: By foot along path from South Downs Way, Springhead Hill. Map Reference: TQ 072122.

"It was during the training leading up to the Dieppe raid that 'A' Squadron, 14th Canadian Army Tank Battalion (Calgary Regt.), suffered what was then unceremoniously termed a 'dead-head'. This was the serious breakdown of a tank, and it is believed that due to the impending Dieppe raid and the gradual re-supply with Mark IIIs, this 'dead-head' was deemed as unsuitable for repair and withdrawn from service. It was then handed over to the infantry units of the 2nd Canadian Army Division and taken by them to the infantry training grounds above Storrington. Here the tank was used as a range target being fired upon by PIAT anti-tank weapons, amongst others, and when the troops pulled out after the war, was left sitting on the Downs. After the war, a member of the range clearing teams, who now lives in Storrington, remembers that to remove the tank it was simply rolled over into a bomb crater and buried!

On the 20th November 1993, the tank was recovered by the R.E.M.E. having been unearthed over the previous years by a number of hardy enthusiasts. Once rolled out of its grave it was placed on the edge of the field where it remains to this day."

Source: Glen Carter: Sussex at War

This tank was buried in the late 1970s and unearthed in 2002. The vehicle has now been cosmetically as a gate guard for the North Irish Horse in Belfast.

The vehicle has a late MkIV/MkV turret with ARV cuppola and applique armour to the hull sides so may be a MkXLT.

Photograph Courtesy of Bracken Anderson.

Recently unearthed south of Bordon Camp in Hampshire

In very poor condition but possibly to undergo a comestic restoration to provide a gate guardian.

RAF Honington, Suffolk.

Previously a gate guard at the (now closed) Victory Museum, Arlon, Belgium. (photograph taken at the Victory Museum).

Reg. T149931

East of England Tank Museum

Bovington Tank Museum

Only complete survior of the six pilot models made.

Rod & Rex Cadman

From Pounds Yard this vehicles was moved to Salisbury plain where it was 'discovered' in the early 80s. It was then recovered as part of the A.F. Budge (photo location) before passing to the Cadman brothers. Photo courtesy of Richard Stickland.

Imperial War Museum, Duxford

Photogrpahed by Richard Stickland in 1991 at the IWM Duxford site this would appear to be the gun and mantlet of an A43. This exhibit has now been removed from public display but is still a Duxford.