| Last Hussar | 21 Mar 2010 2:34 p.m. PST |
I need to be able to ID each of my Churchills. Rather than go with '1' '2' etc, can any one suggest names ( I have a 1/72 airfix one with the name APOLLO on- these others are 10mm so will have the name on the back of the base) |
| Kaoschallenged | 21 Mar 2010 3:09 p.m. PST |
I have a copy of the Squadron book "British Tank Markings and Names" by B. T. White. In it states that some units in each company of a unit used names using the first letter in a name for the vehicle from the alphabet. For example the 43rd Tank Battalion, 33rd Tank Brigade Churchills used the letter "S". Therefore the names like "Saracen","Spokesman" and "Samson" were used. I guess it would depend on what Unit you would want to portray. Robert |
| By John 54 | 21 Mar 2010 3:45 p.m. PST |
Boucherys book 'British Soldier vol 2' has the names of every tank from the 4th Coldstream Guards Churchill regiment in the 6th Guards tank brigade.
Or, decide which regiment you want to do, google their battle honours, and use these, OR, if it's a county regiment, use village names from the area, begining with A, for A squadron, and so on. My Household Cavalry Armoured car regiment has hunts, so A Squadron has Ashford, Avon Vale, etc, B has Bull, Beaufort, and so on. Google is a wonder for this sort of thing. I have to admit, I thought all tanks in the 33rd Brigade were Shermans, later to be Buffaloes and Kangaroos.
The Churchill Regiments in NW Europe '44, were all in the independent tank Brigades, and, having just looked, seem to be all RAC regiments, so googling a county recruitment area could be a challenge!
Have a bit of imagination, Animals, birds especially, all were used. John |
| Jemima Fawr | 21 Mar 2010 4:17 p.m. PST |
Here's the list for 9 RTR: link Gerry Chester's North Irish Horse website also has more tank names for a number of different regiments: northirishhorse.net I've also seen a pretty comprehensive list for 6th Guards Tank Brigade somewhere on the web (it might have been on Gerry Chester's site?). |
| Last Hussar | 21 Mar 2010 7:45 p.m. PST |
Thanks for the replies- I just make something up along those lines, as I'm doing no particular unit. Didn't realise there was a convention, or I would have looked into it more before posting. Think I may try to find letters that haven't been used. edit: how about
Zulu
Zeus
Zenith
and
Zig-Zag |
| NigelM | 22 Mar 2010 1:46 a.m. PST |
There is an article on the Mafva site on churchill names which should have all the info you require mafva.net/resources.htm |
| Martin Rapier | 22 Mar 2010 2:27 a.m. PST |
107th RAC (The Kings Own) used the Squadron Letter as the first letter of the name. So A squadron tanks were Angler, Alert, Archer etc. The names were allocated by RHQ (or possibly SHQ, can't recall) and uppity troop comanders who tried to come with their own names got a flea in the ear. |
| willthepiper | 22 Mar 2010 3:24 a.m. PST |
Armoured Acorn has markings for 14 CATR (Calgary Tanks) at Dieppe:
PDF link
PDF link |
| Jemima Fawr | 22 Mar 2010 5:04 a.m. PST |
The low-numbered RTR battalions often named all their tanks with the same letter, reflecting their origins as letteed battalions of the RTC (which then became the RTR and then numbered its battalions). So 9 RTR had all its tanks starting with 'I' (the 9th letter of the alphabet), as it had originally been 'I' Bn, RTC. |
| Last Hussar | 25 Mar 2010 3:42 p.m. PST |
Nigel- thanks for that link. Sorted the names into alpha order. The only letters not used were Q, X and Z. As I want a generic force, one that no one can go "That tank couldn't possibly be fighting here…" I've decided to go with the four 'Z's I suggested. Thanks for all the links etc guys. The other links will also be helpful if I get any more 1/72. |
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