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Hello Peeps,

I collected my Churchill from Monique last Thursday and plan to do a tank from Kingforce which was a troop of 6 tanks sent to the Middle East for the El Alamein battles. These tanks were heavily modified and were fitted with auxiliary fuel tanks and a canvas skirt on the hull front called a "Dodger" which was designed to reduce the amount of sand kicked up in front of the driver. There has been a lot of discussion about the colour of these tanks but Mike Starmer (aka British WW2 colours expert) in an article for the 2021 Issue 5 of IPMS magazine has reached the conclusion that they were shipped to theatre in Light Stone BSc 61 with a Dark Chocolate camouflage scheme based roughly on that used on Crusaders at that time. I have a 1/35th scale conversion kit produced by Inside the Armour (kit 35019R) for the AFV Club kit, which includes many of the detail changes (including the extra fuel tank, turret box, sunshield rails, and dodger) so have a head start in the conversion parts required. I also intend to ask Bovington if they have any drawings/plans related to these parts. If there is anybody also planning to do one these tanks lets share the information and not do the same one . I will probably do T31665R Lt Appleby in tribute to him and his crew only one of who survived (wounded) when the tank was knocked out on 26th October 1942.

Stay cool,
Will.

I also intend to do a Kingforce Churchill, to go with my other Western Desert models.

Being brought up with GWR tin plate Hornby coaches, I quite like the idea of a chocolate and cream tank.

Adrian.

Hi Will, I have number 9 in Australia and intend to do a similar tank, I have been trying to find the dimensions for the tank and brackets, from what I can find out the fuel tank was one size fits all with only the brackets being unique to the Churchill. I have just ordered "Mr Churchills tank" ISBN-13
9780764306792 and hope there are details in the book. If you can come up with any drawing I would appreciate any information that would allow me to fabricate mine.

Hello Shayne,

As you say the auxiliary fuel tank was the same as fitted to the Crusader and Matilda so there are lots of pictures of it but I have not found a 1/35th scale drawing of it yet. I will take some dimensions of the "Inside the Armour" 1/35th Kingforce upgrade tank and upload some pictures as well. I am working on the exhausts at the moment because the kit ones require some fettling and the Kingforce had extensions fitted. I have most of the books about Churchill tanks but no detail pictures of the Kingforce 6. The Tank Power 315 book has some very clear pictures and very useful rear deck views which clearly show the exhaust fettling required and a very good picture of the fuel tank, so I can recommend that book.

Kind regards,

Will.

Thanks will, I am trying to purchase a copy of Mr. Churchill's tank and have my money refunded twice so far by the book seller's when they find out I am in Australia.

Hello Shayne,

I have attached some photos of the auxiliary fuel tank that is included in the 1/35th "Inside the Armour" upgrade kit for the AFV Club Churchill. The dimensions in 1/35th scale are 33mm in length and 11mm in diameter.

End View.

Hi Will,
Thanks for the photos, I think I will have to wing it with the mounting brackets, I will make them out of 6mm brass plate so they fit over the top of the air vent at the rear and fasten to the tank with a small bolt at the bottom with a band over the tank again with a small bolt.
Thanks again Will.

Hello Shayne,

I haven't found a clear photo of the Fuel tank mount on the Churchill but this one is on a Crusader in the Tank Museum. I have been told they are similar.

http://tank-photographs.s3-website-eu-w ... ngton.html

Kind regards,

Will.

Thanks Will as that will be helpful.