Our aim is to have each tank fully equipped with all of the smaller stowage items that the crew would have used. Here are a few examples.
The Churchill Tank had at least two different kinds of radio during the second World War. The main one was the Wireless Set No. 19 which provided both an intercom for the crew and a means of staying in touch with other tanks. These radios used different junction and distribution boxes to enable the crew to plug their microphones and headsets into the system.
As the Wireless Sets were valve operated, spares were carried. This is the box for spare valves for the 19 Set
The driver of the Churchills up to Mark VII had a bullet proof glass window that he could use to look through if there was little chance of heavy firing being directed at the tank. Here is the inner glass portion, which as you can see is made up of layers of glass.
Here is the block in its steel case mounted in front of the driver’s position
Each tank carried ammunition for the main gun, examples of which are shown below
From the left: 2 Pounder AP; 6 Pounder APDS; 6 Pounder APCBC; 6 Pounder Shot; 6 Pounder HE; 95mm Howitzer Smoke round (fired with bent fuse); 75mm Shot; 75mm APCBC; 75mm HE; the last two are different types of 75mm Smoke round.
The base of each main gun round was protected by a primer protecting clip, an example of the one for the 6 Pounder is shown below
In order for the gunner to aim, he had an electric traverse system controlled by this handle
For the Besa, the ammunition was carried in belts, but the types of round in each belt varied according to need. Round were distinguished by the colour of the ring around the primer, which differed depending on which of Tracer, Ball, Armour Piercing or Incendiary was being fired
The tank also carried a flare gun and flare cartridges in different colours
As well as being able to fire smoke rounds from the 75mm and 95mm main guns, all Churchill Tanks had a 2 inch mortar fitted inside turret. This fired two types of ammunition, one (shown top and bottom in the next photograph) which burst immediately on impact and spread red phosphorous for immediate effect and the other, earlier version (shown in the middle) which emitted smoke from the base and took longer to have an effect. The small cartridge at the back of the third round is the propellant that goes inside the base of the round and bursts through the holes between the fins, causing the round to move swiftly up the barrel.
You can view further information on inside the tanks by following the links below: