Insignia
Introduction
The information on this page is relative to all units, that specific to each is available from the Unit Insignia Index at the foot of the page.
The same appropriate insignia was worn on wheeled and half-track vehicles.
In 1942 Royal Amoured Corps H.Q. standardised the size, colour and location of insignia to be worn on vehicles of British and Commonwealth tank units. Other than being painted the colour appropriate to their seniority, units were left free to chose names for their tanks.
Notes
As the Dieppe Raid took part prior to the issuance of the order, Calgary Regiment insignia is shown as it then was.
As 21st Tank Brigade had not completed the change before shipping to North Africa, this is reflected by the variations shown.
For details click on Calgary Regiment and/or 21st Tank Brigade listed in the Unit Insignia Index.
On and after
1943 all Churchill tanks
of the UK and Commonwealth wore the standard insignia. Those delivered to Russia, the Republic of Ireland the Royal Jordanian Army obviously did not.
Those deployed in Iraq during WW II wore standard insignia, after transfer to the Iraqi Army they did not.
Royal Armoured Corps
Originally white/red/white, the sign of the Tank Corps in World War One, with the formation of the Royal Armoured Corps the colours were reversed. In the Mediterranean Theatre Mark IIIs of the 21st and 25th Tank Brigades were the last Churchills to wear it.
Individual Brigade and Regiment/Battalion Insignia
For details use the Unit Insignia Index.
Squadron Recognition
Geometric shapes coloured as per unit seniority: Red - Yellow - Blue
A Squadron 
B Squadron
C Squadron
RHQ and Recce Squadrons
Troop Recognition
The Troop number, or F for Headquarters Fighting Troop, is in white 1 inside the appropriate geometric shape, both being painted directly on the turret wall.
1 Standard for 25th ATB. For 21st TB variations see Unit details.
The author served in HQF Troop, B Squadron, North Irish Horse, in tanks wearing this insignia:
Placement of Insignia
Royal Armoured Corps: Each side of the hull, forward of the escape
hatches, although occasionally also fore and aft.
Tank Brigade: Nose and rear plates, on the port side.
Arm of Service (Regiment/Battalion): Nose and rear plates, on the starboard side.
Squadron/Troop: Each side of the turret.
Tank name: Churchills: On each louvre. Shermans and Stuarts: On hull sides.
Tank Markings
Vehicle Weight Signs
21st and 25th Tank Brigades
21st Tank Brigade
Notes
Yellow circles/tonnage figures painted directly on to the nose plate.
21st Tank Brigade: Full yellow circle used for the improved legibility as from May 1st, 1944.
45 was only on Mark VIIs and may have been peculiar to the Italian Theatre.
Placement: Nose plate, left of the shackle and left of the rear plate shackle.
Aircraft Recognition
Vehicles of 21st Tank Brigade had white stars affixed. For details click on unit shown below.
Although some of 25th Tnnk Brigade's wheeled vehicles had white stars painted on them, its tanks used the more observable yellow/green flourescent foldouts.
WD Numbers
Standard location: Forward of the louvres.
Non-standard:
Tanks delivered to 1st Army with appliqué armour plate affixed in the
UK: On turrets.
Note: Tanks which had appliqué armour affixed at the REME
Workshops, Bône, Algeria, had the number in the standard position.
Tanks which had track links affixed on hull sides: On upper louvre plates.
Notes
As tank names were usually carried forward as replacements were received, the WD Numbers shown in Unit/Country pages (under heading 'Where Deployed" below) refer only to the mark stated. Care therefore is necessary when wishing to associate a Churchill to specific action.
To access a master listing go to Kevin Tucker's Databank.
Wading Lines
Not a standard marking. If required by a redline on each hull side.
Where Churchill Marks saw Service
World War II
Dieppe:
Marks: I Reworked, II, III and OKE Mark I.
Egypt:
Mark III - KingForce.
Tunisia:
Marks: I Reworked, II, III and IV.
Italy:
Marks: Ics, Ics with Pz.Kfw.III cupola affixed, III, IV, V, VII, Na75.**
ARVs, AVREs, Fascine Carriers, ARKs, Bridgelayers and Crocodiles.
Western Europe:
Marks: III, IV, V, VI, VII and VIII.
ARVs, AVREs and full range of Speciality Churchills (Hobart's Funnies).
USSR:
Marks: I Reworked, II and III.
Deployed Post World War II
Iraq
Mark X ?.
Jordan
Mark VII.
Korea:
Mark VII and Crocodiles.
Delivered but not deployed
Australia
Marks: IV, V, VI, VII, VII, AVREs and Crocodiles.
India
Marks: IV, VII, Crocodiles and Bridgelayers.
Ireland
Mark X.
To slot various Marks deployed in Italy in their proper time-frames, consult
8th Army Tank States.
** For information on this Mark go to Operation Whitehot
Sources:
British Tank Markings and Names, B.T.White.
Mr. Churchill's Tank, David Fletcher.
Russian Tanks of World War II, Tim Bean & Will Fowler.
Tank Tracks, Peter Beale.
With Churchills to War, Peter Gudgin.
British Armor in Sicily and Italy, Dennis Oliver
Due to significant errors in their content, the following three books, among others, have not been used for authentication purposes.
The Churchill Tank, Bryan Perrett.
Published: 1980 by Osprey Publishing, London
Churchill Infantry Tank, 1941-51, Bryan Perrett.
Published: 1991 by Osprey Publishing, London.
British Miiltary Markings, 1939-1945, Peter Hodges
Published 1971 by Almark Publications, London.
See specific details.
My thanks to:
Australia War Memorial Collection, for the courtesy of reproducing copyrighted photographs which are not to be reproduced without permission.
Imperial War Museum, for the courtesy of reproducing copyrighted photographs which are not to be reproduced without permission.
Kevin Tucker, for making available his data-bank of over 1,400 Churchill tanks.
Chris Shillito, for making available material on his website.
A Request
Anyone having further information about individual Churchills, not provided in these pages, please contact me at northirishhorse@yahoo.com. Thank you.
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