Military Modelling Vol.44 No.7

In 1943, military engineers developed a demolition weapon with a capacity of destroying its target at an effective range of 80-yards. The 290mm spigot mortars were adapted to existing 6pdr armed Churchill Mk.IIIs and Mk.IVs. The conversion was undertaken by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) workshops and the newly converted Churchill tanks with the 290mm mortar would be designated the Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers (AVRE). The first delivery of the AVRE's occurred in April 1944 allowing for two months of training for the crews before the invasion of Normandy. The 290mm calibre shell (or Petard), originally code-named 'Bomb, Demolition No.1' and later nicknamed The Flying Dustbin1, weighed approximately 401b and contained 251b of demolition charge. It was a cylindrical drum made of tinplate with an attached fin-like tailpiece containing cordite propellant. A total of 24 dustbins could be carried in the AVRE and a trained crew could fire 3 to 4 rounds per minute. The principle purpose of the petard was to destroy concrete walls. One Petard could remove 6 cubic feet from a heavily fortified and steel reinforced wall. Other modifications to the Churchill to bring it up to an AVRE included the removal of the co-driver's hinged hatches and replacement with a sliding hatch through which the petard was loaded. The turret was slightly traversed to the left of centre, allowing the mortar tube to be positioned in a vertical position over the hatch to allow the co-driver to load the shell. The AVRE was also fitted with mud deflectors running along the mud chutes to prevent stones and other debris from interfering with devices attached to the AVRE. Although several books and references suggest that Churchill Mk.llls converted to AVRE was a rare occurrence, I found plenty of wartime images of Churchill Mk.lll AVREs in Normandy. I counted 15 different Churchills sporting a Mk.lll type turret and mounting a 290mm spigot. With photographic evidence under my belt, I was keen to proceed with making the modification to the AFV Club Mk.III offering to a Mk.III AVRE.

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