Oxford Diecast 76CHT001

Churchill Tank MKIII Kingforce - Major King

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI images rather than photographs

Prototype Eras
Era 3 (1923 to 1947) The Big Four (LNER, LMS, GWR and SR)
Era 4 (1948 to 1956) British Railways Early Crest
Era 5 (1956 to 1966) British Railways Late Crest
Era 6 (1967 to 1972) British Rail Blue (Pre-TOPS)
Era 7 (1972 to 1982) British Rail Blue (TOPS)

Manufacturer description

A great addition to the Oxford Military series is this World War II Churchill tank Mk III, which entered service in late 1942. Named after the great statesman himself who had encouraged the development of the tank after World War I, the Churchill tank was an infantry tank designed by Harland and Wolff and manufactured in the early stages by Vauxhall Motors. Between 1941 when the first Churchill tank Mk I emerged and 1944 with the Mk VIII, around 7368 had been produced across all types, 675 of which were Churchill Mk III.

The crew comprised five members, commander, gunner, loader/radio operator, driver and co-driver/hull gunner. The operational range was 56 miles and the tank had a speed of 15 mph. Armaments for the 1-VI variants comprised a 102mm hull front, 89mm hull side, 51mm hull rear, 89mm turret front and 76 mm turret side and rear. In addition, the Mk III was fitted with a QF (quick firing) 6 pounder gun, particular for its detachment to North Africa in October 1942.

Under the detachment named Kingforce, six Mk III Churchills armed with the 6 pounder saw action in the Second Battle of El Alamein where they supported the attack of 7th Motor Brigade. Despite being under continual bombardment by the enemy, only one was knocked out when it partially caught fire.

Our model is based on Major King, one of the tanks deployed at El Alamein and appears in brown/beige desert camouflage with grey tracks, cables, suspension, tools and machine guns. The military lettering appears in white.

Catalogue listing

Oxford Diecast Churchill Tank Mk III – Kingforce (Major King)
Manufacturer Part Number: 76CHT001
Period represented by the model: British Railways Early Crest

The model reproduces a British Army Churchill infantry tank Mk III, which entered service in late 1942. The Churchill series was designed by Harland and Wolff and early production was carried out by Vauxhall Motors. Between 1941 and 1944 a total of 7,368 Churchill tanks of all marks were built, of which 675 were Mk III. The Mk III carried a QF 6‑pounder gun and a crew of five. It had an operational range of 56 miles and a top speed of 15 mph. The armament layout for the 1‑VI variants included a 102 mm hull front, 89 mm hull side, 51 mm hull rear, 89 mm turret front and 76 mm turret side and rear. Six Mk III tanks of the Kingforce detachment fought at the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942 (02/10/1942), supporting the 7th Motor Brigade; only one was lost.

The diecast replica is based on “Major King”, one of the tanks that served at El Alamein. It is presented in a brown‑beige desert camouflage scheme with grey tracks, complete with cables, suspension components, tools and machine‑guns. Military lettering is applied in white. The model offers collectors a detailed representation of a historic British tank from the North‑African campaign.