Following the Belfast Blitz of April to May 1941, when industrial targets were hit to cripple vital war production, production of the Churchill tank, first conceived as the A20 prototype by Harland & Wolff, was shifted to the relative safety of Carrickfergus, County Antrim.
Today, a fully restored Churchill Mk VII, widely regarded as the most effective infantry support tank used by the Allies during the war, stands on display at the seaside town of Carrickfergus, County Antrim. Donated by the North Irish Horse Regimental Association, it honours the town’s contribution to the war effort, when Churchill tanks were built on Woodburn Road.
HARLAND & WOLFF
The Churchill tank originated from a general outline prepared by Woolwich Arsenal, which was further developed by the Belfast shipbuilders Harland & Wolff into the A20 infantry tank prototype.
The design was driven by the need for a heavily armoured infantry support vehicle to operate alongside tanks like the Matilda and Valentine. Built to prioritise protection over speed, the tank was intended to advance with infantry against fortified enemy positions.
By June 1940, Harland & Wolff had completed four A20 prototypes. However, in April and May 1941, the Belfast Blitz severely disrupted industrial production as German air raids targeted key sites, including Harland & Wolff, where early work on the tank was underway. To avoid further bombing, production was relocated 18 kilometres north to Carrickfergus, with assembly continuing at a new site on Woodburn Road until 1943 .
Vauxhall Motors Ltd. later assumed responsibility for finalising the design and overseeing production of the Tank, Infantry, Mk IV (A22), which would become known as the Churchill. The tank was not designed by Winston Churchill himself and the name was chosen in honour of his ancestor, John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough.
Early models were armed with a 2-pounder gun, later upgraded to a 6-pounder or, in some variants, including the restored example in Carrickfergus, a 75mm gun.
NORTH IRISH HORSE
Beginning as a yeomanry unit, the North Irish Horse was a raised in the northern counties of Ireland following the Second Boer War. It was among the first non-regular units sent to France in 1914, serving with distinction both as mounted troops and later as a cyclist regiment. Reduced after the war, it was reformed for World War II, achieving further distinction in the North African and Italian campaigns.
CHURCHILL IN BATTLE
The Churchill tanks of the North Irish Horse were late in joining the Italian campaign, a delay some have attributed to General Montgomery’s belief that the Churchill was not suited to the terrain. Nonetheless, the regiment embarked on April 16th 1944, and came under attack by the German Luftwaffe as they entered the harbour at Naples two days later, an attack they were lucky to survive.
The North Irish Horse supported the 1st Canadian Division along a 3,000-yard front during Operation Chesterfield, part of the wider Operation Diadem. The objective was to break through the Führer-Senger-Linie (also known as the Hitler Line) near Pontecorvo, approximately 120 kilometres south of Rome.
Amid the advance, one Churchill tank veered off the track and plunged 15 meters into a ravine, rolling onto its turret before landing back upright on its tracks. Although the crew were badly shaken, they were uninjured. The episode became yet another opportunity to showcase the Churchill’s robust build, exceptional climbing ability and prove Montgomery wrong, as the tank then crawled steadily up the near-vertical walls of the ravine to return to the fight
Following the successful breach of the Führer-Senger-Linie, and in “appreciation of the support they received,” the Canadian forces invited the North Irish Horse to wear the Maple Leaf insignia of the Canadian military, a lasting symbol of their shared sacrifice and comradeship.
MAPLE LEAF
Among those who took part in the fighting on the Italian campaign was Donegal man, Lieutenant Pat Reid MC (Military Cross). In later life, he emigrated to Canada, where he would go on to chair the committee appointed by the Canadian Prime Minister in October 1964 to select the design for the new national flag of Canada, ultimately choosing the Maple Leaf.
DECEIVING THE GERMANS
WWII veteran Tom Canning, writing on the WW2Talk website, explained that tanks numbered 173, 174 (the Carrickfergus Churchill), and 175 were added to their brigade just two days before the launch of the Battle of the Gothic Line, their numbering was intended as a deception to mislead German forces as to who was attacking them.
IRISH ARMY CHURCHILLS
By the end of World War II, the Churchill Infantry Tank had gained a strong reputation for toughness and reliability. Looking to expand their armoured fleet, the Cavalry Corps of the Irish Defence Forces sought surplus tanks.
An initial agreement was made to lease four Churchill tanks for £5,000 over five years, starting on January 25th 1949. The tanks supplied were known as “Salads,” rebuilt by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) using components from various vehicles and manufacturers. In the process, original parts were stripped, overhauled, and reassembled, often resulting in tanks with few original components remaining.
In 1948, following crew training in England, three Churchill Mk.VIs were delivered. A fourth arrived in 1949, and all four were eventually purchased outright in 1954.
CHURCHILL ON DISPLAY
On June 28th 2014, a restored Churchill Mk VII tank No. T251622/K bearing the name ‘Carrickfergus’ was unveiled at Marine Gardens, near the beach in Carrickfergus. Having seen combat with C Squadron of the North Irish Horse during the Second World War, the tank was presented as a gift to the people of Carrickfergus by the Trustees of the North Irish Horse Regimental Association.
Much of the restoration and preparation of the Churchill for display was carried by locals alongside expert metal workers from the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland.
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Sources of Information and Photo Credits:
Belfast Telegraph
Haynes
The Online Tank Museum
The Tank Museum
The War Rooms
Town Tactics – Atlas Obscura User
Wartime NI
