50 Pence - Elizabeth II Tanks - Churchill Infantry Tank

Guernsey was occupied by German forces from June 1940 until May 1945 — the only British territory to fall under Nazi administration during the war. The Churchill Infantry Tank played no role in liberating the island itself, which surrendered only after Germany's general capitulation, but it saw extensive action from North Africa through the Italian campaign and into Northwest Europe. The type had a notoriously troubled development, rushed into production after Dunkirk with mechanical faults so severe that early marks were recalled mid-deployment.

By Mark VII, most problems had been resolved. Churchills were among the few Allied tanks to successfully navigate the bocage terrain of Normandy.