Damaged 20 pounder main armament rounds recovered from ammunition floor storage bins in a ...

Damaged 20 pounder main armament rounds recovered from ammunition floor storage bins in a Centurion tank which struck a large enemy mine on 27 December 1969. The tank, whose call sign was 1C ('1 Charlie'), was from B Squadron, 1 Armoured Regiment, and was commanded by 18290 Corporal Auric George ('Thommo') Tomlinson. The tank's hull was split and buckled by the explosion of the mine, the right front suspension was detached and the interior of the fighting compartment and fittings were damaged. Although the electrically primed 20 pounder rounds would rarely explode, their cordite propellant could burn intensely.