What were Carrot, Goat, and Onion in WWII?

Carrot, Goat, and Onion were British explosive devices developed during World War II for use with armored engineering vehicles. They were part of Britain's effort to help Churchill tanks breach obstacles, clear defenses, and destroy fortifications during assaults.

The devices were associated with the Churchill AVRE, or Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers. Carrot used a simple frame to carry and drop explosive charges, while Onion was designed to project a larger charge toward a target. Goat was developed to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of the Onion concept.

These names are easy to confuse with ordinary military code names or food-related nicknames, but they described distinct engineering solutions rather than a single bomb. The Churchill AVRE itself carried a Petard spigot mortar and other equipment intended for battlefield demolition work. Related British armored devices included the better-known Churchill Crocodile flamethrower tank and the Churchill Crab mine flail.