MHillyard Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Picked up this rather nice spare parts book the other day It is 1959 dated, I was wondering how long the Churchills and Churchill ARKs were in service for. I'm guessing the ARK was in service for longer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 the special types always stay in service longest, i'm not 100% sure but the last Churchills in service could have been the avre's or maybe the bridgelayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
attleej Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 The same with the Cent AVRE and ARV! John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally dugan Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 MARTYN in 1957 the mod did trials on the ARK using two CHURCHILLS one mark four and one mark seven both from JOHN LYSAGHTs BRISTOL WORKs Ltd subsequent production vehicles were all to be on the mark four hulls l have the full file on the trials including pictures drawings also in the file are the subsequent locations of those churchills after leaving FVRDE some as late as the mid seventies some years ago a friend who was doing a survey and l visited two of the locations and saw them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally dugan Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 SORRY forgot to attach a copy of the front cover of the report it is a very bulky file Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHillyard Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 Thanks for Sharing Wally! Very interesting Strange as this also came with an MVEE test report booklet on the MH6 Hydrolic Excavator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lauren Child Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 Nice one, funnily enough I picked up the user handbook for the ARK recently as well, dated 1960. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 all we need now is an ark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajmac Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Its a pity there are not any Churchill Ark or Bridge layer projects around as as they offer a lot of interesting things to display and at the end of the display, if its an Ark, a Sherman can drive over you :cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Pearson Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 The linked ark was also known as linked dog. It came about because the weight of conquerer was too much for all existing brige or ark vehicles so they developed this system where two churchill arks moved towards the obstacle at a slight angle to each other and male fittings on one side of one fitted into female fittings (OOOH matron!!!!) on the other, they linked and then drove together into the hole. They both released front and rear "drawbridges" and vehicles could then pass over, the heavy ones having one track on each churchill. There is no practical reason for using the earlier square door vehicles for this except that the round door Mk VII's were still in British service as bridgelayers, flails and AVRE's and a few were being sold to Ireland, India, Iraq Jordan etc and as the Ark system is semi disposal in use (the vehicles would be left in the bottom of the hole, perhaps for months depending upon the tactical situation) I suppose it made sense to use up the older, rivetted square door models for this. To the best of my knowledge there is only one linked dog left: a very battered range target in Germany (not sure exactly where but have seen photos) but this is due for removal and scrapping so will not be about for long. There used to be a complete one at Bovington until a few years back and there are some "drawbrige" parts still existing but the base vehicle was disposed of and the new owner cut off the Ark fittings and restored it as a Mk IV gun tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 surviving ark in Germany Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean N Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Rick, why is this still in Germany and not in your yard? And don't try to make out you haven't thought of it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddy8men Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 funny you should say that as I was talking to someone not long ago about the mk7 avre that is still in Germany and has been donated to the desert rats association and they have the same problem that I would have if I were to get hold of some of that range armour. transport cost !!! I would be lying if I said I hadn't dreamed of it though :cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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