wally dugan

to answer the question on FV 437 the records only show clearly two 06 EB 03 P2/W3 and       02 EB 04 P2/ W4 As to FV 431 six are listed 06 EB 01 WAS TRANSFERED to a CENTRAL VEHICLE DEPOT on 27/7/65 I need to find it's location as it is a new one to me and may give a bit more history

I am on my way out so will look when l get back tomorrow is fifty nine years when l started working for a living  so l am going to take the family out

there were 16 FV 432  numbered with  the W From one to sixteen number  W one was    03 DA 17 establishment number6457 after trials at FVRDE it was sent to PEE SHOEBURYNESS on the 23/2/66 THE early ones with P prefix had civil numbers 429 ALR/157 BXR/216 BXR P3 did not have a civilian number

Two M113s 00FE01  left 1972   00DC51 was transferred 1969 to SHRIVENAM in what guise it does not indicate there are no more details but it left FVRDE there may be more but if it is it's with the others in storage

First  the M113 FVRDE had two one 00 DC 51 and a  second one wing number 8237 this fitted with GREEN ARCHER ERM 00 FE 01 the FV 432 wing number 6453 ERM 03 DA 04 was also fitted with it. Water obstacle the land rover APGP  grounded on the entry slope was one of two a FVRDE ERM 637 ELM and 638 ELM 638 ELM was in Canada at the time of the trial so that leaves 637 ELM wing number6566

The fate  of the FV402 and FV421 is well documented all but 00 CA 25 whose fate is not documented after 1/4/64 when it was sent to RARDE LANGHURST  and 00 CA 31  which went to VICKERS NEWCASTLE AS to the M113 it was given the ERM            00 DC 51 the 432 story is in the files along with the drawings in storage thou some information is still here with me

It came a long way from them early trials clive the mock up drawing was of the models held at BEVERLEY when the rep from Bovington came to FVRDE he was allowed to take only tracked mockup models he spent most of the day with me so any of those he took should be at the museum

CLIVE was looking for  a list of foreign manufactured armour at FVRDE  and remembered  FV426 mockup sorry do not have a picture or drawings  but funny the other day my wife watched a salvage hunters from the hovercraft museum and there was a number of FVRDE mockups from beverley and the westland helicopter made out of wood on truck the museum at beverley had a large collection of mockup models from FVRDE BOVINGTON collected some when l was there

that is what it says 00 CA 29 all on that list seem to have ended up as targets

FV 421 were numbered  from 00 CA 22 TO OO CA 31 with the exception of 00 CA 29 WHICH was a FV423  and was scrapped in 6/4/65

Not really l have the lists of theFV401 FV420 FV421 that were at FVRDE/MEXE as l said there is more to the story than just a few pictures 10 AVD ARMOURED VEHICLE DEPOT  l will look if l have it's location

After a bit more digging l would like to add the following P1 was number W4 and numbered 06 EB 04 and was transferred to SEME  on the 27/7/68 P2 was number W3 and  renumbered  06 EB 03 and transferred to RMSC  SHRIVENAM on the 8/9/69  W2 06 EB 02 was first sent to the RAC CENTRE BOVINGTON on the 6/4/67 and transferred to REME APPRENTICE SCHOOL ARBORFIELD on the 3/12 71 last         06 EB 01 was sent to 10  AVD date not published  It would appear that more FV 421 were built  than FV 437 There is a lot more to the story of the FV 400 series than you may first think and it began as early as 1950

JUST watched WATER OBSTACLE the one with W2 is 06 EB 02 06 EB 01 was clearly shown THOSE displaying  DA series ERM should be able to find

in 1997 l did on behalf of the museum of army transport

just look at the video 06 EB 01 winches the the Stalwart out when stuck on the track

It appears there were two prototypes P1/ 6937 and P2 /7145 these are there establishment numbers and  did not receive ERM numbers The others had numbers 06 EB 01 06 EB 02  06 EB 03 06 EB 04  and establishment numbers in order

6968/7009/7016/7026  I NEED to look further it would help to know the ERM one at CHATHAM to help confirm the above

I started to look and found mention of FV401  FV 438 and FV 439 but will continue to search  only about a eighth of the way through

A number of oxford carriers were sold in 1959 with numbers ZT and ZU at RUDDINGTON

l think you should try DESA  and ask them if they can shed any light on this DEFENCE EQUIPMENT SALES AUTHORITY  or their predecessor

May be it was the equipment that was in it and it could not be moved under its own power

 AS to TM REGISTRATION number these were allocated to trailer machinery as to AS reg l add to it

Your reply does not surprise me there are no records of MS registration either on 419B CARDS or on MERLIN as the sales were handle by a separate government department

Just a bit to add to the SA story the ERM SA it was applied as said to Cromwell that were described as NON-FS to all marks  and hull types 

MERRY  CHRISTMAS CLIVE and every one else

CLIVE l will have a look my friend is here   just has come with my christmas box of catalogues he was at ludgershall up until  he moved he brought some unissued tender catalogues this  might  interest you shorland 92KH88 in the tender december 1992 some pigs in 1993 along  with ferrets 432 433 434 BV 202 SCORPIONS CHIFTIANS