Mark Ellis

Notes I have from Alvis showed that they had to shave more weight off the Stalwart tare weight, hence the smaller wishbones. Without digging through, I think the metal mix is different as well

Hi Steve, Loan of any manuals is greatly appreciated. I've sent you a message. Thank you

Can you help? I'm now in a joint venture with the Alvis Archive, a part of the Alvis Trust. When I'm past it, my Stalwart Bedford website will be passed over to the Trust to keep it alive. Google have decided that any account not active for 2 years will have all content deleted, so that includes; videos on YouTube, Google Sites websites, Google Photo photos, etc. So passing mine to the Trust keeps all the gathered info online. I now have the full set of Stalwart EMER manuals and other bits on the website, all free to download. So I'm now expanding the website to include manuals for all Alvis fighting vehicles. If you have any manuals or user guides for any Alvis products, and you're prepared to share it - then I would appreciate the loan of your publications. Just drop me a line. Thanks. https://sites.google.com/view/alvis-stalwart-hmlc-files/alvis-stalwart-hmlc-section/stalwart-files-manuals

Weren't they the one with the arming key, like a U shaped Allen key ? And the Carrot AP. Ranger made life so much easier.

I think the RCT had those Bridging Bedfords, to bring the pontoons up Top photo from my last is from the FVRDE catalogue of 1966, so generic. Middle photo is unit 2/78, a 2 Div Field squadron from Osnabruck, but long before my time The Ranger (Thorn EMI) also had mounts for the Stalwart/Bedford. We had a mount still in its crate at the back of the HQ MT Land Rover bays, until it was finally returned to RAOC in 82 or 83. I-Ranger-text-with-pictures.pdf

1980 - We lost an MGB into the gap at Hawley one night, because the S/Sgt got the centre of gravity wrong. Fun days. Some of the RE RL tippers. Not sure if the tipper with fixed sides is as versatile as a Drop side flatbed Cardboard bar mines,

I wonder if the reinforced front tow hook was for the pontoon trailers. The RE M type 4x4s had strengthened tow hitches for the MGB trailers. Trucks are generally classed as too light for nosing bridges, and 432 or bigger tracked vehicles are usually used. In Canada, we grabbed this passing Chieftain ARV as we only had empty MKs We had 11 Bedford per Field squadron in Germany, 1980. I think there were 6 winch and 5 GS. In 82 / 83 the 6 MK winch wagons were replaced with 6 MJ GS. The MKs, being the 1970 batch had superstructure stowage, with feet on front of the bulkhead to stow the centre and rear hoop, and stowage bin underneath the body on the driver's side to stow the longitudinal, and extra tool bins that one is supposed to fold the canopy sheets small enough to fit in. The 1980s MJ/MK batch didn't have the superstructure stowage. Cheaper I guess. My wagon in Canada, showing the superstructure stowage bin.

Waking an old topic here. When I arrived in Germany in 1980, the Mk 7 Beast was parked in Resources compound. I can't remember if it was still there in 83, but the ammo box that the tilt fuses came in was the right size to sit between MJ cab and body. Distinct reduction of tool bins on the batch of M types delivered in the early 80s compared to the early 70s order. Being Land mines, they don't go off if you step on them and need the weight of a vehicle to go off. No point wasting all that explosive on one person - that's what Anti personnel mines are for.. We had cardboard Mk 7 practice mines during basic training, the cardboard being full of sand. The idea being that once it's ploughed in it stays there and improves the soil drainage. In Germany we had cardboard practice bar mines, and the squadron laid pallets and pallets of those in the fields every year. The problem with the cardboard bar mines is they can bend and split open if not handled right - which is kind of messy. We still had the concrete Mk 7 practice mines in Germany for the route denial training, with the short rope handles that took the skin off your knuckles. You can see the plough between the wheels. The dozer was to ensure the Beast's plough ripped the ground open - which would leave a truck's wheels spinning on some ground. I guess a 432 would replace the dozed in the 80s. The Bedford being swapped out when empty of mines. Can't find any photos of the cardboard Mk 7 or bar mines.

mmm, MGB trailers. There's some memories

Tarland, the video is Sweden's Kustartilleri - in response to Mk3iain's suggestion that the photo was Scandinavian - to show that the photo isn't Scandinavian.

I think it's a thin D 😉

Guy with moustache looks like he could be in a different uniform, so perhaps a British spy in the camp

No evidence of any going to South America, especially PV 2. It was trialled in a number of European countries

This is Sweden's Coast Artilleri's film of the trial, in March 1962. Longer than the clip that Pathé released. It shows the Coast artilleri uniform of 1962.

Can anyone please tell me which European country this uniform is? It's around 1962 / 63. Thanks

The biggest joke is a couple of companies and military museums selling restricted manuals, when you can get de-restricted AESP free from MOD

Thanks Clive. I have a password for Def stan website, but often find things that I'm referred to by DES Sec are inaccessible. Your comment probably explains why

The Stolly part is or was LV6MT14/2530-99-809-2685

Thanks Clive. I've been through EMER V640, 642, 647, 648 and 649, as well as the User manual and Crew guide, and there's nothing about the divided disc wheels, other than they they are used. Being from 1963 onwards, the parts list is 5/8th

I seem to recall that everything touched by a driver, is as tight as they can get it with the relevant wheel brace or spanner provided with the vehicle to do that job. Will be interesting to see what's in those manuals, if they decide they have them

Many thanks, Clive. I'll put in an FOI when the current one finally comes back.

Just wondering if there's any official instructions for changing tyres on the Divided wheels? I've received an email from someone who's going to put 20" divided wheels onto his DAF 4x4. Says his mate has been torquing the nuts up on the 20 bolts that hold the wheels together, and sheering the bolts. I thought it was just as tight as you can with the standard wheel brace? Looked through all the Stolly files that I have, and can't see anything on actually changing the tyres. Thanks

Going back to the original post The question I posed on the original post was - should our Gate guardians have some protection from the weather? Who's responsible for painting them doesn't really matter, when I'm wondering if a basic top cover would make them look better for much longer.

Wondering what the plaque says, Bob? That's a Royal Engineer's Chieftain AVRE, which of course is vastly different to the Centurion AVRE that it worked alongside.

There's a difference "between being tiring and pedantic" and "attention to detail". Not every MOD site has a regiment at it, or a squadron, or even a permanent unit. I think you'll find that anything that doesn't move of it's own power on MOD land these days is under the umbrella of Defence Infrastructure Organisation - but it's been a long time since I wore a green skin. But Gate guardians aren't necessarily on MOD owned land.