Post-war armour in British service

[10FM68]

I would be very grateful if someone were able to tell me whether the following tanks were in service with the British Army after 1945 and, if so, when they were in service and, if possible where and who with:

M24 Chaffee.  I understand that these remained for a while with recce troops of tank regiments in Germany, but I would like to know when they were withdrawn from service and, roughly how many were in each tank regiment.

M26 Pershing.  Were these ever in British Army service - I have seen a picture of one on the back of a 40-ton trailer and a reference to their census numbers in Dick Taylor's book, but, otherwise, I have never heard of the British having any.

Greyhound armoured car.  I have neither seen nor read of these remaining in post-war British service, but others may have done so.

Charioteer.  This was a British piece of kit which was exported (to the Finns at least) but was it ever used by British Army units - perhaps TA tank regiments?

 Stuart Mk5.  I have seen pictures of turretless ones used as gun tractors with post-1949 VRNs, but did any retain their turrets beyond WWII in British service.

 

I'd be grateful for any information anyone may have.

 

Many thanks

 

10 68

[REME 245]

I think only one sample of a Pershing was supplied before the end of the war.

The Charioteer was designed and built for the specific purpose of giving Infantry Divisions  an effective Anti-Tank defence until such time as the RAC had sufficient modern tanks to take on the heavy Russian Tanks.   They were widely issued for a short time and the Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry was the divisional RAC Regiment for the 43rd Wessex Division.  

 

Edited February 10, 2023 by REME 245

[10FM68]

Many thanks for your reply, REME, much appreciated.  I had a vague recollection of the Charioteer being in TA service, so thanks for the confirmation.  And that makes sense about the Pershing, certainly.

Thanks again,

[Tarland]

The Greyhound wasn't used in NW Europe.

56 Recce Regt used them in Italy and as the Recce Corps was disbanded in 1946 I doubt they saw any post war service.

Bill Bellamy's book Troop Leader mentions Chaffee's replacing Stuarts in the 8th King Hussars Recce troop (Bellamy commanded one at the end of the war. 8th Hussars operated Cromwells in the Sabre squadrons). The typical recce platoon was 8 - 10 vehicles (RAC regiments had a 10 Sherman recce platoon)

Don't know when the Chaffee was withdrawn from BAOR service.

Given the British army received 302 Chaffees and the Stuarts were considered obsolete in 1944 I doubt manner Stuarts survived intact

[10FM68]

18 hours ago, Tarland said:

The Greyhound wasn't used in NW Europe.

56 Recce Regt used them in Italy and as the Recce Corps was disbanded in 1946 I doubt they saw any post war service.

Bill Bellamy's book Troop Leader mentions Chaffee's replacing Stuarts in the 8th King Hussars Recce troop (Bellamy commanded one at the end of the war. 8th Hussars operated Cromwells in the Sabre squadrons). The typical recce platoon was 8 - 10 vehicles (RAC regiments had a 10 Sherman recce platoon)

Don'.

 

t know when the Chaffee was withdrawn from BAOR service.

Given the British army received 302 Chaffees and the Stuarts were considered obsolete in 1944 I doubt manner Stuarts survived intact

Many thanks for this.  Confirmed what I thought about the Greyhound and you are probably right about the Stuarts - though when they were converted to gun tractors, I don't know

[Pzkpfw-e]

The Stuarts (Honeys to be exact, as they were in British service) often had their turrets removed when used in the recce role, the 37mm being of little use post-42-43. 

Some pictures in this MU forum post.

Stuart VI Recce (was: Stuart Recce replacement) - MLU FORUM (mapleleafup.net)

The artillery tractors appear to have undergone more radical surgery, having a rectangular cut-out in their top armour, rather than just a turret removed & collar fitted around the aperture. 

ultravanillasmurf: M5 Combat Vehicle Stuart Gun Tractor (Stuart VI)

I doubt if any turreted Stuarts remained in British service for very long after WW2 ended.

 

[10FM68]

Many thanks for the reply and for the links.  I have a current obsession with post-war British armour and particularly WWII stuff which remained in service.  Was the word 'Honey' actually used as a designation by the British military or was it simply unofficial?  

[fv1609]

Stuarts & Honeys still in service in a modified form in 1952.

[10FM68]

Thank you for that, Clive.  An interesting little article - those were the days when the British Army was actually allowed by the Treasury to maintain kit in storage - can't nowadays without being 'taxed'.  I suspect they lasted into the 60s in Libya given Blue Belle's photos - though those in her photos certainly looked as though they'd reached the end of the road - possibly to coincide with the withdrawal from service of the towed 17Pdr.

[fv1609]

Yes I thought you would enjoy that. I just stumbled on it whilst thumbing through some old Soldiers. Trying to find a further reference to The Bastard, which I'm sure I have got somewhere. Amongst these little gems are cartoons depicting racial stereotypes, a few ladies in bathing costumes, cigarette/Brylcream/jock-strap adverts, together with recruiting adverts for the police & mine workers, but it all gives a flavour of the times when I was in short trousers & knew nothing of cigarettes, Brylcream, jock-straps or ladies in bathing costumes.