One for the REME

This may be of interest to our REME pals

Never seen one of those before! Interesting to see that it's actually a vehicle of German manufacture - MAG (Magirus Deutz).

Locator wrote:

Never seen one of those before! Interesting to see that it's actually a vehicle of German manufacture - MAG (Magirus Deutz).

Definitely a LHD "Maggie", but I never remember seeing anything like this. Before my time I would say , and I never remember seeing an ARN with XG in it. Could it have been a locally sourced recovery truck, or was it an ex-German converted to British use.

Calling our Reccy Mech members

Paul.

I picked the pic up from the internet
Can't help with the use.
We had Maggie's in 11 Coy in Dortmund. 1959

I've posted the pic on the Recy Mech website, the old and bold should be able to identify its history, I'll post on this site once they get back to me.

I think it was probably one of the Berlin Bde vehs, the reg number looks correct. They used a lot of German vehs bought on the Berlin budget.

Paul wrote:

....I never remember seeing an ARN with XG in it...

I have seen an "XG" registration, in a photograph from Maurice Taylor here:-

http://baor-locations.com/wrexhambks.aspx

I wonder then if locally sourced vehicles were given XG plates?

Paul.

BobG wrote:

I think it was probably one of the Berlin Bde vehs, the reg number looks correct. They used a lot of German vehs bought on the Berlin budget.

BobG is correct, it is indeed a Berlin Bde Wrecker Magirus Deutz (not sure of the spelling) sourced from the Germans pre 1977.

More info as I get it, been chatting to an Ex RecyMech who used to drive/operate them in Berlin

Same Vehicle but a little less well preserved.

[img][/img][/url][img]

The vehicle in the first of recymec's pics looks as though it once belonged to the Mainz Fire Brigade.

Yes I think it was the Berlin Bde kit. When I was in Berlin in 64
we had to drive these dreadful little munga, Two-stroke German army DKW. Have found a picture:-

http://wikicars.org/en/DKW


Mike

Oh! That takes me back I had forgotten about those DKW's. Amazing to think that the present day AUDI evolved from the Auto Union stable

Come on REME fix this one

Len (Ciphers)

Hi Len (Ciphers)
Great photo…wish I had a camera on the 26 Nov 67…B Tp 3 Sqn 1 Div Verden-Aller had 3 x Hillman Husky for SDS duties and I received a regimental entry...10 pounds stoppage of pay for writing one off...value 115 pounds 2 shillings and 6 pence…trust me it was not my fault…but no witnesses…long story but a REME chap arrived to recover the wreck on the road between Neinburg and Verden…'you can drive that' he said...took it up the road and the front nearside wheel fell off!
All the best Steve
PS Excellent ‘then and now’ of Wentworth Barracks

Yes, definitely from 14 Inf Wksp in Berlin. My patch 1965 - 68.
Made a lovely noise in full flight.

Does anyone remember the Stalwart from the 70s? Used to catch fire easily

Had one on trial at 29 Field Ambulance for a while, used to make a peculiar noise. Although they were Amphib I think they were eventually converted to land use only.

Colin. Were they a DUKW replacement? Do you know what the engine was?

The Stalwart was one of a family of 6 x 6 vehicles developed to support fast-moving armour in western europe. The others were the Saladin Armoured car and the Saracen whichwas multi-purpose for eg Radio command veh,APC, ambulance, etc. The Stalwart was the open-backed load carrier, well suited for Fuel or ammunition re-supply to the front line troops.
Cross-country performance was excellent, I don't know about a prevalence to catch fire but our VMs used to say they were rotters to repair.
Eventually they were replaced by variants of the 432 I believe.
Many are in service still in 3rd world countries (or not so 3 rd in the case of Qatar where I am) but how they manage for parts I just do not know as Alvis who made them are no more.
I have also seen them at work on major petro-chemical construction sites and power station construction sites I have worked at in Africa and the Far East, sometimes in the rainy season they (and my ancient 1973 LWB diesel ex Dutch Army Land Rover) were the only things that moved on site.

If you actually want to see some in the UK you can go to the Military 2nd hand dealerships, one off the A1 near Grantham on the south bound side and another at "The Rocket Site" between Scunthorpe and Doncaster, I've forgotten its exact location. I also believe the Tank Museum at Bovington may have a Saladin.

The Stalwart (Stolly) first made its presence known some years before the Army took them on charge, about 6 or 7 years earlier I believe. Listed as FV620 series, and as an HMLC (High Mobility Load Carrier) supposedly capable of a 5 ton load there were a number of variants. Could do with a couple of photographs if anyone has any.

The two I had dealings with were the 622 - a General Service Load Carrier, and the 623 fitted with the Atlas Crane. There was also a REME variant, the 624, although I never remember coming across one.

Powered by an 8 cylinder B Series engine and 6x6, I personally liked driving them, and had the opportunity of a short flotation exercise while I was attached to the Artillery. They were prone to clutch problems though if not ised for extended periods.

A Stalwart was responsible for the demolition of my VMB toolbox. On exercise, one developed a transmission fault on a fair slope. As many of us know, the hubs were epicyclic, and if they were to be towed for any distance, the sun wheel was removed from all hubs. A certain NCO (whose name I no longer remember) put me, and another, on the job of removing said sun wheels.

The last sunwheel was proving hard to remove, and said NCO said something along the lines of "give it some welly". Welly was applied, sunwheel came out with a bang, and Stolly moves off of its own accord down the slope - backwards - flattening my toolbox on the way.

No one had realised that with no sunwheels the brakes foot or hand became useless. I was only out of trade training a few months and the change in VMB's also becoming Wheeled A trained was in its infancy.

Needless to say, it caused some banter to pass around for a couple of weeks. The farmer was quite happy, his rotting fence had to be replaced with a nice new one.

Paul.

a couple of people mention the stalwart as being in the 70s, but i have photos of it in the late sixties in bunde and we were not the first to get them in baor 12 regt RCT had them before us on trial.

never remember them going on fire but there were always being towed back to camp the REME lads were fed up with them.


paul 2 photos here if you want me to pm them you let me know.

oldtimer wrote:

a couple of people mention the stalwart as being in the 70s, but i have photos of it in the late sixties in bunde and we were not the first to get them in baor 12 regt RCT had them before us on trial.

never remember them going on fire but there were always being towed back to camp the REME lads were fed up with them.

As far as I can find out, the Stalwart first turned a wheel in about 1959, being taken on by the Army in about 1967.

Paul.

How about some of these
http://www.terrawind.com/

I had very close relationships with these vehicles,and in the main as load carriers they were reliable.The only trouble was that as fuel replenishment vehicles using 4 1/2 gal jerry cans the noise they made during replenishment at night could be heard for miles around.We did have quite a drama with one,as during a NATO turnout we had one,fully loaded with operational ammo,catch fire on the autobahn!
-----
Don

good vehicles the only bug bear was waiting for the bellys to drain after swiming,a bit warmer than the rl in winter,dave