The Alvis Stalwart in service

If you've just landed on this page from an external source, please do visit a pervious page - The Development of the Alvis Stalwart 

It should be remembered that the Stalwart was designed as a lorry capable of carrying 5 ton over rough ground, at which it excelled. It was never conceived as an amphibious vehicle that could also do 'off road'. The amphibious came during the development, when MEXE asked if PV1 could ford.

To clarify, Fording refers to crossing shallow streams and fords, or when landing on a beach from a landing craft.

The Stalwart's bread and butter work with the British Army in B.A.O.R. Germany was to carry; fuel, ammunition, mines, and G1098 stores.

The following items were approved to be used with Stalwart

• Pathfinder - Winch assisted exit - with a rocket propelled anchor

• Ranger - Anti personnel mine dispenser

• Unit Bulk Refuelling Equipment (UBRE)

Winch assisted exit using rocket propelled anchor for HMLC (Stalwart)

All things always start with a wooden mockup

The final product

PDF about the UBRE

In service

The following systems were trialled, but not taken up

The Royal Corps of Transport were concerned that there might be times when they had to do river crossings, but there would not be any Royal Engineer support to aid on any steep bank exits.

The Mo-Mat was trialled.  

   The ‘pin up’ armour is clearly identified surrounding the cab, whilst the tip of the forward offside missile box is visible above the driver's compartment. The trim vane is in the operative position at the front.

This equipment consists of the basic Stalwart military load carrier to which has been fitted a number of missile boxes to accommodate the latest Swingfire armour defeating anti-tank missile.

   The manufacturers claim that simple conversion packs are available consisting of an armoured cab, power operated missile boxes and launcher control equipment to rapidly convert the amphibious Stalwart into a front line tank killer. A total of sixteen ready-for-action Swingfire anti-tank missiles are accommodated in four missile trays, normally closed for protection when travelling. Power controls are available to facilitate opening to the ready-for-fire position. A stowage compartment contains a reserve supply of eight further missiles which may be alternatively employed in a man-pack role. An important feature of the control layout is the multiple positions from which the operators may launch and guide the Swingfire missiles. In addition to the normal vehicle control position, two alternative sites may by employed for remote control of the multi-missile trays. This would permit the vehicle to cover a wider area of frontage and enable the operators to control the wire guided projectiles while the vehicle and armament remain in the relative safety of a deep hull-down position.

In 1965 the Mark 1 Alvis Stalwart was sent to Aden, due to the normal sprung trucks taking excessive wear and tear from the stony roads.

It was found that not only did the Stalwart offer troops a better ride, but also gave some protection from mine blasts.

Peter Diment served there at the time. Peter tells me that Four were blown up in Aden. Damage included batteries shattered, wheel station blown off, and hull was cracked. One driver got acid burns when the battery shattered.

The Stalwarts were used for carrying fuel, ammunition, artillery pieces, stores, and of course troops.

Some previous conversations on Facebook;

Jim Titheridge - Hi Mark, to answer your question, 404 troop (RCT) had a fleet of stollys pre 1979, I don't think there were any in Belize after they got shipped back home though, I will try to find some images, but I have only ever seen a couple

Jim MacPherson - Went to Belize to repair the Stollys. The other lad I worked with was Gary Lewis(I think that was his name). We got 3 out of 4 back on the road quite quickly, the last one only needing a new gearbox fitted when we were told to pack them up as they were going back to UK. Drove them down to the docks. I was gutted, Loved Stollys.

I got to Belize mid September '78 Was around the end October when we shipped them back to the UK. This is yours truly, doing my best impression of a teapot with the non-runner (g/box) down beside the docks. Got a couple of more pics somewhere but where?

David Rice - I was stally section in 78, got some old photos around somewhere If memory serves me correctly, we had 3 one permanently in workshop and done resupply in the other 2,

Steve Bush - I was on range clearance in 1991 in Baldy Beacon when two stolleys were dropped off by the yanks in Chinnocks. We wondered over and got them started and drove them around for a couple weeks, shame they were blown to bits later on...

Mark Ellis - I'm presuming they were British registration

Steve Bush - Mark Ellis - guess so... don’t think the yanks ever used them, might be wrong. We assumed they had lifted them from a ship but really no idea where they came from or why yank chinooks were operating over Belize, we just enjoyed the cabby....

Steve Lord - 1993 when 21 EOD RE cleared the Range at the blue river lagoon

Peter Bateup - Me and five other guys were posted into Belize in September 1977 to start up 404 Troop RCT. Sometime between then and March 1978 Stollys were bought in so in the rainy season, when the water in the rivers rose above the bridges, they could use the Stollys to cross the rivers, I don't know why, but for some reason, it didn't work, so they parked the Stollys up, and didn't use them again.

David Stewart - We had Stolly in '78 remember sleeping in it when SAM the Man decided we'd go and recover some long lost Lanny from Mountain Pine Ridge probably the worst nights sleep there 😎

Mark Ellis - Any photos or dates?

I carved up a horse hair mattress to fill the gaps between the levers in my cab. Used to sleep soundly 😃

David Stewart - Mark Ellis - We were in the back on cam nets if you were lucky probably got an hours sleep and I don't have photos they're in storage at the moment as I'm in Russia but the dates I think would be Nov '78 give or take a week or two it was before we toddled off down to Rideau.

Mark Pikey Newman - I was there 78/79 and the stollys were still there then, or until April 79 because i took one down to holdfast.

Mick Cartwright - Jim Titheridge

That’s probably about it mate, we had them on my first tour, 78/79, when I went back in Oct 79, gone!

Jim Titheridge - How many were there?

Mick Cartwright - Jim , now that’s a good question, memories a bit shot from those days, but I would say around 6 to 8.

Jim Titheridge - I have seen a picture taken from by the radio station looking towards the RCT lines and there looked to be about 6 in that picture, but there would have been at least two in the REME workshops at any given time

Kevin Graham

Me, Andy Porritt, Carl Oakly, Taff Bradfield, Scouse Pemberton, and Gordon Stevens RIP were there 77/78 with 3 stalwarts we was based on the camp for a while then we moved to Rideau camp we were resupplying most of the outposts what happened after that I just don’t remember.

Two Stalwarts that were used as Range targets in Belize

In January 1966, the Headquarters of Far East Land Forces expressed a desire to determine the mobility of certain British military vehicles in Thailand. It was to be a joint effort between the British Ministry of Defence, the U.S Advanced Research Projects Agency, Washinqton and the Thai Government. Approval for the trials was received in March 1966 and the operation was to be code named 'Mudlark'.

Operation Mudlark took place in Thailand between the 24th August and the 29th October 1966 and was a comparison trial between the Stalwart, the FV432, the FV437 Pathfinder, the M113-1 and the M551.

The trials were carried out by the Joint Thai-US Military Research and Development Centre (MROC). 

Mark 2 Alvis Stalwarts 07ER57 and 07ER63 were transferred to the RAF, becoming 00AG79 and 09AH16. Both served at RAF Gan, in the Maldives. 00AG79 (07ER63) from March 1967 and 09AH16 (07ER57) from December 1971 to March 1976. 

They were known as Reef Rescue vehicles, fitted with a number of items including a Coventry Climax water pump (the red box), scramble net and rear access ladder.

There is an RAF manual on the Reef Rescues, but I have yet to source a copy.

The HMLC Alvis Stalwart group on Facebook has information and posts on the Amfibiebil  101.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/alvis.hmlc.6.x.6.stalwart.group 

There is a Swedish Wikipedia page, that has a number of errors on it. I've tried to correct and update it, but tired of petty Wiki keyboard warriors deleting my work. 

https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvis_Stalwart?