The team head over to high Wycombe to recover an stalwart! We have bought the pair of them and will need to go back for the other one soon! It's the first outing for the Scania Lorry
Did you know a squaddy stationed in Germany once nicked a Stalwart when he was drunk and tried to drive home to the UK in it ? he made it all the way to the middle of the English channel, where it sank. Fortunately the mad bugger was rescued, because the world needs nutters like him
@@colderwar it’s wrong. It’s a joke. We were told this story (and the myth) upon arrival at 4 ADTR RCT….People continue to perpetuate it though. The ARS is just keeping it alive for civvys. Sorry.
I am an ex serviceman, served from 1969 to 79. My troop had 14 Stalwarts and I was in charge of looking after them. They were the best wagons I have ever driven, so much fun. Off road driving was even more fun when they were fully loaded. A very smooth ride. I wish I had the chance to drive one again. Keep up the good work lads, I enjoy watching your chanel, seeing some of these vehicles brings back a lot of very happy memories.
I’m a driver for a plant hire company and have been running beavertail / cranes for years. If I have to recover a dead excavator that is too big to lift with the hiab, I take some sheets of plastic to get under the tracks. Once you beat the friction of the non moving rubber on the deck they slide on so much easier. Same would apply for a rubber tyre machine with seized brakes. Must less strain on the winch rope and ultimately safer. Also using a set of brothers (2 leg chains) attached equally to both sides allow you to pull it square and straight rather than pull the attached side to the middle. Also really boringly despite it being correctly cross chained and not going anywhere DVSA have recently declared that all wheeled vehicles must be chocked on the bed and the chocks secured to the transporting vehicle. It’s an easy thing to spot so without them you are inviting a pull. But otherwise excellent video as always
@@MrHewesThey introduced new guidelines last month for all manner of things, the only way we found out as an industry was when they started pulling people and quoting the rule book. I’m struggling with getting chocks to bite into the tyres on big chunky treads as they tend to move about. Timber blocks such as sleepers are acceptable as long as secured to bed. www.gov.uk/guidance/securing-loads-on-hgvs-and-goods-vehicles/6-how-to-carry-different-types-of-load-in-hgvs-and-goods-vehicles
@@stevemorris3710Used to pick up crashed vehicles, often without a crane. Started to carry a couple of scaffold deck boards, coated in old engine oil. Used them when a wheel was jammed or the steering was knacked. Just had to oil it every time, they were messy to use but did the job
My father was in the REME. One of my earliest childhood memories is looking up at a Stalwart. I also knew a squaddie who did driver training in a Stalwart - he got hit by another one while doing training out on a lake, and his sank. He said it was fun filling out the accident report and providing drawings - basically 2 Stalwarts colliding then only one left as the other sank.
That is an excellent find and it rolls, you'll need another wire brush. I was offered one as a straight swap for my 1965 109, I was at a festival in the welsh borders towing cars and vans out of the mud, £5.00 a go, great fun. When I worked out how much it would cost to get home I declined the offer. There was a Scammell Explorer stuck up to it's axles which was tugged out by a Bedford RL. Great days 90's festival scene.
My Father drove those fabulous old trucks back in the 80s, while stationed in Paderborn. That was one of the most fun vehicles that he took me for a ride in when I was about ten years old. I really hope that you are able to restore the old girl back to her former glory.
Another 2 dream wagons rescued. Well done! I remember going to one of the first tank fests at Bovington back in the late 80s. They were ferrying us from the carpark to the show in a couple of these. Exhausts glowing red hot! Ace!
love these stalwarts,used to watch them in the seventies on ITV Sport every saturday with other military vehicles running thru these muddy assault and river courses,cant remember the name of programme but Dickie Davis was the presenter,showing my age im a pensioner now but love the channel would love to see this running again,keep up the great work.
Always had a soft spot for a Stolly (Kind of a Thunderbirds themed vehicle...) My uncle drove them in the Rhine and told me a few stories of them. One squaddie tried to do a u-turn when obstructed by road works and ended up on his tail when it dropped into a storm drain. Anpother was a couple of guys kept going around further and further into a wet bog to see if it would ever get stuck. It did. And took the REME guys 2 days with the Centurions to extract it! There's a fella in Great Witchingham has a couple
I really hope you get that Stolly back up and running, it's the most fun cross-country you can have in any vehicle, it will go anywhere! I had the privilege of driving them a few times 'back in the day' and promise you, you won't be disappointed!
I bet it was a ton lighter when you got it back with all the rust dropping off it. You guys are fearless. That thing is so rotten. I wouldn't know where to start. Big job.
The old lass is as rough as Jack!🤪🤣. She’ll be an interesting job. Closest I’ve been to an amphibious was a old dukw that I had a ride in as a kid… it did amaze me it could be on land and still carry on a cross he river 🤯🤣 I was about 10
As a kid in the sixties, this was my dream truck 6 wheels and amphibious! brilliant to see and yes please show the other one! (by the way, grab that little dumper it is a gem too I drove loads of them a bit later in life!)
Thanks for the adventure Joe! My compliments to the pianist. Anyone who can bang out a Beatles tune and haul old military equipment has all the makings of a great partner in crime. 😎👍🏻
My dad was in REME, he drove and worked on them out in Germany and in Yemen in the 60’s I loved listening to his stories about them when I was a kid, he loved the stalwart and just how capable they were as a vehicle.
Got my ATV stuck axle deep in stinking mud last month, didn't have any self rescuing gear... the mile walk out and back for the come-along in 90 F heat was excruciating. I envy you fellows all your wonderful toys.
Nice one boys. We moved ours with help of friends and their tractors, and our 101. Two people in the cab on the steering as it hadn't moved for years. Sidenote, my first wasp sting was in a Stalwart, flew in through the hatch, I was 5 and cried. Looking forward to the progress on this
I’m in my mid 60s but those things were my childhood dream vehicle. I had models of them around my bedroom. Looking forward to seeing you get the hunk back to working order.
Investigation of the Times archives indicates that something like this did happen. The following was reported on the 24th of November 1965. Nov 23- A Rhine Army trooper from Bristol who tried to cross the English Channel in an Army five-ton amphibious vehicle, was sentenced to eight months detention here today. He was found guilty of being absent without leave, plus three other charges. He entered the water from Belgium but had to land near Calais, where he was detained. A District Court Martial was told that the Trooper ……. age 20 of the 11th Hussars, had planned to head for England after a 400-mile drive from his barracks at Hohne. He then planned to cross the Irish Sea from Liverpool to Ireland where he had planned to ditch the stolen vehicle.
Good god Joe. I suspect that the hours, money and new metal needed to fix the Stolly Dolly will drive you crazy. I'm looking forward to seeing all the fun and games once you get started. Even more exciting - once she's whole again i want you to take her swimming ❤😊❤😊❤
Sounds like very nice chap etc, it still needs to be said a couple of tarps could have kept those two things in far better order, agreed they get holed, shrink, tear etc. But they would have still kept the worst of the last 15 years of weather off.
I went in a few of these, they had a very bouncy & ungainly feel about them from what I recall. Great fun though, nice to see one back on the road to be restored?
I used to know a guy in Aberdeenshire called Alistair who had one of these. He used to take the direct route to the supermarket in it. The direct route involved through hedges, fields and a river, the guy was a real nutter/eccentric. He also had a Citroen 2cv that he converted to a 3 wheeled trike (two wheels at the front, one at the back), it handled and drove surpringly well. We went in all his vehicles at one time or another and believe me, he didn't hold back. Terrifying, would be an apt word for his driving.........
Drove these in Germany between 1986-1989 such a great vehicle, would do 40mph with a full load of 105 shells across a field. It steers the front 4 wheels and is hydraulic powered by the engine so good effort getting any steering for that recovery. The Stally will go the same speed forwards as backwards, yes @ 19 I tried it on the gun park. Make sure if you drive it on the road for more than 30 km you take it off-road and bounce it out of fox holes to unwind the driveshaft’s Look forward to you journey with a vehicle that brings back great memories.
One of my all-time favourite vehicles, thank you for rescuing it. There's a forlorn looking one at The Norfolk Tank museum, i really hope they move it indoors before it disintegrates Trust you will love this vehicle too
Hey Mr Hewes, I have a photo of the Stolly you have recovered, the exact same one and number plate. I came across it in Sweden in the 1980s when the (Swedish Coastal Artillery) had it, and I heard it would be sent back to the UK to a private buyer. What a coincidence to see the same truck again. Pitty I can't share the photo here to show you.
And the first thing to check if it smells of petrol is - check the drain plugs are out, and you're not playing with a Stolly who's hull is holding the contents of the fuel tank
Stollys are awesome but my mate lost a finger changing a uj on one when in the reme , had a play in one once . Dump the rolls and stick a Cummins in it , and bounce it of the curbs to unwind the drive as they lines on the hubs are ther for a reason but guess you already know that joe more than I , great vid 👍❤️
I used to love driving these in Germany - mine had petrol on it , fuel for resupplying every vehicle we had - happy days - lucky I had a BV in mine so plenty of brews :). great vid - thanks for sharing
I used to be an instructor on a military vehicle driving experience. We used to have great fun with the Stalwart, we ran on an ex motocross track and over one of the table top jumps we’d have the front wheels a good 2 meters in the air, the clients were always impressed.
Man, what I give to be able to do what you guys do, when I was at college I use to work on a Jet Provost doing aero engineering, Ironically didn't go into it, I'll have to come to an event next year and see you guys
Some of the vehicles that Joe and Jack like are ones i remember when i was in the armed forces 1971-1987. Should call Joe and Jack and Mark the A Team 👍
We had a Stally troop in my regt (QOH) in Germany back in the 70's. Used to stand in the arse end of it when carrying ammo out to the tanks on the live firing ranges. Warmest place on the vehicle in the middle of winter lol. Also used to scare the wits out of the local germans when it backfired and a huge flame shot out of the exhaust!
Looks like something that Brains from the "Thunderbirds" came up with. I could just imagine it rolling out of a Thunderbird 2 pod. Cheers and beers blokes!!!
When I was in the TA (Rickshaw Cabs Taxi's), we had to do a course on driving the Stalwart great fun. We were given a mag to read about a small team who succumb navigated the Isle of Wright with said vehicle! The interesting fact at time was number of barrels of civ-gas (petrol) they carried extra, I can't recoll how many but to me it was the out feature !! Also life inthe railway preservation, we had vehicle rally, not outstanding but the chap in change listed a Alvis Stalwart as a classic car 🤣🤣
We used to place a couple of full water jerrycans in the back of the cargo bay by the exhausts. After a couple of hours of driving there would be a plentiful supply of hot water.
Nick Mead has a stolly graveyard of spares. Nice to see the truck earning its keep. Have you not got a wireless remote for the winch? Alot safer for you all
Original swimming Stolly's would be rare as around 1980 they were relegated from swimming role as it was too expensive to keep up the seals ETC and we had to cut off the wash board off the front and remove the propshafts from the gearbox to the Dowty propulsion units.
@@mikewinston8709 No need for apologies, I think most people see a knuckle boom crane and just say it's a Hiab even though the one on our larger recovery truck is a Palfinger!
Hope you get round to restoring the stolly soon, really looking forward to it. I think they're a great vehicle especially the lumbar version which you have with the Atlas crane.
I`ve seen a Foden like this and understand how big they are... As a kid, I remember seeing Alvis Stalwarts from time to time and thinking they wre huge,, but seeing it next to the Foden it actually looks TINY! Or is it just like the cows in Father Ted?
Only recently found your channel, very happy I did as really like watching your videos, keep up the good work restoring these lovely military vehicles 👍
Love the channel. Stolly swim unit too cool. Many a happy SQN running replen 32 AER, BAOR great memories if you can find my old Sultan CVRT 01 GE 71 that would be the icing on the cake. Many thanks Andrew
A decade or two ago, there was an Alvis Stalwart parked just off the side of the road, very near the town of Innerleithen in the Scottish Borders. I have definitely got a photo or two of it somewhere.
Worked on these a few times in the 80's whilst in the REME. The majority of them had the propshafts which drove the Dowty propulsion units removed, so they could float but not swim. They had A B80 Rolls Royce engine, straight 8., Six wheel drive. The gear stick had a huge throw, you needed long arms.
oh hours of fun use to have one of these! it ended up on salvage squad on the telly endless bloody sand.... great fun would love one again maybe with a Cummins in it as the original was abit thirsty... something like 4 gallons per mile..
ooooh love a staly. dvla have wrp76h on record tax ran out in may 2004 never been mot's lol. dvla say its date of manufacture is 1970. this is going to be great to see what you get upto with it.
I had a matchbox Stolly as a small kid. It was like the crown jewels to me. There was an old Stolly on Caldey Island years back, they now use ex military bridge carriers with twin V8 diesels to get people off the boats at low tide. No differentials in a Stolly. Exhausts need a shroud to hide the red glow at night.
There used to be a Stollie parked next to the Nemesis rollercoaster at Alton Towers. It still had all its swim gear. I looked up the tubes and the propellers where in place. I don't think it's still there, but I'd love to know where it went. The Royal Engineers were involved in blasting out the rock in order to build Nemesis, so they may have donated the Stollie as set dressing.
in terms of fuel consumption, you always need a high number of passengers to sponsor a crossing.... but you will certainly find them with such a cool vehicle.....😁👌
In the early 90‘s I visited a Army Dump Store in Enschede Netherlands. They had about six or eight of these in the yard in more or less running condition. As the story goes a gentleman bought all of them for the engines and scrapped the rest of the vehicles. What a shame. Greetings from Germany 👋🏻🍻
You do like a challenge and that looks challenging, Don't think it will swim very far those grate big holes in it but I'm sure they ill be the list of your problems., Looking forward to seeing how it goes. PS you need a radio mic. It all when a bit quite at the end.
Ah brings me back to my Duxford days trying to fix theirs Tell you what though your new sandblaster is going to have fun with that thing !! All i can remember is that if its work in the cab you need to be hanging upside down to get at anything near the pedals .. a REAL PAIN IN THE ASS!! time to get your Whitworth spanners out for this wee beastie
wauw that thing looks cool and usable u can haul engine put the new in carry the old or do yard work or just take it for a swim that thing whas amphibous right
