Austrian Alvis 6x6 Stalwart mark 2 - 1966 / 1967

[Mark_Ellis]

Österreichisches Land- und Wasserfahrzeug „Stalwart“ Mark 2, von Alvis – 1966 / 67 - Britischer Amphibien-Truck

Hi all,
If you know or know someone else who knows about the Austrian Alvis Stalwarts - then please drop me a line. I’m keen to see any documents, photos etc to evidence the Austrian Stalwarts.

Sorry this is in English, but your English is probably better than Google’s German.

40 years ago I was in the British Royal Engineers in Germany, driving and teaching others to drive the Alvis Stalwart 6x6 High Mobility Load Carrier (HMLC).

In 2013 I joined the HMLC group on Facebook, and have helped admin the group for some years.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/alvis.h ... wart.group

During Lockdown 1 of Covid in 2020, I was put on Furlough to stay home. I do not own a Stalwart, but started to gather all the British army Workshop and User manuals. These manuals have been declassified by the Ministry Of Defence (MOD), and are free to down load. This was done to help keep the remaining Stalwarts out of the breaker yards. It’s taken me 3 years, but I now have all the Workshop manuals, and most of the User manuals.

I then set up a cheap webpage, to freely share these manuals outside of Facebook.

https://sites.google.com/view/alvis-sta ... es-manuals

At the same time that I started gathering manuals, I also started researching the Stalwart’s history and story.
I got fed up with correcting the incorrect information on Wikipedia, and their editors deleting my corrections because they wouldn’t read the manuals. So I created new web pages for the Stalwart, to record its history. This also expanded to cover the Bedford trucks, the BV202, and British army field cooking equipment.
https://sites.google.com/view/alvis-stalwart-hmlc-files

The website goes into great depth, but to give the main moments

• 1959 the first Stalwart is ready and trialled by MOD.
  1960 the first swimming Stalwart is ready for trials.
  1962 Sweden buys its first Stalwarts.
  1963 Britain receives its first Stalwarts.
  1966 the mark 2 Stalwart is produced.
  1969 the crane loader version is produced.
  1971 the last Stalwart is made.
  1985 Sweden takes their last stalwarts out of service.
  1993 Britain takes their stalwarts and many other petrol engine vehicles out of service.

British army had 1052 Stalwarts. The following countries also purchased Stalwarts

• 4 – Austria.
  2 – France.
  3 – Germany.
  1 – Italy.
  26 to 28 – Sweden.
  1 – Thailand.
  1 is also thought to have been sold to Canada, but still researching that.

With regards to the Austrian stalwarts. I have the following evidence.

• A clipping from The Times newspaper of London, dated 14th August 1967 confirming the sale of Stalwarts for £60,000. A mark 2 stalwart was £20,000 in 1966, so that’s the batch of three.
  A letter from Alvis to John Rue dated 1993.
  A letter to myself from Heeresgeschichtliches Museum, confirming 4 Stalwarts purchased.
  An email from a British man, confirming that he bought 4 Stalwarts from Austria, and shipped them back to the UK in the mid 1980s.

I am told that the Stalwarts were with the “Pioniertruppenschule”

• I am told that one soldier fell out of the back as a Stalwart climbed out of the river. The soldier was in full kit, and sadly drowned.
  I am also told that one sank in the river Danube, and had to be lifted out.

I have no evidence of either of the above, and would appreciate anything that anyone might know about them.

The Stalwart that Traditionsverband Heereskraftfahrwesen or Army Motorization Historic Society has, is ex British Army, and was obtained to represent the Austrian Stalwarts. Note the side and indicator lights on the front of the cab are the standard fittings.

https://www.hkfw.at/en/our-vehicles/74- ... i-stalwart




This image appears to be a British Mark 2 Stalwart, on display to the Austrians in 1966.



Germany purchased two Alvis Stalwart mark 2 in 1966. These were different to other Stalwarts in that Germany asked for the side and indicator lights at the front of the vehicle to be replaced with a Hella combined light unit – and for that light unit to be mounted on the side of the cab. However, the Germans also asked that the sideboards and tailboard be a few inches higher than the standard ones.
Theses images highlight the Hella combined light, and the higher sides.










The Austrian ones had the same Hella combined front lights, but the side and tailboard were all standard height.
Of the few photos that I do have,
1 is from the Pionere booklet - 1956 to 1981 25 years of the “Pioniertruppenschule” – but there is no text with the image.
2 are from the book by Walter J, Spielberger - Kraftfahrzeuge Und Panzer Des Osterreichischen Heeres 1896 Bis Heute - Motor vehicles and tanks of the Austrian Army 1896 to today. Sadly, Walter J, Spielberger has passed away, so I cannot follow that line of enquiry any further.









Any information or images that you have on these Stalwarts would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

I hope you can see all the images now. Please do let me know if you cannot see the photos

[theoderich]

Here are a few (unfortunately undated) photos:

Leistung und Erfolg, in: Bundesheer-Illustrierte, H 12 (1969), p. 2, Online verfügbar unter: https://bibisdata.bmlv.gv.at/207115.pdf

Melker Pioniere. Truppenzeitung des Pionierbataillons 3, H 1 (2011), p. 19, Online verfügbar unter: https://relaunch.melker-pioniere.at/?sd ... oad_id=638

Woher wir kommen (1913 - 2013) Teil XV, in: Melker Pioniere. Truppenzeitung des Pionierbataillons 3, H 4 (2013), p. 17, Online verfügbar unter: https://relaunch.melker-pioniere.at/?sd ... oad_id=575

25 Jahre Pioniertruppenschule. 1956-1981 (Wien 1998), p. 46, 48, Online verfügbar unter: https://bibisdata.bmlv.gv.at/196608.pdf

The Member of the National Council, Rudolf Marwan-Schlosser, stated in a parliamentary session on December 18th, 1967, that the vehicle was demonstrated to members of the Defence Committee of the Austrian Parliament in the river Mur in Judenburg (Styria):

Nun zur Anschaffung des Stalwart. Auch dazu gab es völlig unqualifizierbare Zeitungsartikel. Gerade der Herr Urbanek hat wieder darüber geschrieben. Aber der Verteidigungsausschuß hatte in Judenburg die Möglichkeit, dieses Fahrzeug im Einsatz in der Mur zu sehen. Wir waren doch alle davon überzeugt ich habe zumindest kein einziges negatives Urteil gehört -, daß es ein gutes Fahrzeug ist, daß dieses Fahrzeug sowohl für den Nachschub in Kriegsfällen als auch für Katastrophenfälle, für Evakuierungen größerer Güter und für den Nachschub von Gütern in abgeschnittene Orte und so weiter geeignet ist. Ich verstehe auch hier wieder nicht die Kritik, die immer geübt wird und geübt worden ist !

In March 1974 the vehicles were in still in use, as Minister of Defence, Karl Lütgendorf, said in a parliamentary session on March 7th 1974, that they had been used at the "Gruppenkommanden" (Group Commands) I and III (Gruppenkommando I: Wien, Niederösterreich, Burgenland; Gruppenkommando II: Steiermark, Kärnten) and were subsequently temporarily pooled at the Gruppenkommando II:

Bundesminister Lütgendorf: Sehr geehrter Herr Abgeordnter! Die von mir aus Anlaß der vorliegenden Anfrage angeordneten Erhebungen haben ergeben, daß es sich bei den vom Herrn Anfragesteller genannten Spezialgeräten allem Anschein nach um die geländegängigen Schwimmkraftfahrzeuge der Type "Stalwart" handelt.

Hiezu darf ich bemerken, daß sich die vorübergehende Zusammenziehung der Stalwart Schwimmlastkraftwagen der früheren Gruppenkommanden II und III angesichts der im Bereich des seinerzeitigen Gruppenkommandos II in verstärktem Umfang erforderlichen Katastropheneinsätze sowie im Hinblick auf auf eine Reihe zusätzlicher innerorganisatorischer Umstände, wie Ersatzteillagerung und Instandsetzung, als zweckmäßig erwiesen hat. Diese Maßnahme wird selbstverständlich nur so lange aufrecht bleiben, als dies zwingende militärische Rücksichten erfordern.

According to this publication, in 1967 the Austrian Armed Forces acquired a total of three FV622 Mk II (Serial numbers: 169, 172 and 175) for trial purposes. The trial was conducted by the Pioniertruppenschule (Engineer Troops School). After a deadly accident, the trial and the planned procurement were ceased and all three vehicles were sold.

SPÖRKER Hermann: Neues vom Traditionsverband Heereskraftfahrwesen, in: Bolfras Splitter. Die Zeitung des Aufklärungs- und Artilleriebataillons 3, H 1 (2022), p. 12

1967 entschied das Österreichische Bundesheer, drei FV622 Mk II (Seriennummern 169, 172 und 175) zur Truppenerprobung anzukaufen. Die gesamte Erprobung erfolgte unter der Leitung der Pioniertruppenschule. Leider kam es dabei zu einem tödlichen Unfall, worauf der gesamte Erprobungs- und Beschaffungsvorgang abgebrochen und die drei vorhandenen Fahrzeuge verkauft wurden.

https://www.hkfw.at/files/bolfrassplitt ... litter.pdf

[Mark_Ellis]

Here are a few (unfortunately undated) photos:

Melker Pioniere. Truppenzeitung des Pionierbataillons 3, H 1 (2011), p. 19, Online verfügbar unter: https://relaunch.melker-pioniere.at/wp- ... 2/test.pdf

25 Jahre Pioniertruppenschule. 1956-1981 (Wien 1998), p. 46, 48, Online verfügbar unter: https://bibisdata.bmlv.gv.at/196608.pdf

According to this publication, the Austrian Armed Forces acquired a total of three FV622 Mk II (Serial numbers: 169, 172 and 175) in 1967 for trial purposes. The trial was conducted by the Pioniertruppenschule (Engineer Troop School). After a deadly accident, the trial and the planned procurement were ceased and all three vehicles were sold.

SPÖRKER Hermann: Neues vom Traditionsverband Heereskraftfahrwesen, in: Bolfras Splitter. Die Zeitung des Aufklärungs- und Artilleriebataillons 3, H 1 (2022), p. 12

1967 entschied das Österreichische Bundesheer, drei FV622 Mk II (Seriennummern 169, 172 und 175) zur Truppenerprobung anzukaufen. Die gesamte Erprobung erfolgte unter der Leitung der Pioniertruppenschule. Leider kam es dabei zu einem tödlichen Unfall, worauf der gesamte Erprobungs- und Beschaffungsvorgang abgebrochen und die drei vorhandenen Fahrzeuge verkauft wurden.

https://www.hkfw.at/files/bolfrassplitt ... litter.pdf

Many thanks for the response and information.

Can you just confirm for me that you can see the photos in my original post please.

I wonder if Vizeleutnant Helmut Josifek is on here, or Facebook?

Hermann has worked hard to find information on these Stalwarts, but it has been hard to get any evidence or information - partially due to the covid outbreak in 2020. His text that you quote is a couple of years old now, and was from before the information came from Heeresgeschichtliches Museum.

The information from the British man that he bought the 4 Stalwarts from Austria has only come to light in the last couple of weeks.

Thank you.

[Doppeladler]

no, we do not see your pics.

[Mark_Ellis]

no, we do not see your pics.

Sorry about that. I'm more used to uploading images directly into the forum.

Been into Google Photos, and hopefully you should be able to see them all now.

[EVO II]

A couple of years ago I received a phonecall from a member of the Melker Pioniere, he somehow had found out that I had two
Alvis Stalwart`s and wanted to know where he could get spares for a Stalwart because he was apperantly restoring one. I pointed him to the Stalwart Forum as a source information. He mentiond that they had a event coming up and they wanted to present a piece of history there!

I have heard no more of him after that !

[Mark_Ellis]

A couple of years ago I received a phonecall from a member of the Melker Pioniere, he somehow had found out that I had two
Alvis Stalwart`s and wanted to know where he could get spares for a Stalwart because he was apperantly restoring one. I pointed him to the Stalwart Forum as a source information. He mentiond that they had a event coming up and they wanted to present a piece of history there!

I have heard no more of him after that !

Hi, is the Stalwart forum this one on Facebook? I hope you're a member
https://www.facebook.com/groups/alvis.h ... wart.group

Are your Stalwarts ex British army or ? I'm presuming that the German mark 2 ones were cut up.



The German mark 1 was saved for a while, and when sold again because of garage space - the new owner decided it was too big a project and it was cut up

[Mark_Ellis]

...
The Member of the National Council, Rudolf Marwan-Schlosser, stated in a parliamentary session on December 18th, 1967, that the vehicle was demonstrated to members of the Defence Committee of the Austrian Parliament in the river Mur in Judenburg (Styria):

...

In March 1974 the vehicles were in still in use, as Minister of Defence, Karl Lütgendorf, said in a parliamentary session on March 7th 1974, that they had been used at the "Gruppenkommanden" (Group Commands) I and III (Gruppenkommando I: Wien, Niederösterreich, Burgenland; Gruppenkommando II: Steiermark, Kärnten) and were subsequently temporarily pooled at the Gruppenkommando II:
...

Many thanks for the links to those Government reports, theoderich. That's really useful. I wish other countries were as accessible.

In the UK we are lucky with military vehicle records, in that we have MERLIN.

All UK military vehicles had a paper 'B' Card, that recorded when the vehicle came into service, who it served with.

In 1986, the MOD went computerised and introduced a computer program called MERLIN.

MERLIN stands for the Management of Equipment Resources, Liabilities and Information Network. The records were back dated to anything that was in the MOD on 1st January 1984. In 2013 a new program was introduced, to replace MERLIN. MERLIN was locked, and then released to the public under a Freedom Of Information Act request.

Sadly, as per human error, not all military vehicles were added to the MERLIN database. But we know from Alvis of most of the chassis numbers that were sold to other countries.

When the blanks on MERLIN are filled in, we know that the 4th Austrian Stalwart must have had one of these chassis numbers.



Would be nice if there was a way to confirm the dates that all 4 came Austria, when they were shut away, and when they were sold off.

[Mark_Ellis]

25 Jahre Pioniertruppenschule. 1956-1981 (Wien 1998), p. 46, 48, Online verfügbar unter: https://bibisdata.bmlv.gv.at/196608.pdf

With thanks to theoderich, a photo has raised another question.
I had previously been provided with the photo on page 48 of the 25 Jahre Pioniertruppenschule. 1956-1981, but they hadn't provided me with the image on page 46.



I have written to them for any information, but the photo on page 46 shows an Alvis Stalwart that was made after 1968 (which makes the chassis number STAL 11 / 354 or higher), or the sideboard had been replaced because of damage after the design change at the end of 1967.

I have marked the raised strengthening bar in red, and where the bar used to be positioned in green.



The Sideboards have a horizontal strengthening bar part way up, for if a load moved and strikes against the side.
The following sideboard design has been used since around 1963 or 64.



I've coloured the bar green here



When Alvis launched the crane version (In production at end of 1968), they changed the sideboard strengthening bar's position, to make it stronger in case a suspended load struck the sideboard.

This image appeared in the 2013 Melker Pioniere publication, and appears to have been taken at the same event as the one that I've uploaded after it. I think these are both at the 1966 display to Austria by the British.

This image has been enlarged using AI, as it was rather small.


And the more commonly known image



Again, if you cannot see my photos then please let me know. Many thanks

[Mark_Ellis]

I reached out to the author Rolf M. Urrisk, who has kindly provided a couple of photos that are in his book.

The provided photos shows us that Austria used Registration numbers

BH.82.136
BH.82.151
Possibly BH.28.178 or BH.82.128

This image shows that Austria fitted an anchor to the Water deflector board. It also shows us that BH.82.151 was made after July 1967, and possibly has a chassis number of around 100 digits higher than 169, 172 and 175.
The four corner windows of the cab are held in with rubber seal, rather than clamped in with bolts - and the sideboard is the revised version, with the strengthening bar mounted higher up. The vehicle cabs with windows held in by rubber were made by Motor panels of Coventry, rather than Alvis.





In the coloured in version

• Yellow shows the anchor shackle.
  Red shows the anchor main bar.
  Green shows the anchor spade.
  Blue shows the shoe fitted on the Deflector board for the anchor to sit in.

And this image nicely shows the Freeboard extension fitted to the rear of the Austrian Stalwart


If you have any larger or clearer versions of these photos, or any other Austrian or German Stalwart photos, then I'd really appreciate hearing from you.

Again, of you cannot see these images, then please let me know.