Alvis Stalwart Mk 2 5 Ton High Mobility Cargo Truck
This vehicle went into service somewhere around 1970. Its function was as a high mobility fully amphibious 5 ton cargo truck. It was designed to follow the Chieftain Tanks into battle carrying essential supplies. These being ammunition and fuel (carried in 20litre Jerry Cans). As they were expected to operate in Germany they had to be capable of crossing the Rhine (which is up to a mile wide) fully loaded. Unfortunately when fully loaded they were so low in the water that it only took a big wave to sink them, and several did! The load capacity was then reduced to 3 tons but this did not entirely solve the problem so eventually they were downgraded to land use only, part of the propulsion system was removed to prevent its use in the water. The engine could also be troublesome and was renowned for running very hot and backfiring, at night the exhausts could be seen glowing red hot. This was another problem, catching fire, not a good idea in a vehicle carrying fuel cans. A plumbed in fire supression system was then fitted in an attempt to alleviate the problem. The museums example is well known for being tempremental and refuses to run smoothly at tickover on damp days. This does not seem to be a good idea on a vehicle designed to go in the water but we have been told it is a design fault and they are all like it.