RECOVERING ALVIS STALWART LEFT ABANDONED FOR 15 YEARS!

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

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.

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.

It's great to see all this stuff being rescued from mouldering away - gives you a business & the new owners a great deal of enjoyment (hopefully...).

great video and fantastic save , loving the last part where the foden tells the stolly ' your coming with me now! '

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

As soon as the Stolly saw the Foden...it was ok I'll come along quietly..ha ha...gotta get a Ted T-Shirt...

It is going to be good seeing the Stolly come back to life, well done!

Possibly the coolest looking truck ever.

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!

I love these stalwarts , great bit of kit , please give it a mega restoration 👍

A bit of a rusty Stalwart with a lot of work to do, as usual! Good job as always 👏 👍 👌

Fab film again, Guys. Thank you, really excited to see the stolly come back to life. 😊👍🏻

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

Loved driving Stollys back in the day...sad to see them in such a state

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. 😎👍🏻

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.

Those Stallies are so nice, excellent recovery and Jack didnt break anything A++++

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.

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!