I was a Bradley mechanic in the US Army for 15 yrs. Week 2 of joining my first unit 3rd ACR back when they were still new to FT. Carson after their move from FT. Bliss. I was assigned my 1st M88a1 Med Recovery Vehicle. That week I also did my first lift mission by pulling the engine decks and engines on M1a1 Abrams tanks for their services. I was assigned to the 2/3 ACR recovery section. I loved it. I had my own TANK! Well sort of lol. But I seriously loved being a recovery guy. I ended up being the recovery guy in nearly all of my later units and even got to support 101st ABN in Iraq when one of their Cav units had 13 Bradley's. I recovered all but 1 of their IED damaged and destroyed Brads. Out of the 13 Brads they had 11 were coded out for IED damage. Those boys were getting hit hard back then. I put close to 5K miles on my M88 doing recovery missions and support missions for the 101st as I was on loan from 4 ID. I am grateful for all the years of experience I had before going to Iraq because I ended up using nearly all of it during my 3 tours there. Recovery work isn't as flashy as what the tankers and grunts do. But I remember those guys always happy to see me to bring them back to base when things went wrong for them. That is a feeling I will always be proud of.
Thankyou for your service. Support units never get the attention from the general public but any of the real tank nuts out their know that without recovery vehicles or the rest of the funny's as they used to be called, the entire capability of an army drops real fast. The German ww2 experience of fielding tanks incapable of being recovered unless you win the battle should be a central teaching of logistics. If on the other hand a tank is knocked out early and the battle has gone past it then recovery should be simple not take 3 18 ton half tracks etc.
We XM93 Fox drivers used to drink with some of you recovery folks back in the day. We would sneak in "drinking liquid" from some of our contractors and share with the mech units we were attached to.
Well done mate, well done. My Uncle was Capt RE in N Africa neat Tobruk. Was in charge of recovery vehicles. Was overrun by Rommel's Afrika corps and captured but escaped that night as they were lightly guarded by stealing a truck with a bunch of blokes and driving off into the night. sadly they hit a mine and the driver was killed so they had to walk back to their lines about 50 miles dodging patrols. Front line guys deserve all the plaudits, recovery guys are right up there with them.
I'm honestly surprised at the decent condition of the road wheels and tracks, you'd think after all this time they'd be buggered but, nope, still looking pretty good as you said.
@@martingardener90 not just vehicles...we always knew when or if a particular depot or barracks was going to be closed and sold off because 6 months before buildings would have new roofs and the perimeter fence would be replaced only to be knocked down and bulldozed....same with army quarters...we had a new bathroom and kitchen fitted ....year later sold off the whole estate and got demolished.....the link to this item is AVSD LUDGERSHALL where most of these "hard targets " came from during drawdown.
@@mozki1 The one good thing about the vehicle side of it was if we couldn't get hold of a spare part quickly we would go to the casting depot - which, here in Northern Ireland, was "The Kinnegar" at Hollywood, near Belfast and rummage around the cast vehicles until we found the part we wanted and probably find a pretty new one! Of course it had to be replaced with the duff part.
Might be my favorite workshop diaries. Your staff are so knowledgeable but having a "find" like these vehicles which can provide parts for your operations is great. Love the video!
Thanks so much for this different view of what the Tank Museum does. Great to see the initial recovery of armored vehicles before they get used for spares or as actual displays!
They were known as ‘Wedges’. In 1982 a Sapper destined for 32 Armoured Engineer Regiment ‘borrowed’ one from the RAC training centre (also at Bovington) and drove one 100 miles - on his own, at night - to show his mum.
@@robertwillis4061 it made the papers about 3 months before I got to Bovvy. The OC of the RE Wing told us he’d been court martialled and then promoted to Lance Corporal after a minimal sentence. The only damage he’d done once he left the camp was to clip some curves :)
Cool video. This row of tanks always caught my eye when walking the coastal path so it’s been great to learn more info about them and hear their story👍
Wow what a video . Seeing the CRAV TES in action was awesome what an amazing sounding vehicle . Its the first time i have seen one in a theater entery standard configuration with all the extra armor and coms antenna which i didnt know the crav actually had .
With the sound the engine made, you could move the mountain if you could find an hitch to hook to. Must be a blast to drive when moving something really heavy and stuck in the mud.
Thanks for this video! A fascinating look at the ongoing preservation work you folks engage in...I can already see a thousand dioramas depicting the recovery of range targets like this....Truly inspiring! Thanks again!
This video was class to watch. The kit is being used for parts instead of just being left, great stuff. It has been winding me up for ages as I couldn't think of the name of the shaft that has to be broken. The Quill Coupling! Most informative. Keep up the good work. If I was closer I would volunteer in the workshop but I'm in the North East. I love the museum. I've been twice. I can feel another visit coming on. Mark
Thank you for this video, which brought back memories of my dad. He was in the RASC during the war, mainly the North African desert then up through Italy. He wouldn't talk much about his time, but I am sure that he is the reason I have more interest in the service vehicles than in the battle tanks.
Its heartwarming to see these AVREs being used again even just for parts but I think some should be kept in whole as they are as much a piece of history as the chieftains they help to keep going .
It would be nice to post all the Military Reg Numbers so anyone watching who served could actually say, "I drove that one" and also add some personal history to the vehicle.
If I remember, the quill shafts once removed were placed in the stowage bin on the side that they were taken from, so that they were put back on the correct side.
Thats the fastest those vehicles have ever gone.... I remember when we put all our Chieftains down on Lulworth range in the 90’s from Warminster Armd Demo Sqn.... that where most of these vehicles came from
@@Jpdt19 it was a bit as they had ‘character’ , however they were really maintenance heavy. We had them replaced by Challenger 1 (finally joining the rest of the Armd Corps). We kept those for a few years before getting Challenger2..... both awesome vehicles, faster, better all round and less work to keep them going...
I was thinking of them transporting two of the best ones to the museum for spares/displays and gut all the others of any useable parts. It's a shame they'll all likely be scrapped when a 100 years from now that junk will be worth millions as a museum piece.
Blokes in a shed doing great things. Always like the way engineers explain anything. Methodical. Funny, I bet when these were left no one thought to think about the future. Topped off with the sound of that Chally engine.
Good to see these old tanks becoming useful again even if it mainly as a parts source. Hopefully maybe some could be used atleast as a basis for a rebuild someday.
I worked at Perkins , Shrewsbury where the CV12 engine in the towing vehicle was built.... We would build them up until the cylinder heads were on and then they went off to be built up by a Rolls Royce trained engineer. One difference between the gen set V12’s and these is that the tank engines had studs coming out of the block for the cylinder heads, instead of being bolted on like the gen sets... A little like its cousin, the Merlin .. Amazing to see and here on the testbed...
I REALLY enjoyed this video - would love to see [and hear] more recoveries and work like this. Even something as “dull” as stripping parts, I would really enjoy seeing the work
They're blackberries, the red ones aren't ripe yet.You can see a few really ripe, black ones at the end of the branches. Make fantastic pies, jams and crumbles.
All the original built AVLB’s had a Reg No of 01 FD NN, any others were converted former MBTs. I definitely worked on 01FD63 and 80 in Munsterlager from80 to 83
Love how the crarrv dosnt even know it’s pulling a 40 odd ton tank behind it with partially seized tracks just drives on as normal what a machine, what a noise.
Imagine if HMG had decided in 1945 to retain Warspite as she was at end of WW2 (damage and all), and completely refurbish QE as she was at June 1945, and dock both as an example of what war does to equipment.
It's ok to snack on tank photos but THIS is bangers & mash! And now, if you don't mind, I'm going to watch Dad's Army. Cheers from Oshawa Canada. I support Ukraine.
Brilliant job reclaiming good spares to keep the running fleet going. However, the Royal Horticultural Society is a bit cross and would like to have a word with you about the destruction of their "Artificial Hedge" project!
By chance, has the museum looked into a very rare Canadian Ram Medium tank on an old firing range in the Peak District? I’m sure there’s information on it, I’m just curious on the viability of a recovery effort for the machine.
I'm going to be honest here and say I found the recovery vehicle juat as interesting if not more so than the vehicles it was recovering, I know that the Tank Museum's primary role is in preserving the actual tanks, but in my opinion these other vehicles are just as important, without such equipment a broken down tank has to be left on a battlefield rather than being recovered and repaired, without bridge layers you can stop a tank just by destroying a bridge (if the adjacent landscape makes the terrain impassible) so yeah whilst I know that there will always be budget limitations and perhaps lack of display space I honestly think a display of the other armoured vehicles would only add to peoples understanding of the role of tanks
are you aware that there is a more or less intact ram tank hull sitting outside near buckston Derbyshire, its just rusting away waiting for someone to pull it out and restore it
Its like pulling a classic car from a barn or field to be towed home and saved. Wonder if there are any wrecks out there or anywhere else in the UK of historical vehicles that are just waiting to be saved.
Hello, Tank Nuts! We hope you enjoy this long-awaited Tank Workshop Diaries, let us know your thoughts.
Nice work! Like archeology for tank nuts!!
Great video. I would like to see a follow up video on tear down of some of these.
Loved it
Nice to see a new Tank Diaries video, was starting to miss them.
I'm sure this has been posted before? I've seen this already, maybe last year?
The recovery vehicle sounds magnificent ! 👍
I thought that I heard some valve bounce from it.
Perkins / rolls Royce cv12 I could listen to that all day
It sounded magnificent
It's a 2 stroke diesel. Not unlike or perhaps even the same as can be found in a leopard.
@@dimievers5573 it’s twin turbo v12 4stroke diesel
I was a Bradley mechanic in the US Army for 15 yrs. Week 2 of joining my first unit 3rd ACR back when they were still new to FT. Carson after their move from FT. Bliss. I was assigned my 1st M88a1 Med Recovery Vehicle. That week I also did my first lift mission by pulling the engine decks and engines on M1a1 Abrams tanks for their services. I was assigned to the 2/3 ACR recovery section. I loved it. I had my own TANK! Well sort of lol. But I seriously loved being a recovery guy. I ended up being the recovery guy in nearly all of my later units and even got to support 101st ABN in Iraq when one of their Cav units had 13 Bradley's. I recovered all but 1 of their IED damaged and destroyed Brads. Out of the 13 Brads they had 11 were coded out for IED damage. Those boys were getting hit hard back then. I put close to 5K miles on my M88 doing recovery missions and support missions for the 101st as I was on loan from 4 ID. I am grateful for all the years of experience I had before going to Iraq because I ended up using nearly all of it during my 3 tours there. Recovery work isn't as flashy as what the tankers and grunts do. But I remember those guys always happy to see me to bring them back to base when things went wrong for them. That is a feeling I will always be proud of.
As a 11 B coming from a mechaniized unit with Bradley’s I appreciate you .
Thankyou for your service. Support units never get the attention from the general public but any of the real tank nuts out their know that without recovery vehicles or the rest of the funny's as they used to be called, the entire capability of an army drops real fast. The German ww2 experience of fielding tanks incapable of being recovered unless you win the battle should be a central teaching of logistics. If on the other hand a tank is knocked out early and the battle has gone past it then recovery should be simple not take 3 18 ton half tracks etc.
We XM93 Fox drivers used to drink with some of you recovery folks back in the day. We would sneak in "drinking liquid" from some of our contractors and share with the mech units we were attached to.
Well done mate, well done. My Uncle was Capt RE in N Africa neat Tobruk. Was in charge of recovery vehicles. Was overrun by Rommel's Afrika corps and captured but escaped that night as they were lightly guarded by stealing a truck with a bunch of blokes and driving off into the night. sadly they hit a mine and the driver was killed so they had to walk back to their lines about 50 miles dodging patrols. Front line guys deserve all the plaudits, recovery guys are right up there with them.
Self-camoflaging tanks, great to see British technology at its best
It's called "Going with the flow." Let nature do the hard work.
It's a little bit slow to apply though, you really need to think ahead!
@@Mishn0 Proper planning and preparation, prevents p155 poor performance. As they say.
Wolfgang would still find them though…
Actually there’s a thought: I wonder if the Tank Museum could acquire Wolfgang’s truck? They could sell nostalgic bratties from it…
I'm honestly surprised at the decent condition of the road wheels and tracks, you'd think after all this time they'd be buggered but, nope, still looking pretty good as you said.
It was always Army policy to fit lots of brand new parts to vehicles a week or two before they were Cast ( scrapped ) !
In the beginning they say it’s a recovery exercise
@@martingardener90 not just vehicles...we always knew when or if a particular depot or barracks was going to be closed and sold off because 6 months before buildings would have new roofs and the perimeter fence would be replaced only to be knocked down and bulldozed....same with army quarters...we had a new bathroom and kitchen fitted ....year later sold off the whole estate and got demolished.....the link to this item is AVSD LUDGERSHALL where most of these "hard targets " came from during drawdown.
@@mozki1 The one good thing about the vehicle side of it was if we couldn't get hold of a spare part quickly we would go to the casting depot - which, here in Northern Ireland, was "The Kinnegar" at Hollywood, near Belfast and rummage around the cast vehicles until we found the part we wanted and probably find a pretty new one! Of course it had to be replaced with the duff part.
You would have to guess that Iran would give quite a bit to loot this site for spares.
Proper recovery no drama's, right tools an right team for the job 👏
That recovery vehicle looked amazing. Maybe a suggestion for a future tank chat?
I remember watching this video quite a while ago, still great to revisit it.
If I've learnt anything in the past month, it's that a farmer and his tractor is the best way to recover armoured vehicles.
I know its an old video, but its still good seeing JK working on vehs, lived next door to him for a few years over in Germany.
I knew I saw this before, I was felling a deja vu.
Might be my favorite workshop diaries. Your staff are so knowledgeable but having a "find" like these vehicles which can provide parts for your operations is great. Love the video!
That recovery vehicle is seriously impressive! The tanks have been sitting for decades, and they're getting pulled around like a child's wagon!
Thanks so much for this different view of what the Tank Museum does. Great to see the initial recovery of armored vehicles before they get used for spares or as actual displays!
G'day from Australia, that's a great amount of parts to use, a very lucky find, cheers to all.
It would be cool to preserve a chieftain driver training tank.
They were known as ‘Wedges’. In 1982 a Sapper destined for 32 Armoured Engineer Regiment ‘borrowed’ one from the RAC training centre (also at Bovington) and drove one 100 miles - on his own, at night - to show his mum.
@@bob_the_bomb4508 How many days in the cooler did he get for that?
@@robertwillis4061 it made the papers about 3 months before I got to Bovvy. The OC of the RE Wing told us he’d been court martialled and then promoted to Lance Corporal after a minimal sentence. The only damage he’d done once he left the camp was to clip some curves :)
Cool video. This row of tanks always caught my eye when walking the coastal path so it’s been great to learn more info about them and hear their story👍
Wow what a video . Seeing the CRAV TES in action was awesome what an amazing sounding vehicle . Its the first time i have seen one in a theater entery standard configuration with all the extra armor and coms antenna which i didnt know the crav actually had .
It’s the best vehicle we have ever made at Vickers.
With the sound the engine made, you could move the mountain if you could find an hitch to hook to. Must be a blast to drive when moving something really heavy and stuck in the mud.
Thanks for this video! A fascinating look at the ongoing preservation work you folks engage in...I can already see a thousand dioramas depicting the recovery of range targets like this....Truly inspiring!
Thanks again!
You guys are bloody amazing!!! As an american i have always wanted to say bloody in some fashion haha. I may have used it improperly idk.
Amazing to see those old hulks rolling along so smoothly after sitting for so many years.
This video was class to watch. The kit is being used for parts instead of just being left, great stuff. It has been winding me up for ages as I couldn't think of the name of the shaft that has to be broken. The Quill Coupling! Most informative. Keep up the good work. If I was closer I would volunteer in the workshop but I'm in the North East. I love the museum. I've been twice. I can feel another visit coming on. Mark
Thank you for this video, which brought back memories of my dad. He was in the RASC during the war, mainly the North African desert then up through Italy.
He wouldn't talk much about his time, but I am sure that he is the reason I have more interest in the service vehicles than in the battle tanks.
Its heartwarming to see these AVREs being used again even just for parts but I think some should be kept in whole as they are as much a piece of history as the chieftains they help to keep going .
It would be nice to post all the Military Reg Numbers so anyone watching who served could actually say, "I drove that one" and also add some personal history to the vehicle.
I was part of RE Troop at Bovington, maintaining the DTTs, AVREs (Wilich and Vickers) and AVLBs
I know the reg numbers of all the chieftains on lulworth
Fascinating. Very hard work. Thanks guys. That Andy Price, what a knowledge about tanks. I'll bet he's got some great stories.
If I remember, the quill shafts once removed were placed in the stowage bin on the side that they were taken from, so that they were put back on the correct side.
Restore the bridge layer. Would be great to see one in action at Tank Fest!
With a number 8 bridge on top!
Imagine rolling up to Antiques Roadshow in one of those.
That was the nick name to 32 Armoured Engineer Regiment, The Antiques Roadshow !
thanks for sharing. Keep up the good work, blokes.
Thats the fastest those vehicles have ever gone....
I remember when we put all our Chieftains down on Lulworth range in the 90’s from Warminster Armd Demo Sqn.... that where most of these vehicles came from
That must have been sad.
@@Jpdt19 it was a bit as they had ‘character’ , however they were really maintenance heavy. We had them replaced by Challenger 1 (finally joining the rest of the Armd Corps). We kept those for a few years before getting Challenger2..... both awesome vehicles, faster, better all round and less work to keep them going...
@@johnhughes8016 thanks
Probably the most reliable they've ever been too.
Is there any chance, that one of the bridge layers could be saved? I think the modified vehicles add an extra dimension to the collection.
I was thinking the same thing.
I thought they'd already got one? If not, they could probably bodge together one complete example from the bits and bobs left about there.
I was thinking of them transporting two of the best ones to the museum for spares/displays and gut all the others of any useable parts. It's a shame they'll all likely be scrapped when a 100 years from now that junk will be worth millions as a museum piece.
The museum already has at least one example of the Chieftain AVRE and AVLBs in their collection in complete condition.
@@RWJP Yes, but if they have 2-3 extra, they have spare parts and one to trade for another different tank later.
Blokes in a shed doing great things. Always like the way engineers explain anything. Methodical. Funny, I bet when these were left no one thought to think about the future.
Topped off with the sound of that Chally engine.
Not seen Chris Van Schaardenburgh for ages! More WSD please! Nice to have this channel and Oz Armour!
Good to see these old tanks becoming useful again even if it mainly as a parts source.
Hopefully maybe some could be used atleast as a basis for a rebuild someday.
Tanks that grow their own camo...another Great British First!!
I worked at Perkins , Shrewsbury where the CV12 engine in the towing vehicle was built....
We would build them up until the cylinder heads were on and then they went off to be built up by a Rolls Royce trained engineer.
One difference between the gen set V12’s and these is that the tank engines had studs coming out of the block for the cylinder heads, instead of being bolted on like the gen sets...
A little like its cousin, the Merlin ..
Amazing to see and here on the testbed...
I do hope one of them can be saved they would be very cool to see running around
Been hiking through the Lulworth range a few times. Nice little route when the weather’s OK.
Great job, as always. Love these videos. Love the museum. Keep up the good work!
Your tank recovery vehicle is bada$$!!
Hallo I used to drive the range huls in the 70´s happy memories.
Yay! Parts mining! I'm sure there are many museums all through the Commonwealth that'd appreciate access to the bits.
I REALLY enjoyed this video - would love to see [and hear] more recoveries and work like this. Even something as “dull” as stripping parts, I would really enjoy seeing the work
Nice to see that the "death" of some vehicles is helping to keep others going.................
Loved every single 13 minutes and 33 seconds of it.. See you on 26th June ATVB To all Scott Somerset
Fantastic work, well done to all
looking forward to this fir a long time
Those raspberries looked in great condition. Hope they were also saved and enjoyed.
They're blackberries, the red ones aren't ripe yet.You can see a few really ripe, black ones at the end of the branches. Make fantastic pies, jams and crumbles.
Amazing. And fascinating. Good or luck with the parts hunting, lads.
I remember going down there to move some wrecks in the early 90,s quite a few snakes knocking about.
I would love to see these tanks restored. They are complete more or less.
That is the fastest I have ever seen a Chieftain travel!
That looks like a fun day out.
That takes me back 30 odd years.
Finally it's back up again! Great
All the original built AVLB’s had a Reg No of 01 FD NN, any others were converted former MBTs. I definitely worked on 01FD63 and 80 in Munsterlager from80 to 83
It was very nice for Her Majesty's government to put aside all of those spare parts for the museum.
The distinctive sound of the Perkins CV12-6A V12
Love how the crarrv dosnt even know it’s pulling a 40 odd ton tank behind it with partially seized tracks just drives on as normal what a machine, what a noise.
this should be a tv show
You'll soon be able to get plenty of spares for T-72s, T-80s and T-90s.
You'll have to contact some Ukrainian farmers who want to sell them as spare parts.
Those tanks are a sight to see
Loved the tank ‘tow truck’.
A number of ancient bridge-laying tanks. Interesting.
Very interesting video on how you recover a wreck.
That\s some serious camouflage on those old armoured vehicles.
Imagine if HMG had decided in 1945 to retain Warspite as she was at end of WW2 (damage and all), and completely refurbish QE as she was at June 1945, and dock both as an example of what war does to equipment.
Outstanding!
What’s not to like? Greasy old tanks, it’s like spending the day at the salvage yard. :)
Yeah, that was interesting. The old tanks came with their own transplantable camouflage.
It's ok to snack on tank photos but THIS is bangers & mash! And now, if you don't mind, I'm going to watch Dad's Army. Cheers from Oshawa Canada. I support Ukraine.
Brilliant job reclaiming good spares to keep the running fleet going. However, the Royal Horticultural Society is a bit cross and would like to have a word with you about the destruction of their "Artificial Hedge" project!
Fascinating to see the recovery side of things. Can you do a section on the wartime battlefield recoveries and specialised engineer vehicles?
Thanks.
The AVLB's were built bespoke by vickers whereas the AVRE's were converted gun tanks
Recovery vehicles recovering recovery vehicles. Very meta!
very interesting behind the scenes
Fascinating!
I was surprised by the lack of John Deere Tractors, the world's most effective armor recovery tool.
Give the Ukranian farmers a couple of these AVRE and they would have half the russian armored forces under a shed somewhere by now!
I like how the recovery crew doesn’t screw around. They jerk the tanks out of the field and are doing 30 mph in short order! Haha!
British spares procurement at its finest.!!
By chance, has the museum looked into a very rare Canadian Ram Medium tank on an old firing range in the Peak District? I’m sure there’s information on it, I’m just curious on the viability of a recovery effort for the machine.
Interesting watch with ideal conditions. No doubt way harder under combat.
The Ukrainian Farmers seem pretty good at tank recovery mind !
Greetings from Germany
Wonderful Video, like ist very much
I'm going to be honest here and say I found the recovery vehicle juat as interesting if not more so than the vehicles it was recovering, I know that the Tank Museum's primary role is in preserving the actual tanks, but in my opinion these other vehicles are just as important, without such equipment a broken down tank has to be left on a battlefield rather than being recovered and repaired, without bridge layers you can stop a tank just by destroying a bridge (if the adjacent landscape makes the terrain impassible) so yeah whilst I know that there will always be budget limitations and perhaps lack of display space I honestly think a display of the other armoured vehicles would only add to peoples understanding of the role of tanks
are you aware that there is a more or less intact ram tank hull sitting outside near buckston Derbyshire, its just rusting away waiting for someone to pull it out and restore it
The best two years of my service were spent at Lulworth Ranges.
That was rather nice of nature to camo up the old tanks for the tank museum, wasn't it? xD
Very interesting!
Hope to see more towing
6:19 you got a tank , and delicious raspberries , double jackpot
What differentiates the men from the boys, is the size of their toys...
Holy, that’s horsepower
Brilliant! Cows!!
But no Border Collies 😠
@@ericgrace9995 When the collie's away, the cows will play.
Now this is my dream job
Awesome 😎
Ah, Chieftain! My bread and butter for 14 years as a REME Veh Mech A*.
Its like pulling a classic car from a barn or field to be towed home and saved. Wonder if there are any wrecks out there or anywhere else in the UK of historical vehicles that are just waiting to be saved.
Hedge trimmers are better on brambles than a strimmer 👍
Superb video 👍🏻