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STALWARTCargo Carrierby John NorrisIn the 1950s, the Coventry-based company of Alvis decidedto use its experience in designing military vehicles to developa cargo-carrying vehicle for the British army as a privateventure. The company had not been officially approached by themilitary to request the vehicle and Alvis was taking a risk indeveloping a vehicle which the army may not have even wanted.However, the company must have identified a need even ifthe army did not admit it and went ahead with the developmentprogram. What resulted became known as the “Stalwart.” Thedesign incorporated many of the cross-country capabilities andautomotive systems of Alvis’ earlier 6x6 vehicles (the Saladinarmored car and the Saracen APC), which were both in servicewith the British army.The first version of the Stalwart was produced in 1959 andgiven the designation FV620, but was later changed to FV621when the first production vehicles of the Stalwart were builtas the Mk 1. When it entered service with the British army in1966, the all-round versatility of the vehicle was immediatelyrecognized.Nicknamed the ‘Stolly’ by the troops, the Stalwart was a6x6 wheeled vehicle which could deal with a range of obstaclesincluding vertical steps up to 600mm (nearly 2 feet), crosstrenches of over 4 feet and cope with gradients up to 60% andside slopes of 40%. It was operated by a driver and two seats foradditional crew were fitted, but not all those who operated thevehicle liked it. Opinions were divided, with some drivers beingvery critical in their assessments. Entry to the driver’s cab wasby means of hatches in the roof and the driver sat in the middle.The cab was fitted with a large windscreen, which gave goodvisibility, and large wiper blades to keep the glass clear.The vehicle had an unusual configuration, such as the hulland chassis location. The engine was a Rolls-Royce B-81 Mk8BThe Stalwart was a rugged, amphibious, high mobility allterrainload carrier. As a cargo carrier the Stalwart was bulkybut it was sturdy enough to cope with an extreme range ofterrains.14 www.militaryvehiclesmagazine.com