ARV II in service?

I am tidying my model collection again. I have a Sherman ARV II made nearly 40 years ago and a Ram ARV II which was never finished. There are plenty of references for both of these vehicles, including plans, stowage diagrams, photographs etc. and there have been articles written about them. However I have found no references to them in service, either wartime or post war.

Questions?
Did these two vehicles ever get beyond the prototype stage?
Are there photographs of them in service?
Are there any mentions in War Diaries etc?

The Churchill ARV II did make it into service. A few just in time to serve in 21 Army Group and some remaining in service post war.

I have a note, but no reference, that the following were either ordered or contemplated.
110 Churchill ARV II.
110 Sherman ARV II.
220 Ram ARV II.

Mike

 

Thanks Adam.

There must be a paper trail. There is always a paper trail but which departments would be sending a steady flow of minutes backwards and forwards? It would be satisfying to find the answer since no one seems to have asked the question far less answer it.

Many forum members only appear after I have retired for the night so perhaps in the morning there will be a number of posts waiting for me. And yes I still believe in fairies.

Mike

 

I have one message giving me a reference to an article by David Fletcher. I gather it found that neither Sherman ARV II or Ram ARV II got past the prototype stage.

More later.

Mike

 

The REME staff history mentions that prototype Sherman and Ram MkIIs were built at the Experimental Recovery Section, Arborfield but it doesn't say they didn't go into production.
It goes on to say that only a handful of Churchill ARV MkIIs made it to the front in time for the Rhine crossing.

A key piece of information is that the ERS tested all production MkIIs before handing them over to the RAOC for issue. Is there anything at TNA or the REME Museum that addresses this?

 

Classic Military Vehicles. April 2013.
An article by David Fletcher based on two documents, RAC Liaison Letters No 23 March 1944 and RAC Report May 1944.

Letter No 23 states that:
20 US M32 had been delivered and 17 of those had been issued to 21 Army group as Sherman ARV III.
6 Churchill ARV II were with 21 Army Group and 4 more were nearly ready.
1 Prototype Sherman ARV II was complete and a second was expected soon.
1 Prototype Ram ARV II was undergoing trials and two or three more were expected shortly.

RAC Report lists
18 Churchill ARV II completed.
10 Sherman ARV II undergoing conversion.
Only the Prototype Ram ARV II had been completed by the end of May.
It was expected that Rams would be converted in lieu of Sherrnans.

Still difficult to come to a definite conclusion but perhaps only one Sherman was completed and that was not issued for service. One Ram was completed and two or three more may have been but again not issued for service.

Mike

 

Thanks Idler.

Well worth looking at ERS records. However David Fletcher looked at REME Museum records and found nothing useful.

Mike