Does anyone know where the Armoured Vehicle repair/servicing workshops were in the UK in 1944/45 and which units operated them please? I suspect Bovington likely had some, were there others, were they operated by units of Reme, or Reme attached to other units? I would like to know so that I then know which unit war diaries to go and read in the hope of finding service/maintenance documentation which might be attached to those diaries. Thanks Tim
Hi Tim, You might want to look at the REME Central Workshops for starters. I've transcribed some of the diary of 9 Central Workshop REME, for example, WO166/15947. They seem to have been involved in many different strands of work which included tank work, as below examples. I can't remember when I copied the diary or if I only copied the narrative section but good luck in your research. They were based at Arncott Depot, Oxford. 8 June 1944 Arncott Depot, Oxford. Tank Repair Workshops undertook to modify 1429 Cars 5 cwt, 4 x 4, (Jeeps), for airborne use in accordance with instructions by D.M.E. War Office. [...] 22 June 1944 Arncott Depot, Oxford. Colonel Collingwood and Lieutenant Hewitt attended Tank Repair Conference at Mill Hill Workshops. [...] 11 July 1944 Arncott Depot, Oxford. Modification of 25 Churchill Tanks, commenced. [...] 25 July 1944 Arncott Depot, Oxford. Work on the 26 Cars, 5 cwt, 4 x 4, completed. 10 Churchill Tanks completed. [...] 10 August 1944 Arncott Depot, Oxford. Major General E.B. Rowcroft (D.M.E. War Office) visited Unit. Modifications to 10 Churchill Tanks (stowage, 6 pdr gun and additional armament) completed. [...] 21 August 1944 Arncott Depot, Oxford. Commitment of converting 100 “Ram” Tanks to Troop Carriers commenced. [...] 14 September 1944 Arncott Depot, Oxford. Conversion of 100 “Ram” Tanks to Troop Carriers completed. [...] 16 October 1944 Arncott Depot, Oxford. Repairs to 17 Stuart Tanks commenced. [...] 30 December 1944 Arncott Depot, Oxford. 38 Churchills, 26 Shermans, 41 Stuarts, 6 Rams and 118 Jeeps undergoing repairs and modifications. I hope that is of interest. Regards Tom
