[Hanno Spoelstra]

Jason,

Interesting thread you have started here!

1)

Originally Posted by Jason Ginn

I have attached the document I was referring to in my previous post. I believe Don Dingwall found it sand has passed it on to a few other folks.

Correct, and I shared it with the forum members in 2007:

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

the official Ram tank holding listings only mention Gun Towers, Ammunition Carriers, Personnel Carriers and Wasp equipped turretless Rams.

Follow the link to see scans of the entire listings.

2)

This 1945 document agrees with the Clive's detailed list on RamTank

Correct again, as Clive's list was based on the 1945 Ram tank holding listings.

3)

Hanno mentions on the Sherman Register that the Netherlands acquired 2 Ram I's in 1946. Could these be the unaccounted for ARV's? It would be odd that of all the "A" vehicles in the Netherlands the Dutch would request (or accept) two obsolete 2 pdr equipped gun tanks when they were obviously after 75mm or greater equipped AFV's. If this were the case it would account for all Ram ARV's on the 1945 list.

Indeed at least one of the Rams in Netherlands Army stocks was a Ram I ARV I - we know for sure as the delapitated remains of one have been preserved. It was about the be scrapped after serving as a range target; luckily I was just in time to point out its significance so it was set apart from the other wrecks which were scrapped.

4)

I guess the question is were the Canadian ARV numbers based on the platform used for the conversion or the model of ARV created? It appears that 36 Ram Mark I cruisers were converted to ARV Mark I configuration and 14 Ram Mark II cruisers were converted to ARV Mark I configuration.

The answer is that the Mk.'s designated the type of ARV, not the type of gun tank it was converted from.
So the ARV I was the basic recovery vehicle, indeed the Ram ARV I was an exception as all the other ARV I's shedded their turret.
The ARV II (see attached pics) was the proper recovery vehicle with a winch and a fixed, heavily armoured superstructure added.
Either type or ARV could be converted from either type of gun tank. It is important to differentiate between the gun types and the manufacturing details. Often features like the early suspension bogies with the centre top roller, hull side doors, auxiliary machine-gun turret etc, are associated with the Ram Mk.I. Untrue, the Ram Mk.I was fitted with a 2-pdr gun, while the Mk.II was fitted with a 6-pdr. gun. Must remind myself to send Clive that list of Ram manufacturing changes for inclusion on his website, as they clearly show those changes were much more gradual than the change from 2- to 6-pdr gun which led to the change in designation.

Hope this helps,
Hanno