Ram ARVs
This is very interesting and useful.The file at LAC on Recovery Tanks has weekly returns on which tanks were sent to Wingets for modification, which ones were still there and which ones had been delivered. It's out for copying right now but when it's back I can retrieve it and determine how many Ram Is were in fact converted.
The work to modify the Rams as ARVs began in May, 1943 and was to be completed at the end of July, however due to a shortage of many of the required parts and tools,the last converted Rams were not delivered until February 1944, by which time Canadian Armoured units were being equipped with Sherman III and Sherman V ARVs. The original intent was to convert 78 Rams including all 40 Ram Is, the remainder being made up by early Ram IIs with the sponson doors. With the change of policy to equip armoured regiments with Sherman ARVs, Wingets was advised on 16 July to cease conversions after the 50th tank. i.e 38 Ram Is (of the other two, one was listed as derelict and the other had been earmarked for conversion as an AVRE) and 12 Ram IIs.
The vehicles were delivered to Wingets stripped of their armament and traverse mechanism and all equipment. Modifications at Wingets comprised removing the turret basket, and installing: bronze plates to secure the turret, a mantlet plug and dummy armament, stowage bins on the hull rear to hold spare parts, a dismountable jib with stowage brackets, a winch, a cable reel, a rear towing attachment and a Hollybone-drawbar. They were based on a Grant from the REME AFV Experimnetal Wing at Arborfield whose ability to haul a Ram through a muddy field were successfully demonstrated to 4 and 5 CAD in October 1942. In December 5 CAD had Grant T24594, converted along the same lines. Originally CMHQ planned to covert Grants into ARVs but in March 1943, it was decided to use early Rams instead.
The Ram ARV II CT159854 in the photo (and its also in Clive's register) is very late production and Clive's register shows it being transferred to the British in January 1944. Is it possible it was converted under British auspices, not Canadian, in which case all Canadian conversions were to ARV I configuration?
Roger Lucy
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