The AEC Militant (or "Milly") was a post-war development by AEC of the

AEC Matador The AEC Matador was a heavy 4×4 truck and medium artillery tractor built by the Associated Equipment Company for British and Commonwealth forces during World War II. AEC had already built a 4×2 lorry, also known as the Matador (all AEC lorries ...

artillery tractor An artillery tractor, also referred to as a gun tractor, is a specialized heavy-duty form of tractor unit used to tow artillery pieces of varying weights and calibres. It may be wheeled, tracked, or half-tracked. Traction There are two m ...

used during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Externally the most noticeable development was the cab, which was considerably enlarged. Unlike the Matador only six-wheel versions were produced. Other changes included the fitting of a larger, 11.3-litre 6-cylinder, diesel engine and the use of a steel frame for the cab, rather than the

ash wood ''Fraxinus'' (), commonly called ash, is a genus of plants in the olive and lilac family, Oleaceae, and comprises 45–65 species of usually medium-to-large trees, most of which are deciduous trees, although some subtropical species are evergr ...

frame of the Matador. The Militant Mark 1 was produced in

6×4 A 6×4 or six-by-four is a vehicle with three axles, with a drivetrain delivering power to wheels at the ends of two of them. It is a form of four-wheel drive but not one of all-wheel drive. It is the most common form of drivetrain of semi-trac ...

(6 wheels, 4 driven) and

6×6 Six-wheel drive (6WD or 6×6) is an all-wheel drive drivetrain configuration of three axles with at least two wheels on each axle capable of being driven simultaneously by the vehicle's engine. Unlike four-wheel drive drivetrains, the configura ...

form (6 wheels, 6 driven).

Variants

Although primarily intended as a replacement for the Matador artillery tractor, other variants included an articulated lorry tractor unit, a General Service or cargo lorry with a longer wheelbase and as a chassis for mounting various cranes, usually supplied by Coles.

Service and civilian life

The Militant served with the British Army and some other armies in most parts of the world. It was intended as an improved artillery tractor, but after the Second World War, the development of large artillery pieces was gradually dropped in favour of more effective rockets and missiles, making this role largely redundant during the Militant's service life. Crews had mixed views of the Militant. Because it had no

power steering Power steering is a system for reducing a driver's effort to turn a steering wheel of a motor vehicle, by using a power source to assist steering. Hydraulic or electric actuators add controlled energy to the steering mechanism, so the driver can ...

, it took considerable effort to turn the steering wheel at slow speeds and in difficult conditions. However, it was credited with a good cross-country performance and was often used to recover the six-wheel drive

Alvis Stalwart The Stalwart, formally classified by the British Army as Truck, High Mobility Load Carrier (HMLC), 5 Ton, 6 x 6, Alvis Stalwart and informally known by servicemen as the Stolly, and by former RCT as the Stally, is a highly mobile amphibious ...

amphibious lorries that bogged in difficult conditions. (The MkIII did have a power assist Steering Ram). Most variants were fitted with a chassis-mounted winch that was driven through the gearbox. This winch, which was intended for manoeuvering of the towed field gun and for self-recovery of the vehicle, proved extremely strong and reliable. The Militant gained the nickname 'Knocker' from its military crews which may have been due to the rhythmic sound of the slow-revving engines. The Knocker was the nickname of the MkI and the one MkI CALM was still in service with each RCT Transport Squadron until the AEC fleet was replaced by the Bedford 14 Tonne 6X6 in the early 90s. AEC MkIII Recovery Trucks were replaced by Foden GS Recovery 6X6. Many Militants were sold off by the Army in the 1970s and were purchased as heavy recovery vehicles or for forestry use by civilian operators. They were not as popular for forestry operations as their predecessor the Matador because the extra length and an extra axle made them less manoeuvrable in confined spaces. However, some users simply shortened the chassis and removed one axle, effectively creating a more powerful version of the Matador. AEC MK1 Militants were still in service as late as 1985; the MK3s were still in service as late as 1990.

Variants

Militant Mk 1

; FV11001: 6 × 4 Artillery tractor. ; FV11002: 6 × 6 tractor for 40mm Bofors gun. ; FV11003: Bridging crane. ; FV11005: 6 × 4 tipper. ; FV11007: 6 × 4 cargo truck. ; FV11008: 6 × 4 cargo truck. ; FV11009: 6 × 4 tanker. ; FV11010: 6 × 6 tractor truck for semi-trainers. ; FV11013: 6 × 4 crane truck. ; FV11014: 6 × 6 excavator.

Militant Mk 2

; FV11041: 6 × 6 prototype.

Militant Mk 3

; FV11046: 6 × 6 chassis. ; FV11047: 6 × 6 cargo truck.

Gallery

File:AEC Militant MkI W&P2011I.JPG, AEC Militant Mk I File:AEC Militant pic1.JPG, AEC Militant Mk I File:AEC MILITANT MK1 Breakdown Tender No.1456 MR Milly Tant.jpg, AEC Militant Mk I Breakdown Tender No.1456 MR Milly Tant File:Ready for Action - geograph.org.uk - 888557.jpg, AEC Militant Mk III

References

* {{ModernUKNonAFVNav, style= wide

Militant The English word ''militant'' is both an adjective and a noun, and it is generally used to mean vigorously active, combative and/or aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in "militant reformers". It comes from the 15th century Lat ...

British Army equipment Military trucks of the United Kingdom Artillery tractors Off-road vehicles World War II vehicles of the United Kingdom Soft-skinned vehicles Military vehicles introduced in the 1950s

Variants

Service and civilian life

Variants

Militant Mk 1

Militant Mk 2

Militant Mk 3

Gallery

See also

References