Alvis Saracen & Humber Pig acquired by Coventry Transport Museum

We recently acquired two military vehicles from the Imperial War Museum, Duxford – a 1960s Alvis Saracen FV610 and a 1950s Mk I Humber Pig, both of course manufactured here in Coventry, so we are really pleased to have been able to bring these interesting vehicles back home.

The Saracen (pictured above on the left) is an example of the first type of armoured personnel carrier to be made in the UK after World War II, and was part of a family of military vehicles being manufactured by Alvis, which also included the Saladin Armoured Car, the Salamander Fire Tender and the Stalwart High Mobility Load Carrier.

The Alvis Saracen would have carried a squad of 8 soldiers plus a troop commander and driver.  This model also has a high roof, allowing headroom for a Battery Command Post Officer and Technical Assistants to sit at a fitted table and use their plotting instruments.  It also carried fittings for a canvas awning at the rear and sides.

The vehicle is a modest 8ft wide – development and production of the Saracen was rushed to get them into service during the Malayan Emergency, and part of the specification was that the vehicles needed to be able to fit between rows of rubber trees in the Malayan plantations.

This particular example was first put into service with the 24th Regiment of the Royal Artillery, British Army of the Rhine, in December 1966.  It stayed in Germany until 1971, when it returned to the UK to be based at Ludgershall.  The vehicle was given to the IWM in 1982, where it remained until just a few weeks ago, when we brought it back to Coventry.  You may well recognise this type of vehicle from the 1980s, since they were commonly seen on the streets of Northern Ireland during the troubles.

As you can see from the video below, the Saracen does drive – the piece of film below was shot at Duxford when our Historic Vehicle Technicians Andrew & Chris went to prepare the vehicles for their return to Coventry.  Andrew is driving, (he is our resident military vehicle expert and has owned a Saracen in the past, so we thought he was the man for the job); Chris is his glamorous assistant at the start of the film, and camera work is by Curator of Vehicles Christiaan van ‘Spielberg’ Schaardenburg.

The MK1 Humber Pig is an armoured version of the one-tonne GS truck, and would have been used in riot control situations from the 1950s to the 1990s. 

 Mk1 Humber Pig

Humber GS Truck

The Pig shares many similarities with the Alvis Saracen, not only because it also saw service on the streets of Northern Ireland, but also because both vehicles have many parts in common, particularly the Rolls-Royce B-series engine on which both vehicles run. 
 
Little is currently known about the history of this particular Humber Pig, but we are working with colleagues at Bovington Tank Museum in an attempt to find out more. 

Unfortunately the Pig does not currently run, but it is hoped that with some work in the early part of next year, we may be able to get the Saracen to a point where it can be driven on the roads and taken to events – they will have to be local ones though, as it only manages 3 miles to the gallon!

Both vehicles are currently in Coventry Transport Museum’s off-site store - sign up for our email newsletter to make sure you receive details of the next Open Store Day.

With thanks to the Imperial War Museum Duxford for donating these two vehicles, and to Bovington Tank Museum for their invaluable help in sourcing manuals and information about both vehicles.