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05EB15

ARMOURED VEH ROYAL ENGINEERS CHIEFTAIN

Possibly Surviving AVRE
Date in Service 01 Dec 1968
Contract KL/A/0217
Colour Army/NATO Green Disruptive Pattern IRR
Asset Code HA04613000
Last Known Location Tank Museum Reserve, Bovington
Last Confirmed 07 Mar 2025

Notes

Tank Museum Reserve, Bovington. Chieftain AVRE (Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers), contract KL/A/0217 (ROF Leeds built), entered service 1 December 1968. Extensive engineer unit service history including 26 ARMD ENGR SQN and 32 ENGR REGT, and 21 ENGR REGT 1 FD SQN. Deployed operationally on Op OCULUS (Kosovo/Balkans) August-October 1999. Loaned to Vickers Defence Systems September 1993-February 1994, likely for trials or upgrade work. Last Merlin movement to QM(T) Dept Armour Centre, Bovington, April 2008. Photographed at Bovington March 2025 with engineering equipment fitted including what appears to be a fascine carrier and front attachment. No cast flag set in Merlin. Photographed during recovery operation at Tank Museum Bovington, January/February 2021. Tank Museum has been reviewing its Chieftain collection (23 vehicles) for significance, with some being released to other collections or scrapped for parts. Scrapping of hull reported but unconfirmed — status updated to possible survivor pending further information.

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Data source: Service history and last known location are sourced from the British Army Merlin Archive, the official vehicle inventory system covering records up to 2012 when the archive was declassified. Survival status has been assessed from the last recorded unit — vehicles may have changed hands, been restored, or been scrapped since then. If you have current information about this vehicle, please submit a correction.

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Service History

Movement records from the British Army Merlin Archive

22 Jan 1986
VEHICLE DEPOT LUDGERSHALL Receipt: 09 Feb 1987
24 Jul 1992
ABRO BOVINGTON Receipt: 06 Aug 1992
13 Jan 1993
VEHICLE DEPOT LUDGERSHALL Receipt: 18 Jan 1993
23 Sep 1993
VICKERS DEFENCE SYSTEMS (trials/upgrade loan — RIV L11209) Receipt: 03 Feb 1994
16 Dec 1993
VEHICLE DEPOT LUDGERSHALL Receipt: 07 Feb 1994
03 Jun 1994
32 ENGR REGT QM Receipt: 22 Jun 1994
23 Jun 1994
26 ARMD ENGR SQN, 32 ENGR REGT Receipt: 24 Jun 1994
29 Jan 1999
UK ARMD ENGR REGT (CSAT) Receipt: 02 Mar 1999
07 Aug 1999
OP OCULUS — ARMD ENGR SQN (Kosovo/Balkans) Receipt: 21 Oct 1999
01 Jan 2000
26 ARMD ENGR SQN, 32 ENGR REGT Receipt: 01 Jan 2000
06 Mar 2000
21 ENGR REGT — 1 FD SQN Receipt: 15 Mar 2000
13 Aug 2003
JSCS ASHCHURCH Receipt: 14 Aug 2003
12 Jun 2007
QM(T) DEPT ARMOUR CENTRE, BOVINGTON Receipt: 15 Apr 2008
07 Mar 2025
Tank Museum Reserve, Bovington (confirmed) Receipt: 07 Mar 2025

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