Bedford Armadillos?

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I have had a letter sent to me and I find it intriguing as I have no information to date! Anyone any ideas please?

"Whilst many trucks were requisitioned early in the war, I wonder if DOH 206 may have had a more warlike role than many. Bedford trucks were particularly called up for conversion to Armadillos. These were commercial lorries with a double skinned wooden box on the back, filled with shingle to make a bullet-proof pillbox, at a time when armour plate was scare. They were used to defend Britain’s airfields against the threat of Nazi paratrooper landings. This would explain conversion to a flat bed, to enable the pillbox to be fixed on with brackets. 360 or so conversions were made, most on Bedfords. The WS was certainly amongst those impressed, with records surviving for FLA 695, Chassis number WSCA 9737, amongst KC, OLD and OWLTD types.

Once the threat of invasion had passed the lorries were converted back to load carriers. Bedfords of types OY, OYD, OLD, OLC, OL3, OL, WTL, WTL/TB, WTL/CA were specifically requested to be sent to Messrs Spurlings Motor Services Ltd, Kenworth, Nr Dunstable, for refurbishment for the war effort".

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

The weird photo I have been sent a fax of, in drawing form, is apparently of an armoured body withflat plates built by the LMS workshops in 1941 to a Canadian design. It is supposedly semi-amphibious and for 15-cwt to 20-cwt [3/4 to 1 ton] Bedford chassis. The image appears to me to be based on the Carrier hull, and had a searchlight up front. It is believed that they were originally for airfield defence but were used as armoured personnel carriers.

I know nothing about these armoured Bedfords, but it occurred to me that we are talking of MW amd MWR chassis. The census list shows that there were batches of MW Anti-tank trucks, and as the 30-cwt OXA was orriginally A/tank and then used for recce armoured personnel work by 1941, I wondered if the MW A/tank chassis were armoured as well, and then used as personnel carriers? Does it make sens to use the carrier hull design on a 4 x 2 chassis, with side skirts for wheel protection? I have checked the C15TA, Fox, Lynx and Otter design specs etc and cannot reconcile them with this Bedford design....I can only conclude that it was a basic Carrier design adapted to a truck chassis therefore.