Chevrolet 1311X3 15-cwt 4x2 GS truck

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Fliegel Jerzerniczky’s webpage has fascinating stories and photos about his travels in the desert, read more about the The Kufra Convoys here: http://www.fjexpeditions.com/frameset/convoys.htm

He found the remains of one of these Chevrolets:

A short distance south of the previous wreck, there is another one which is not firmly identified. The wooden platform gives it away as a Chevrolet 1311x3 15cwt patrol car, with an added machine gun mount on the front left. A few of this model were used by the LRDG from late 1941 as the early patrol car (alongside the 'standard' 30 cwt 1322x2 which had a full metal body), but also by the SDF as a pilot car for the Convoys. The location of the wreck is very close to where the convoys had to round the dunes to the east of the Gilf Kebir to be able to enter Wadi Wassa, the northern route through the Gilf Kebir, however the easiest route from Cairo to Kufra would have also been along this way. There is no evidence that the SDF pilot cars had mounted machine guns, and there is a good match with photos of the LRDG 1311x3 staff car, making this wreck the only likely candidate for a 'real' LRDG vehicle aside the abandoned LRDG Rhodesia CMP Ford near Ain Dalla.
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Arrows on first photo point to the diagnostic features: machine gun mount and condenser tank, both modifications standard on LRDG vehicles (but condenser tank was also used by SDF pilot cars, as they were based on the LRDG vehicles). Second photo shows vehicle complete with mounted Vickers machine gun (covered).

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