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".