Early chevrolet in desert war

[serge]

The story of the early CHEVY used by French Free Forces in the raid on KOUFRA is not very well knowed but they have follow the same way than the MATFORD used by this same forces (MATFORD was the society resulting upon the buy by FORD of the French factory MATHIS). One year before the beginning of the war near 300 MATFORD were send in AFRICA (and I thing also with a batch of CHEVROLET). Some of them have civilian body (similar to American stack and plate-forme) and other with steel body more useful for raid. So I thing that these steel body were made in FRANCE before the arrival in AFRICA, then other modifications were done like the removal of the top of the cab. ALL these trucks (MATFORD) were ordened by french ministery of defense but about the CHEVROLET I dont know. Nevertheless I think that there were from civilian origin (dealers) because all trucks coming in FRANCE from américan origin following french military order GMC,STUDEBAKER K25 ..
own US military modification (like black out ....)

On all pictures of trucks coming from FRANCE and used in TCHAD by RTST (Régiment des Tirailleurs Sénégalais au Tchad) the wheels were made in two parts in the aim to receive sand tyres. Nevertheless they have only 5 nuts (instead of the 8 or 10 nuts of british trucks).
I join a picture of a MATFORD in “raid configuration” similar to Chevrolet and a picture of civilian MATFORD using civilian body with it wheels very accurate. A large opening has been done on the roof.

Regards Serge