Western Desert images

zemsi · #1 13-02-10, 09:43

.. wonderful images, there are even more if you search for "Western Desert"

Greetings
Chris

Kuno · #2 13-02-10, 10:14

Wow! These are great & fairly unusual pics. Made my day!!!

Lynn Eades · #3 13-02-10, 10:22

Second pic, with spare wheel, and no tyre, is a I/2 ton Dodge ambulance. the water cart is a MW bedford, as is the one beside it, facing the other way. It is followed by a heavy Humber. The tyres ,springs, gen. sets, body parts etc. tell stories. Lots of broken springs, tyres either shot up, or failing due to heat/or cracking. Lots of tread on most. Keith, I think that truck with the flat tyres, is shown again later, and is the blacksmiths wagon. The tyres are buried, rather than flat. Some days were worse than others, in the desert (the wind blew on some days)

gordon · #4 13-02-10, 11:29

The only really notable point for me about the Dodge ambulance is that the Red Cross markings have been re-done much larger than 'factory' for air recognition.

2nd AIF · #5 13-02-10, 11:39

Great pics, thanks for sharing

cletrac (RIP) · #6 13-02-10, 15:27

Here's another round of pics.

cletrac (RIP) · #7 13-02-10, 15:35

Some more.

cletrac (RIP) · #8 13-02-10, 15:41

What's the vehicle in this first pic?

Hanno Spoelstra · #9 13-02-10, 15:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by zemsi

.. wonderful images, there are even more if you search for "Western Desert"

. . . or for Bob Landry.

cletrac (RIP) · #10 13-02-10, 21:08

These pics come in two series; War in the Western Desert and Western Desert after Axis Retreat. Each series has over 200 pics and Google will only show 200. To access the others a person might have to search by year also. There aren't any captions to search for key words.

Hanno Spoelstra · #11 14-02-10, 12:20

David,

The third pic in the last series you posted is interesting as it shows a F15 with canvas-covered square roof hatch, a typical North African theatre modification. But pictures of CMPs with this type of hatch are few and far between.

Hanno

Lynn Eades · #12 14-02-10, 20:33

It also appears to have recently rained. How common was that?

Kuno · #13 14-02-10, 20:49

Mud? Very common in wintertime in Libya!!!

cletrac (RIP) · #14 15-02-10, 03:28

One thing I notice on these images is the paint jobs on the vehicles. The majority of them are plain desert sand with the rest being caunter or MTP46 camo schemes.

cletrac (RIP) · #15 14-02-10, 20:47

That canvas hatch is interesting. I guess you wouldn't have to worry about rain getting in in the desert!

Howard · #16 15-02-10, 07:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

The third pic in the last series you posted is interesting as it shows a F15 with canvas-covered square roof hatch, a typical North African theatre modification. But pictures of CMPs with this type of hatch are few and far between.

Also interesting, this is a 12 cab, but with 11 cab tow hooks, the same as mine. My truck also has 11 cab engine covers (a recent discovery!)

Keith Webb · #17 15-02-10, 21:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard

Also interesting, this is a 12 cab, but with 11 cab tow hooks, the same as mine. My truck also has 11 cab engine covers (a recent discovery!)

I once bought a cab from a F60L cab 12, the chassis of which was being made into a forklift, and it had the early type towing eyes in the bumper mounts but had normal cab 12 engine covers.

Mike K · #18 17-02-10, 00:44

The chap standing on the bonnet of the CS8 Morris with field glases would likely be a Kiwi . The Kiwi fern leaf tac logo is seen on the near side guard. The same pic is in the Alexander Turnbull collection in NZ.

Mike