Early chevrolet in desert war

[serge]

Hello

In the famous book « AMBUSH AT GEBEL SHERIF » two kinds of CHEVROLET are displayed: the most famous is the wreck of an LRDG CHEVROLET WB laying in the WADI destroyed by Italian forces and the second is a CHEVROLET described as truck belonging to the French Free forces. This last one seems to have burned following mechanical problems. Having found an old book, “L’EPOPEE LECLERC” wrote by French General INGOLD and edited in 1945, I have been very surprised to see two identical CHEVROLET in active service. The picture is not very accurate and at first glance they seem to be LRDG trucks CHEVROLET 1533, but the body is longer and the main difference is the head lights, separated from the fenders. The top of cab has been cut and the wheels allow the mount of large “sand tyres” but with only 5 bolts (instead of 8 or 10 in LRDG trucks). According to other pictures and information, the COLUNM LECLEC used only two CHEVROLET trucks when moving to KOUFRA and it might be these trucks. The other trucks were MATFORD (in the same configuration), BEDFORD MW and BEDFORD OY with 4 LAFFLY S15.

I add to my post a pic of the replica of CHEVROLET WB stored in Imperial War Museum builded by a French military vehicle collector.

Regards Serge