Egypt / LRDG Patrol Truck Wreck

Kuno · #1 15-07-14, 19:55

Hi Hanno - it is the famous LRDG Ford in the Sand Sea near Ain Dalla:

Kuno · #2 29-12-15, 13:39

...after a long period looking after vintage aircraft and keeping myself a bit busy with a nice 1930 Ford A (modified to the version used for desert expeditions in the 1930ies) I am obviously coming back to trucks.

This time I am looking for information regarding MACK 10to trucks which were used to supply Kufra from Wadi Halfa in 1941.

The unit given in an album is "4. Line of Command"... which is not actually a unit.
Here I am struggeling.

I could read the following census numbers on the trucks:

L 265 542
L 266 204
L 266 057
L _01 252 (First digit missing)
L 265 591
L 266 181 (not clearly readable)

Would it happen that anybody here in the forum is able to identify these numbers and to tell me the exact type of truck and -more important- to which unit it went?

Many thanks in advance - and have a happy new year 2016!

Richard Farrant · #3 29-12-15, 14:16

Hi Kuno
Assuming these numbers are complete, ie L plus 6 digits, then they all fall in a large group of numbers that were not used. This may seem odd, but I wonder if they were transferred from US Army in the Middle East and not official allocated numbers.

Regards the number on the Ford that you asked about, that falls in a group of numbers allocated to "Commander in Chief, Middle East - various types".

regards, Richard

Kuno · #4 29-12-15, 14:24

Thank you, Richard, for this fast response.

Regarding the census numbers - it may be that the trucks wearing them were idnead transferred from civilian ownership into military service. I need to dig into the books again but I recal that the LRDGs "heavy Section" was equipped with MACKs and WHITEs obtained from oil companies working in the Middle East.

Richard Farrant · #5 29-12-15, 14:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kuno

Thank you, Richard, for this fast response.

Regarding the census numbers - it may be that the trucks wearing them were idnead transferred from civilian ownership into military service. I need to dig into the books again but I recal that the LRDGs "heavy Section" was equipped with MACKs and WHITEs obtained from oil companies working in the Middle East.

Hi Kuno,
I realised after posting that the date 1941 was too early for vehicles to have been transfer from US Army in theatre so your theory on them coming from oil companies makes more sense and hence why they are given numbers from a group not allocated. It always made me wonder why there were unused blocks, maybe it was for circumstances such as this.

regards, Richard