MVCG Languedoc-Roussillon

BED­FORD MWD 1941 "Long Column, Taking Kufra "

A little history ...

A Bedford company Discovery and Combat

This little English for military vehicle whose final design is reached 1939, is the result of a request from the War Office up to 1935. During these four years, the Bedford Truck Division will gradually improve its basic prototype; modification you chassis,of suspensions, wider tires, elevated ground clearance, on size of radiator and air filter ... all imposed by the War Mechanisation Board.
Thereafter, the truck is likely to continue during the rest of the world conflict. It will provide a workhorse throughout the British Army. Despite a 4 × 2 transmission, it will be very appreciated on all fronts, particularly south of the Mediterranean, ends up Sahara.
The Bedford MWD is the English equivalent of Dodge WC 51 de l'armee Americaine.
A small page of history:
End 1940, Leclerc and his "column" (envi­ron 400 men, dressed by the English but retaining their French company and part of their equipment) have a fleet of more tired; Matford trucks and Laffly ( S20T, S15T and R) , Ambulance Austin, some break Matford, all too winded to carry out an attack on Fort Kufra .
Et avec obstination Perseverance, Leclerc eventually get the Staff FFL a lot 26 Bedford brand new taken from the 1st Company of train FFL. With these cool mounts (Bedford to equip its two platoons of combat), without radio equipment, Leclerc going to attack, which will lead to the success that we know and the statement of the famous Oath of Kufra . Through its strategic sense and the courage of his men, Leclerc even managed to rout the Italian Saharianna, Yet much better armed and numerically superior.
Later, le Bed­ford , reliable and generous, torquey engine,remain the symbolic vehicle and favorite FFL , until the end of the Tunisian campaign and agreements Anfa, top 43, when he will be dethroned by the arrival of U.S. equipment. The bell tolls for the conflict in AFN, the 2nd DB unborn: another page in history begins.

L’appel du sable

Fascinated by military vehicles of the Second World War, I've always been attracted to those who participated in the North African conflict. Devoting a real fascination for this beautiful environment is hostile as, theater immense task of requirements, love of the desert led me to realize my own raids trans-Saharan, thereby sharing feelings with the fighters that I try to honor today. Already had restored some years a jeep SAS the largest historical respect. We were also, with my friend Jean Benotteau (VMM N° 15 from June / July 2007) among the first to own a copy of, respectively, this legendary vehicle, well before SAS become fashionable and we see blooming here and there sometimes rough reproductions and unworthy of the name.

The discovery

While following the work of John B. on their Chevy's LRDG well known today,I continued my investigations, because I had long desired to meet other fighters forgotten desert; troops of Leclerc's Column, which are virtually never represented at the commemorations. After much research, I finally discovered the gem: A Bedford MWD the 1941 croupissant and Hollande, at the bottom of a hangar. J’organisais l’expédition, renting a trailer to a suitable size to be able to bring the gear, making preparations. A big thank you to friends who abetted me in this trip and I served in turn as guide and interpreter, assisted me during the long negotiations and the repatriation of more adventurous.
Winter 2005; the "baby" finally arrives in the Pyrenees Orientales.

The promising beginning ...

The vehicle begins to be gradually boneless before painting

Getting Started, a thorough review evidence that the clutch is stuck, Fuel Pump, l'ensemble du système de freinage, master cylinder included, are useless, electricity is to seriously reconsider, the steering column to change. Fortunately, the engine is in good general condition, The gearbox also, despite a selection grid slightly tired. But it is clear that the vehicle is almost complete and relatively healthy, important detail when we know the difficulty of finding parts of Bedford.
The mechanical work will take many months. Everything will be verified, controlled, repaired or replaced as far as possible: Bat­te­rie, beam and candles, filters, car­bu­ra­teur, Fuel Pump, master cylinder and wheel cylinders, column and steering box, and so on. ...
The supply of new parts, unearthed a hard struggle in England, delay somewhat restoration.
Finally, Vehicular le fonctionne convenablement. The 6 Cylinders line emits a sweet sound, so characteristic of English engines.

Part-body-painting will finally be able to start accessorizing.
The body is clean throughout, Aside from some usual areas (rocker, ailes…). The doors and windscreen are properly dismantled. The cash back, Wood, impeccable. All fittings are present. Note that the truck, whole, includes many elements in wood.
The vehicle is disassembled and sanded up. The sensitive parts are sanded and treated.
Paral­lè­le­ment , supports automatic weapons are installed on the vehicle, as well as the supports of sand plates.
The electricity is then completed, the "delightful" modern trailer lights will of course be replaced reassembly.
Tires militaire, dry and hard as stone, are replaced with great difficulty with profiles very similar to sand tires used once.
To paint, the original shade is actually reproduced in the same. It is the color sand used by the factory in Bedford 1941.(L’ancien pro­prié­taire, died today, had reported directly to the parent that is fifteen years ).
Each piece is painted separately and reassembled. A final finish coat is applied to make the result. Saddlery, présente more délabrée, is repeated identically by a local saddler.
Just as expected the phase winding of the last organs (headlights, comp­teurs, volant…) and accessorizing!

Particular attention is given to the realism of the result.

Between the two front seats, compass navigation aids. Taken from a bomber Bristol Bleiheim, service in that theater of operations.

An overview of the apparent confusion which reigns in the back. Two passengers (the servers of the machine gun) found room.

Hanging from the rear, a gherb, Also in goat skin, supplied fresh water to the crew.

Each accessory on this vehicle is authentic, dated to the later 1941. Each bag, Satchel, gourd, bogus, card holder,everything must match, was collectionneur! No off-topic material not! So, no object appears in the German Bedford (Leclerc had subsequently met Africakorp), except jerry, all German, but which equipped Italian troops already (including tanks) , and are only available on the ground at the material time; jerry cans and American English that appear later in this theater of operation. For the sake of realism, nurses are embedded 1938, 39, 41... And have variances in color between them. (Spoils of war).
The sand plates are faithfully reproduced in English identical (Folded, holes, reinforced by riveted plates, as originally, model to support) . For the rest, the vehicle packed with equipment Italo-Anglo-French; Binoculars, gourds, wallets, paque­tages, drum 200 L and more than 50 L (some of which are dated 1930!), English and Italian funds ...
The armament is consistent with many manuscripts and photographic evidence. The weapons are mainly French. It was after taking Kufra Leclerc recover many Italian arms, included machine guns, and the British command will recognize the effectiveness and seriousness of the troops FFL, therefore helping them in arms, materials and equipment from this brilliant victory.
Bedford has a machine gun Hotchkiss Mod. 1914crate, whose servers (shooter and provider) have just enough room to move in the stuff that exists at the rear of the truck. At the front left (the wheel is right, recall the), on lookout, an FM. 24.29 is fixed, its multiple chargers foot. In rack is a Mas 36, wonderful gun for the time, behind the driver and a Lee Enfield MKIII.
The navigation compass from a Bristol Blenheim bomber English and dated 1940 throne between the 2 seats. Nothing is missing in this car today uncommon, see only in this version. Still , I am constantly improving the outcome of my restoration, as this Gherbi unearthed at one of my expeditions in Libyan 2007 près de Koufra just meant. But what a reward and how proud the result and the compliments including veterans of the Memorial Leclerc Paris.

Always Projects ...
It took 18 months to complete the gear. The thing was relatively fast, compared to other food, with the help of some buddies MVCG Lan­gue­doc Rous­sillon, I think mainly for mechanical and Claude Francis for repatriation. The collection of original accessories started long before the work begins, active in facilité et l'équipement général du véhicule. The beautiful color of this small sand truck and the profusion of equipment always attract the attention of onlookers and photographers, for my greatest pleasure , happy to fulfill my duty towards the memory of the first men of the Long Column. My Projects? After the jeep SAS and the Bedford FFL, the LRDG attracts me terribly ... unless a Bren Carrier Bir Hakeim not crossed my path before!

Small windshield can be folded. A cover protects and prevents reverberation that would betray the location of the vehicle with the enemy

The Bedford is almost finished. Some accessories supplémentairesprendront place,according to their discovery.

SHEET TECH­NIQUEBedfordMWD