Principal vehicle used by the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) between 1940 and 1943
This vehicle was discovered in the Egyptian desert in 1980 and recovered by the LRDG Association (now defunct). Its markings identify it as Truck No. 8 of W Patrol, one of the Long Range Desert Group’s original New Zealand patrols. W Patrol was disbanded in December 1940, before any major missions were undertaken, and the patrol’s vehicles were redistributed to the newly created G Patrol. The vehicle could therefore have been lost in the latter half of 1940, or more likely in early to mid 1941 when operated by G Patrol (but before they had chance to update the vehicle’s markings). The trucks were all given Maori nicknames. This one was named by Trooper Clarkie Waetford of W Patrol as Waikaha, where his grandparents grew up in New Zealand.
