In the late 1950s the Army selected the British Land Rover as its light general service vehicle.
In the late 1950s the Army selected the British Land Rover as its light general service vehicle. Two main types were procured: the short wheelbase ¼-ton vehicle and the long wheelbase ¾-ton variant, with the first vehicles supplied in 1959. They were used as ambulances, specialist radio vehicles and as a mount for a 106 mm recoilless rifle. The most common variant was the cargo and troop carrier on the long wheelbase, with longitudinal seating and a canvas canopy at the rear.
Some of the more highly modified vehicles were those of the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (Raeme), which came to epitomise the craftsmanship and ingenuity for which the Corps is renowned.
One such vehicle, Land Rover 113852, is currently on display in the Memorial’s peacekeeping galleries. The vehicle is a Series 2A with a “pie cart” workshop configuration, in which the rear and side panels fold up to allow easy access to tools and equipment. This vehicle first entered service on 30 August 1966. From 1979 until 1992 it served with the Raeme’s 17 Construction Squadron workshop and was sent with 17 Squadron to work with the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (Untag) in Namibia. Untag had been established in April 1989 to supervise elections and the withdrawal of South African forces to assist Namibian independence.
For its service in Namibia the vehicle’s original olive drab exterior was repainted in United Nations white, and it was used as a Forward Repair Task vehicle. It is testimony to the ruggedness and versatility of the Land Rover, to the service of Raeme, and a reminder of the part played by the UN in peacekeeping operations.
