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When General Montgomery commanded the 8th British Army in North Africa, he was provided with a specially designed staff vehicle. This original vehicle was created based on the standard British army vehicle, the Leyland Retriever. A non-standard structure was installed on the base chassis, which served as a mobile field office. The interior of the vehicle was divided into two rooms. The small front room was equipped with a bathroom, while the larger room contained wardrobes for personal belongings and clothes, a writing desk with desk lamps, and a large sofa.
Previously, this office belonged to the Italian General Bergonzoli and was mounted on a Lancia 3RO truck. After the vehicle was captured by a unit of the 7th British Armoured Division, the structure was transferred to the chassis of the British Leyland Retriever. After the end of the combat operations in North Africa, the mobile office was moved to Europe.
Montgomery also had two other specialized trucks: one was converted into a mobile bedroom, while the other was used for large staff maps and meetings. All three vehicles became known as “Monty’s Caravan.” These vehicles were used by General (and from 1944, Field Marshal) Montgomery until the end of the war. They are currently on display at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford.
