RASC (Royal Army Service Corps) Diamond-T 980 12-Ton Trucks towing trailers with boats/barges on them during the Second Battle of El Alamein - Oct/Nov 1942

RASC (Royal Army Service Corps) Diamond-T 980 12-Ton Trucks towing trailers with boats/barges on them during the Second Battle of El Alamein - Oct/Nov 1942

RASC (Royal Army Service Corps) Diamond-T 980 12-Ton Trucks towing trailers with boats/barges on them during the Second Battle of El Alamein - Oct/Nov 1942

The purpose of the boats on tank transporters in North Africa is open to speculation; the best possibility brought up was to transport supplies to shore from Royal Navy ships offshore during the advance to Tobruk.

In 1940 the British Purchasing Commission, looking to equip the British Army with a vehicle capable of transporting larger & heavier tanks, approached a number of US truck manufacturers. Production of the Diamond-T 980 began in 1941 with the first ones appearing in North Africa in 1942 where they quickly demonstrated their rugged reliability.

The British designation for the Diamond-T 980 was “Diamond T Tractor 6x4”, in the US Army the M20 truck / M9 Trailer combination was known as the “M19 tank transporter”. In addition to the US manufactured trailers, two companies in the UK also manufactured accompanying trailers.

Even though they were a US manufactured vehicle, the British / Commonwealth Armies had more success with them than the US Army, which preferred the M25/M26 “Dragon Wagon”.

Today, many of the surviving Diamond Ts can be found in private ownership in the UK and frequently appear at historic vehicle shows.

LIFE Magazine Archives - Bob Landry Photographer