SRU team crew examining crash-landed Hurricane with Humber Snipe Heavy Utility car in the background

Convoy of Albions hauling Bristol Blenheim bombers thru the desert

Note bi-lingual number plate, common in the first year of the desert war

W.D. number starting with an "H" for tractors

On August 17, 1940, a section of the Italian 56th BT Squadron (Stormo) attacked an English naval formation that disengaged after the bombing of Bardia. The SM79 of Lt. Arturo Lauchard (56-9) was hit by the Sea Gladiators taken off from the HMS Eagle and lone Hurricane, and landed in an emergency on the Egyptian coast in the hands of the enemy. The commander, his deputy Lt. Ceard and the S.Ten. Rossi was taken prisoner, while the rest of the crew, Avieri chosen Sulas, Foschi and Mattarozzi, was killed. The carcass of the plane with no less than 600 bullet holes in it was dragged to Alexandria and exhibited in the Ismailia square.

Anglo-Italian tandem on its way to Alexandria

Commer Q2 Tractor of R.A.F. No.53 SRU in Egypt hauling
the fuselage of a Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIB on Tasker short semi-trailer

Commer Q2 Tractor of R.A.F. No.53 SRU

Personnel of No.53 Salvage and Repair Unit brew tea and stretch their legs in the Western Desert while transporting salvaged Hawker Hurricane IIB fuselages to Helwan, Egypt

Hawker Hurricane Mk.II Z4967 of 229 Squadron RAF on Tasker short semi-trailer

Hurricane Mark IIB R BD930 of 73 Squadron RAF being lifted onto 40-feet "Queen Mary" trailer

Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIB BD930 of 73 Squadron RAF on "Queen Mary" semi-trailer

Rolls-Royce Merlin XX engine of Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIB BD930 of 73 Squadron RAF under repair

Thornycroft Amazon WF/AC6/1 with Coles MkVII petrol-electric crane

Thornycroft Amazon WF/AC6/1 with Coles MkVII petrol-electric crane

Leyland Retriever with Coles MkVII petrol-electric crane

Bedford OXC Tractor of R.A.F. SRU in Egypt hauling
the fuselage of a Curtiss P40E "Kittyhawk Mk.I" on Tasker 40-feet "Queen Mary" semi-trailer

Bedford OXC Tractor of R.A.F. Salvage and Repair Unit ("SRU")

Curtiss P40E "Kittyhawk Mk.I" of 112 "Shark" Squadron RAF on Tasker "Queen Mary" semi-trailer

Messerschmitt Bf.109F-4/trop (tropical variant), W.Nr.10074, Yellow 5 of 6/JG27 (a Berlin Luftwaffe unit. hence the Berlin bear embleme), piloted by Lieutenant (Leutnant) Gerhard "Gert" Mix.
Note : All swastikas on side rudder removed for legal reasons here in Germany

On August 12,1942, this German Messerschmitt Bf.109F plane made a forced landing on the main bitumen road near El Alamein Station when vitally hit by anti-aircraft fire. According to eye witnesses, "The pilot was so young he looked like a schoolboy, but stepped out un-injured after crash landing". Another Messerschmitt tried to "cannibalise" the "Yellow 5" with cannon fire to prevent parts being salvaged for examination by experts, and throughout the day reconnaissance flights were made over the area and vehicles and bystanders repeatedly strafed.

The plane was carefully camouflaged and later removed to RAF workshops.

The "Yellow 5" loaded onto the Tasker short semi-trailer

Bedford OXC Tractor of R.A.F. Salvage and Repair Unit ("SRU")