MWD
Country | United Kingdom |
Manufacturer | Bedford Vehicles |
Primary Role | Transport |
Contributor: Alan Chanter
ww2dbaseThe prototype of the Bedford MWD, 15-cwt, 4x2 General Service Truck appeared in 1937 and throughout the War years provided the backbone of the British army's transportation. It was based on a commercial 2-tonnes (2-tons) truck with a modified chassis to increase the ground clearance. The British War Office ordered 2,000 15-cwt trucks from Bedford Vehicles (subsidiary of Vauxhall Motors, Luton, which is a subsidiary of American firm General Motors) in August 1939, the early deliveries being constructed specifically to carry the 2-pounder anti-tank gun.
ww2dbaseThe MWD had a flat, full length bonnet, designed to incorporate an extra-large air filter as per War Office requirements. Originally the vehicle was fitted with a canvas hood and doors and collapsible windscreen (which led to the vehicle being universally known as the "pneumonia wagon"), but this was replaced in 1943 by an enclosed cab with metal doors and a full-width windscreen. The trucks were powered by a 3,500cc Bedford six-cylinder OHV petrol engine developing 72 hp (53.7kw) linked to a four forward and one reverse gearbox.
ww2dbaseBedford produced over 200,000 Bedford 15-cwt trucks during the war. Simple to maintain and robust, it was used by every arm of the service as a general cargo and personnel carrier (including wide usage in the North Africa campaign as the standard transport for the motorised infantry in the armoured brigades), and the type remained in service with the British army until the late 1950s. It was also the vehicle on which thousands of military drivers would learn to drive.
ww2dbaseSources: The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Military Vehicles (Ian V Hogg & John Weeks,-Hamlyn, 1980); Armoured Fighting Vehicles (Philip Trewbitt, Dempsey-Parr,1999).
Last Major Revision: Nov 2009
SPECIFICATIONS
Bedford MWD
Machinery | One Bedford 6-cylinder gasoline engine rated at 72hp |
Crew | 1 |
Length | 4.38 m |
Width | 1.99 m |
Height | 1.93 m |
Weight | 2.1 t |
Speed | 95 km/h |
Range | 430 km |
Photographs
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Visitor Submitted Comments
5 Mar 2012 02:56:12 PM
The bedford MWD was far ahead .. Light,Pwerful And a large radiator,, and easy to access and maintain,, It Was British,,.. Greetings from Norway,.. I have one, and i like it down to the frame..
12 Nov 2012 10:32:15 AM
Nice artical .This is the first place i have found with the dimensions of mwd,hooray it will fit,now have to find one
22 Jan 2014 09:13:51 AM
myself and 8 friends are going to normandy in june 2014 for the 70th anniversary of d-day,will any one be taking a bedford 15cwt over?,and where might you be going to visit with it,pegasus bridge on the 6th perhaps?. living in hope, p.h.
23 Apr 2016 11:23:50 PM
I had the great pleasure of learning to drive a Bedford 15cwt at Inkerman Barracks Woking UK.An exhilarating experience, never to be forgotten. The year - 1955 - National Service in RMP. Drove one in Ismailia, Egypt. Now approaching 80 but will never forget it.
28 Apr 2018 11:33:16 AM
Wie heeft nog zo Bedford wmd
30 Apr 2018 10:32:34 AM
Ik wil weten hoeveel er Bedford wmd in Nederland zijn en wie zijn de eigenaren
16 Oct 2020 07:10:05 PM
What were the US Army equivalents to the 8-CWT, 15-cwt, and 30-cwt trucks?
16 Oct 2020 10:26:23 PM
Steve (above):In British measuring systems, 1 cwt (1 hundredweight) was 112 pounds (8 stone) so 8-cwt, 15-cwt, and 30-cwt trucks had carrying capacities of roughly 900 pounds, 1,500 pounds, and 3,000 pounds respectively. In American terms, these were half-ton, three-quarter-ton, and one-and-a-half-ton trucks. The specific US Army models varied but this is how their capacities compared.
22 Oct 2021 08:45:02 AM
Hiya, The Bedford MW did carry the 25mm Hotchkiss Mle34 in a standard body, and also the 37mm Bofors Atk Gun in a special portee body but no Bedford carried a 2pounder.They were carried by various 30cwt Portees on CMP or Morris Chassis.
All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.
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8 Jan 2010 04:34:14 PM
Hello, Great article on the MW's, I own an aeroscreen one myself. You state 200,000 15cwt truck were produces, i'm pretty sure thats the total out put from the bedford works for the war effort. There were in fact 66995 bedford Mw's produced. All the best