The first Rolls-Royce armoured car was a privately owned vehicle fitted
with a machine-gun and a limited amount of armour plate at a dockyard in
France. It was used by a squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service in
Flanders in 1914. Backed by First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston
Churchill more and better versions followed until, by 1915 there were
about 100 of them which were then handed over to the Army. They searched
the world for War as Sir Albert Stern said of them and before long there
were Rolls-Royce armoured cars operating as far apart as German South
West Africa, the Western Desert, Gallipoli, all over the Middle East and
the north west frontier of India.
All of them used the classic 40/50hp Silver Ghost chassis. They were
fast, silent and reliable but above all strong. A Rolls in the desert is
above rubies said Lawrence of Arabia and the Duke of Westminster would
have agreed with him following his famous raid to rescue the kidnapped
crew of the steamship HMS Tara. At least one car accompanied the
adventurous MP Oliver Locker-Lampson on his adventures in Russia.
After the war, unable to find a better model the War Office simply
copied the original Admiralty design with minor improvements. If that
was not enough the Royal Air Force also acquired some to support their
operations in the Middle East. A new design with a larger body and dome
shaped turret also appeared for service in India. They also served in
Ireland and even, briefly in Shanghai.
The 11th Hussars still had Rolls-Royces in Egypt when the war against
Italy began and the youngest of these was over fifteen years old when
they went into action, but after that their numbers dwindled as newer
vehicles came along. But then history repeated itself. Britain was
threatened with invasion and a new army of veterans was raised to assist
with defence. Some battalions built home made armoured cars, on private
chassis and at least three of these were based on Rolls-Royces.
