Oxford 1/43 Rolls Royce Phantom V James Young Claret/Black

The RAF had a base in Tripoli from the 1940s right up until the mid 1960s when Libya became a Republic. Historically, the RAF has taken on a rescue role as part of its operational activities and its Middle Eastern teams were aptly referred to as the Desert Rescue.

The Desert Rescue model features the all-terrain Land Rover Series I in an unusual black and white checked livery rather than the usual sand coloured finish we associate with desert operations and even the canvas back is cleverly printed black and white to match. The roof is white and below the split windscreen, the Desert Rescue wording is printed in black. The Land Rover 80” body features an 88” grille and has a spotlight fitted at the back of the nearside wing. Its RAF military registration number 40 AA 04 appears on the offside front wing and again on the back and a final detail sees the RAF roundel on the nearside front wing.