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Wherever the GI's went they took their Jeeps with them, and before the war was run the little quarter-ton, 4-wheel drive, utility vehicle was as well known around the world as the Model T Ford.
Named after "Eugene the Jeep", a mystical animal of sorts capable of anything, the Willys Jeep lived up to its predecessor's reputation: It served in every theatre where the Allies fought, went places no other vehicle would go, and was as happy transporting a bunch of GI's as it was a Five-Star general.
Remarkably, the Jeep remains a popular vehicle to this day, the current design having all the same distinctive characteristics of its World War Two parentage. Witness to its rugged dependability and the affection in which it is held, many wartime examples of the famous Willys Jeep survive today. Lovingly restored, they represent an important part of military history and a cogent testimony to the men who took this fine little machine to war.
Nicolas Trudgian has painted a compelling image, set back in time when the little Jeep was omnipresent on and around the roads and battlefields of a war-tom world. It is Christmas 1944 and, as a gaggle of 339th FG P-51 Mustangs disturb the peace of this ancient English village, a little Jeep waits patiently outside the pub while her occupants sample the local ale. A wonderfully nostalgic painting that will bring back pleasant memories to many.
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