By: 11B1SG
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Follow Me jeeps were jeeps that were used at airfields to help control ground traffic of airplanes at an air base.
Follow Me jeeps used close to the front remained the normal olive drab paint color, but at bases farther to the rear, the jeeps became brightly colored. The flight line was always a dangerous place to be and with fog, poor visibility from a confined cockpit, night time flights, and/or returning tired and potentially in a shot up plane after a long and arduous mission, the risk of a plane vs flight line vehicle accident dramatically increased. The jeeps were used to lead the planes to their designated hanger or revetment. Often a plane would land at a base they had never been to before, so the crew did not know their way around the runways and taxiways. This is where the Follow Me jeep took over leading the planes through the maze of runways. Large "FOLLOW ME" signs were sometimes mounted on the back of the MB/GPW jeep with braces. These jeeps would pull up in front of a plane after it landed and guide the plane down the taxiway to the location it was to be parked. This jeep is dedicated to the guys who stayed back,hoping their buddies would make it back in one piece and live to fly another day. |
| Leave it to you to come up with another very interesting project my friend. I don't believe I've ever seen a "Follow Me" jeep in a photo, much less in 1/6th, that's for sure. Very nice work getting all those checks lined up :) Very sharp looking stuff here old buddy. Special thanks for sending this one in and sharing it with us. - GL |
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