The DUKW (or 'Duck' as it was often known) was developed in 1942, during the Second World War, as an amphibious truck capable of carrying cargo direct from vessels moored offshore to storage depots inland, where port facilities were not available or had been damaged. It was designed in 1942 and was based around the mechanical components of the GMC 2.5 ton cargo truck. The vehicle entered service with American forces but was soon supplied to British and Commonwealth units operating in Italy and later, in North-West Europe. The DUKW continued in American service after the end of the Second World War, serving through the Korean War and into the early part of the Vietnam conflict. In British service, the DUKW served largely with RASC transport companies during the war, surviving into the 1960s and the Malayan Emergency. A small number are still operated by the Royal Marines, albeit as general support and liaison vehicles at the Amphibious Trials and Training Unit Royal Marines (ATTURM), near Instow in Devon.
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