Not all jeeps ended up being sold by Domaines at auction in France when the French army had no further use for them. The photos below by Denis Jolas (M201 16792) show jeeps that were supplied to Senegal under France’s RECAMP programme (Le concept de Renforcement des capacités africaines de maintien de la paix), a programme for supporting former French colonies (mainly African) with training and equipment to develop their own peace keeping forces.
In the case of Senegal equipment was shipped during early 1998 and Jean-Paul Peche remembers attending an auction at about that time where a number of vehicles kept out of the auction were being prepared for transportation. This was a one way trip and the vehicles were sold off in the respective countries they had been sent to when they were no longer required or useable. A number of Senegalese M201s ended up being reconditioned and fitted with modern Peugeot diesel engines for use on a safari resort hotel in the bush, some were scrapped and a few have ended up in the hands of private owners like Denis. Only a few remained in this yard behind a garage when Denis bought his.
I have been forwarded the photo below by JLM. It's from Ftz (M201 14239) in Togo. It is of a Togolese army M201 that he now privately owns. FAT in the registration = “forces armées togolaises”.
The photos below are
from Jean-Marc Coquio (M201 22065). The M201 with
the registration number 635 1098 was the last
example belonging to the Foreign Legion (3ème REI)
in Kourou, French Guiana.
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The NATO / OTAN tactical markings are both from the forces armées en Guyane (FAG). The first on the left is CCL: Compagnie de commandement et de logistique; 3: 3ème étranger d'infanterie; KR: Kourou; FAG: forces armées en Guyane. The second (right) is CCL: Compagnie de commandement et de logistique; 9: 9ème RIMa; FA: Forces armées; GY: Guyane.
The latest photos are from Louis De Waal (m201 no. 03367) in South Africa who discovered more evidence of the French presence in Africa on his travels.
Photo above taken by Louis in BRAZZAVILLE in the Congo. Note also the Hotchkiss JH 101 / 102 civilian jeep being used as a clothes drier in the background.
This photo was taken by Louis at DAR-ES-SALAAM in Tanzania. A couple of challenging but still possible restoration projects here?
M201 graveyards exist across Africa wherever the French army have been present at one time or another. The following photos were taken by 'Drinkatjoe' in 2004 at 'la casse de Balballa' beside the airport at Djibouti. They are from his excellent collection of photos of wrecks on flickr.
As one might expect the Sahara Desert contains many wrecked jeeps and the following photos were taken by Gustavo Cappa Bava on one of his trips to Tunisia.
Once again, thanks to all who have provided the details for this page.