Probably the most recognisable and ubiquitous vehicle of World War Two, is the Jeep. For a vehicle that was supposed to have a shelf life of only several weeks, there are hundreds still in existence. To prove this point, the 2009 Corowa Swim In, that was themed the Year of the Jeep, had in excess of 180 attending.

So, what exactly is a Jeep? A reasonable description is contained in the 1942 dictionary of military slang, Words of the Fighting Forces, written by Clinton A. Sanders: “Jeep: A four-wheel drive vehicle of one-half- to one-and-one-half-ton capacity for reconnaissance or other army duty”.

Now we roughly know what a Jeep is, how did it get its name? According to o