Ancient brits heading east!

I remember on one of my first trips to Iraq in the mid 70’s meeting up with several lads at Zacho on the return journey two of which worked for Romatrans out of Enfield area then went to work for Radclives of Faringdon and an OD from Buckingham who pulled for them (Romatrans). One had a Scammel Crusader and the OD who must have been in his 50’s had an A series ERF non sleeper with no windscreen and one of the rear corner windows missing so the wind whistled straight through. He had already replaced the windscreen in the UK once and this was the ERF’s third trip, but I know he got knocked for the job and I think he decided or his good lady decided for him that M/E trucking was not for him after that but give him his due he drove back to the UK wrapped in a heavy overcoat and sunglasses for protection and the other two let him kip in their cabs. Another time I met an Irish lad in Dover west who had just returned from Tehran driving a non sleeper Guy Big J for a company in Witney, fair enough if it was your own truck but for someone else, really, there were plenty of firms with reasonable equipement looking for drivers to do M/E in the 70’s.