The British Army had rejected an early armoured-car proposal despite interest from cavalry units. In 1914, Royal Naval Air Service personnel improvised rescue vehicles by mounting machine guns on privately owned cars to recover downed airmen. The Third Sea Lord then approached manufacturers already supplying those vehicles for armoured versions. Reusing a proven vehicle gave the Navy a limited requirement it could place quickly.
Chapter · 2:51-5:38
RNAS armored cars turned field experience into procurement
Royal Naval Air Service rescue cars became a practical armored-car requirement built around vehicles already proving reliable at the front.