Most of the European extras in the film were British Army personnel who were stationed in Libya because of the military alliance between King Idris of Libya and the West (this relationship ended following the 1969 coup d'etat by army officers led by Muammar Gaddafi). As such, most of the military props used in the film are derived from British or American equipment. For instance the Allied troops use contemporary Chevrolet 30 cwt WB trucks mounted with Vickers machine guns. But the use of Sten submachine guns was incorrect (the real LRDG used either the .303 SMLE or the Thompson submachine gun as small arms). Likewise American half-tracks, fitted with British Bren guns, were employed to portray Africa Korps Sd.Kfz. 251s.