From day 1, adapting the jeep was a necessary part of using or owning one.  In my mind, this is one of the attributes of jeeps that differentiate them from most other vehicles, even from other 4x4s.  Andy Carter highlights early desert modifications in this story with pictures from jeeps used in Africa by the British Special Air Service (SAS) during WWII.  Check out the grille in the picture on the right.  If you read through the site, you'll note that this was a modification done to many of the jeeps, not just this one. They look like a boxer who has been through a few rounds!

Here's an excerpt from the website about SAS Jeeps:

"The jeeps were stripped of all non-essential parts including the windscreen, most of the radiator grille bars and even sometimes the front bumper to increase the effective load carrying capacity of the vehicle. Thus the large amount of fuel and water needed for fast long-range raids could be carried avoiding the need for slower support vehicles. A water condensing unit was fitted to the front to reduce loss from the radiator which would otherwise have had to be topped up from the limited drinking water supplies…"

Learn more at Andy Carter's Military Jeep Pages