The Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) was a British Army unit during World War II. The unit was founded in Egypt following the Italian declaration of war (June 1940) by Major Ralph A. Bagnold with the assistance of Captains Clayton and Shaw, acting under the direction of General Wavell. The group specialised in mechanised reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, and desert navigation. The group was disbanded at the end of the war. The LRDG was nicknamed "the Mosquito Army" by Wavell. Special Air Service soldiers would refer to it as "the Libyan Desert Taxi Service". The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom France Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Charles de Gaulle Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... Ralph A. Bagnold (April 3, 1896 - May 28, 1990), during World War II, was the founder and first commander of the British Armys Long Range Desert Group. ... Pat Clayton, during World War II, served as a Captain in the British Armys Long Range Desert Group. ... Bill Shaw, former high-paid Time Warner executive. ... Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell (May 5, 1883 _ May 24, 1950) was a British General and the commander of British Army forces in the Middle East during World War II. He led British forces to victory over the Italians, only to be defeated by the German army. ... Mechanization is the use of machines to replace manual labour or animals and can also refer to the use of powered machinery to help a human operator in some task. ... Mixed reconnaissance patrol of the Polish Home Army and the Soviet Red Army during Operation Tempest, 1944 Reconnaissance is the military term for the active gathering of information about an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. ... Erg Chebbi, Morocco In geography, a desert is a landscape form or region that receives very little precipitation. ... Table of geography, hydrography, and navigation, from the 1728 Cyclopaedia. ... The Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) is the principal special forces unit of the British Army. ...

Formation and equipment

The unit, initially known as the Long Range Patrol Group, was founded 3 July 1940 and was assigned 150 New Zealand volunteers. Bagnold had reasoned that the New Zealanders, being mostly farmers, would be more adept at using and maintaining machinery. Later additions to the group included British and Rhodesian units. July 3 is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 181 days remaining. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... National motto: Sit Nomine Digna (Latin: May she be worthy of the name) Official language English Capital Salisbury Political system Parliamentary system Form of government Constitutional monarchy (until 1970) Republic (March 2, 1970) - Last President John Wrathall - Prime Minister Ian Smith Area  - Total  - % water 390 580 km² 1% Population  - 1978...

The unit was arranged into 3 main patrols, of 40 soldiers each. Patrols were initially equipped with Ford F30 4WD and Chevrolet WB trucks, supported by Chevrolet 1311x1 15 cwt (3/4 t) command cars. The patrol trucks were later replaced with Chevrolet 1533x2 30 cwt (1.5 t) trucks, and the command cars with Willys Jeeps. Modern soldiers. ... Ford Motor Company is an American multinational corporation and the worlds third largest automaker based on vehicle sales in 2005. ... Chevrolet Logo Chevrolet (IPA: ʃɛv. ... The WWII Willys MB US Army Jeep. ...

Each patrol was equipped with ten Lewis machine guns, four Boys Anti-tank Rifles, and a Bofors 37 mm anti-tank gun; later on, trucks were equipped with Browning .50 cal machine guns, captured Italian Breda 20 mm anti-aircraft guns and twin mounted .303 cal Vickers K machine guns. The troops carried Brens, Thompson submachine guns, and other weapons. The unit also used Army No. 11 wireless sets. The Lewis Gun was a pre-WWI era British machine gun that continued to see service all the way through WWII. It is visually distinctive because of the wide tubular cooling shroud around the barrel, and the top mounted drum magazines. ... Boyes Anti-tank Rifle Type Anti tank rifle Nationality United Kingdom Era World War II History Date of design 1937 Production period 1937 - ? Service duration 1937 - 194? Operators United Kingdom, Empire/Commonwealth, War service World War II Specifications Type Bolt action rifle Calibre . ... The Bofors 37 mm was a very common anti-tank gun used by all Allied forces during WW2. ... Anti-tank, or simply AT, refers to any method of combating military armored fighting vehicles, notably tanks. ... A gun is a common name given to a device that fires high-velocity projectiles. ... This article is about the . ... Breda is a hardware factory located in Brescia, Italy. ... American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline in 1943 Anti-aircraft, or air defense, is any method of combating military aircraft from the ground. ... 203. ... The Bren (from Brno (the Czechoslovakian town of design) and Enfield, the location of the British Royal Small Arms Factory), usually called the Bren Gun, was a series of squad automatic weapon/light machine guns adopted by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles into the 1980s. ... A lance corporal of the East Surrey Regiment, British Army equipped with a Thompson M1928 submachine gun (drum magazine), 25 November 1940 The Thompson, also known as the Tommy Gun, was a family of American submachine guns that became infamous during the Prohibition era. ...

Initial training

During the initial training, Shaw was responsible for teaching navigation, while Bagnold taught communications.

Combat history

On 13 September 1940, the unit formed its first base at the Siwa Oasis. They arrived there by driving approximately 240 km across the Egyptian Sand Sea. On 15 September two patrols of the LRDG were engaged in the unit's first combat operations. In this action Captain Mitford's unit traveled via the Kalansho Sand Sea and attacked Italian petrol dumps and emergency landing fields along the Palificata. Meanwhile, Clayton's group passed through Italian territory to contact the French forces in Chad. It is believed that the LRDG helped persuade the forces there to join the Free French Forces. The patrols joined at the southern tip of the Gilf Kebir (where a supply dump was located) and then returned to Cairo, via the Kharga Oasis. Each patrol had traveled approximately 6,000 km. September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... The Siwa Oasis is an oasis in Egypt, located between the Qattara Depression and the Egyptian Sand Sea in the Libyan Desert. ... The Egyptian Sand Sea is located in Africas Libyan Desert. ... September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... The Kalansho Sand Sea is located in Africas Libyan Desert. ... Gasoline, as it is known in North America, or petrol, in many Commonwealth countries (sometimes also called motor spirit) is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting primarily of hydrocarbons, used as fuel in internal combustion engines. ... Free French Forces under review during the Battle of Normandy. ... Gilf Kebir is a plateau in the remote southwest corner of Egypt. ... Nickname: Al Qahirah (The Triumphant City) Cairos location in Egypt Coordinates: Governor Dr. Abdul Azim Wazir Area    - City 210 km²  - Metro 1,492 km² Population (2005)  - City 7,438,376  - Density 35,420/km²  - Urban 10,834,495  - Metro 15,200,000 Time zone EET (UTC+2)  - Summer (DST... Al-Waha al-Kharga (meaning the outer oasis) is an oasis in Egypt. ...

Following the September expedition, the War Office approved a doubling of the unit's size, its renaming, and the promotion of Bagnold to lieutenant-colonel. The enlarged unit gathered volunteers from British, Indian, and Rhodesian units. Bagnold wrote, "During the next few months, raids were made on a number of enemy-held oases...isolated garrisons were shot up...the raiders seemed to appear from a fourth dimension...Graziani was beginning to doubt his intelligence reports [and] the Italian army halted for...months." Old War Office Building, Whitehall, London - the former location of the War Office The War Office was a former department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1963, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence. ... Lieutenant Colonel (Lieutenant-Colonel in English from the French grades spelling) is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine corps and air forces of the world, typically ranking above a Major and below a Colonel. ... Rodolfo Graziani, Marchese di Neghelli (August 11, 1882—January 11, 1955), was an Italian military officer who led expeditions in Africa before and during World War II and a war criminal responsible for thousands of Libyan and Ethiopian civilian deaths. ...

Chad and Kufra

In September 1940, Bagnold travelled to Fort Lamy, Chad, where he helped persuade the French colony to join the Allies. The LRDG and Free French forces worked together to raid Italian positions in the area of the Murzuk Oasis and the combined forces, using French artillery, captured Kufra. In April 1941, the LRDG's headquarters was moved to Kufra. Bagnold wrote, "Temperatures exceeding 50 °C were found to be tolerable, even on a restricted water ration, owing to the dryness. The worst discomfort came from...sandstorms, which lasted several days. They made eating very difficult." From Kufra, the LRDG commanders would essentially serve as the military commanders of a region approximately the size of northern Europe, a region which had not seen rain in 70 years. NDjamena, population 594,000 (1996), is the capital of Chad. ... This article is about a political topic. ... Look up ally in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Historically, artillery (from French artillerie) refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Fig. ... The degree Celsius (symbol: °C) is an SI derived unit of temperature. ... Water is a chemical substance that is essential to all known forms of life. ... Sandstorm can refer to: Sandstorms, a term used for dust storms in the desert. ... World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... Rain falling Rain is a form of precipitation, other forms of which include snow, sleet, hail, and dew. ...

Bagnold leaves the LRDG

During the summer of 1941, Bagnold recruited another prewar exploration companion, Guy Prendergast, to serve as his second-in-command. On 1 July Bagnold left the unit, to serve in Cairo as a colonel, and Prendergast became the LRDG's commander. Prendergast would be succeeded by Jake Easonsmith who was followed by David Lloyd Owen. Second in Command is a 2006 action film, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... Nickname: Al Qahirah (The Triumphant City) Cairos location in Egypt Coordinates: Governor Dr. Abdul Azim Wazir Area    - City 210 km²  - Metro 1,492 km² Population (2005)  - City 7,438,376  - Density 35,420/km²  - Urban 10,834,495  - Metro 15,200,000 Time zone EET (UTC+2)  - Summer (DST... Colonel (IPA: or ) is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with the corresponding ranks existing in nearly every country in the world. ... Major-General David Lloyd Owen CB, DSO, OBE, MC (1917–2001) was a British soldier and writer. ...

Other operations

After the end of the African campaign, the LRDG was trained in mountain warfare at the Cedars of Lebanon Hotel, in Lebanon. They were also trained in parachute operations. The unit went on to serve in the Greek islands (see Battle of Leros), Italy and in Normandy. Combatants Great Britain Germany Commanders Brig. ...

Memorial

LRDG Memorial at Papakura Army Base, New Zealand.

An original truck, recovered from the North African desert, is held by the Imperial War Museum. Image File history File linksMetadata LRDG_Memorial_at_Papakura_New_Zealand. ... Image File history File linksMetadata LRDG_Memorial_at_Papakura_New_Zealand. ...

A War Memorial is at Papakura army base, in Auckland. Papakura district (boundary red, urban area orange) in relation to the Auckland metropolitan area (grey) The Papakura District (informally just Papakura, or Kura) in New Zealand is one of the several recognized districts in Auckland. ... Schematic map of Auckland. ...

Several private replicas of LRDG vehicles have been built in the UK, America and New Zealand.

TV and Film

Various fictionalizations based more or less on LRDG's desert period:

• Play Dirty, a 1968 film starring Michael Caine.
• The Rat Patrol, American TV series 1966 - 1968.

Play Dirty is a 1968 film that depicts the exploits of the Long Range Desert Group. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Sir Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, KBE (born March 14, 1933), known professionally as Michael Caine, is a double Oscar-winning English film actor. ... The Rat Patrol was an American TV program that aired on ABC during the 1966-1968 seasons. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

See also

• North African Campaign
• Western Desert Campaign
• Erwin Rommel
• Hans-Jürgen von Arnim
• Afrika Korps
• Panzer Army Africa
• László Almásy Hungarian / Axis Long Range Desert Specialist. Basis of the English Patient.

During World War II, the North African Campaign, also known as the Desert War, took place in the North African desert from September 13, 1940 to May 13, 1943. ... The Western Desert Campaign was the primary early theatre of the North African Campaign of World War II. It is sometimes referred to as the Egypt-Libya Campaign. ... Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel ( ) (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was one of the most distinguished German field marshals of World War II. He was the commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps and also became known by the nickname The Desert Fox (Wüstenfuchs,  ) for the skillful military campaigns he... Hans-Jürgen von Arnim (4 April 1889 - 11 September 1962), was a German colonel-general of cavalry, serving during World War II. He was born in Ernsdorf, Germany in 1889, the son of General Sixt von Arnim. ... The seal of Afrikakorps The German Afrika Korps (German: Deutsches Afrikakorps, DAK  ) was the corps-level headquarters controlling the German Panzer divisions in Libya and Egypt during the North African Campaign of World War II. Since there was little turnover in the units attached to the corps, the term is... As the number of German armed forces committed to the North Africa Campaign of World War II grew from the initial commitment of a small corps the Germans developed a more elaborate command structure and placed the now larger Afrika Korps, with Italian units under this new German command structure... Count László Almásy Count László Ede Almásy de Zsadány et Törökszentmiklós (22 August 1895–22 March 1951) was a Hungarian desert researcher, aviator and soldier who also served as the basis for the protagonist in Michael Ondaatjes 1992 novel The English... This article is about the book. ...

External links

• Website of the Long Range Desert Group Preservation Society
• Another LRDG site with background information on vehicles and equipment, and an extensive bibliography.
• Exploits in the desert with extensive information on weapons, personnel, and equipment. (Also includes detailed annotated bibliography.)
• Raids in the Fezzan - description of LRDG and Free French operations in Libya from the New Zealand Electronic Text Centre
• LRDG Roll of honour, awards and images.