Long Range Desert Group Options

[ham and jam]

(IMG:http://www.greenhillbooks.com/booksheets/images/lrdg_symbol.jpg)
just thought id post a little info on my current avatar.

The long range desert group were an allied unit set up by famous desert explorer Ralph Bagnold whose experience of pre-war desert exploration helped to exploit the Libyan desert so the British could hit the Germans behind their lines from a direction the Germans believed was safe and where they thought the British could not go. Their very existence was a remarkable feat of inginuity and what they achieved was nothing short of amazing. They were one of the first and became one of the best and most respected of the so-called 'special forces' created by the British to fight and cause havoc behind enemy lines.

Major Ralph Bagnold was not just a soldier but a great explorer of the desert in the 30's. He was one of many explorers searching for the so-called lost Oasis of Zerzura, and is written about in the book ''The Hunt for Zerzura'' by Saul Kelly.
In 1929 he developed the idea of using a sun shadow compass that worked like a sundial to navigate during the day, and a theodolite to navigate by the stars at night. He worked out how to drive a vehicle over a sand dune without getting stuck, and if you did get stuck, he worked out special devices for freeing vehicles from the sand.

It was believed when the war reached the desert that much of the fighting would take place on the flat mediterranean coastal plain known as the Western Desert, as this was the only place suitable to have proper mechanized battles, and that was pretty much how things turned out.

The first real operation for the LRDG began on the 5th September 1940 when they left Cairo en masse for the first time driving heavily laden giant American 30-cwt trucks. The trucks were lightly armed and had no armour, but were heavy with supplies. It took the New Zealanders a while to get used to traveling in such a landscape. Bagnold himself noted that it took a lot of confidence to drive full speed at a 200-300ft sand dune that looks like a "vertical wall of yellow", but after a slow start, the New Zealenders picked up the technique pretty quickly and the LRDG was born.

The LRDG were given permission to strike at the Italians where ever they could in any part of Libya, stirring up trouble so that the enemy would be forced to take vital troops from the front line to defend remote inland garrisons and supply depots. The aim of any behind the lines operation is to cause havoc, engage the enemy were they least expect it, and force them to engage troops in defending areas that previously they thought were safe. The enemy were taken totally by surprise because no one, not even parts of the British High Command that ordered the operation, felt it was possible to attack from the direction of the believed impassable Great Sand Sea.

In December 1940, new troops joined the LRDG, now including British troops from the Coldstream Guards and the Scotts Guards. Bagnold had not been sure that British troops had the resourcefulness to adapt to such desert work, but by and large, he was proved wrong. Over time, the LRDG built up a reputation for being able to go were no other soldiers could, hitting the enemy from nowhere hundreds of miles behind the lines and then completely disappearing "as if by magic"

The aim of any behind the lines operation is to cause havoc, engage the enemy were they least expect it, and force them to engage troops in defending areas that previously they thought were safe. The enemy were taken totally by surprise because no one, not even parts of the British High Command that ordered the operation, felt it was possible to attack from the direction of the believed impassable Great Sand Sea. Please continue reading below...

Many historians since World War II have questioned the effectiveness of so called 'Special Forces' operations and it is true that some special units and operations were more effective than others. Thompson, though, argues that of all special forces units, the Long Range Desert Group was one of the most effective.

It used limited resources and adapted to all the theatres of war it was asked to fight in. The unit was only in existence for five years, but carried out over 200 behind the lines operations, and made a considerable contribution to allied victory, particularly in the desert war . These were extraordinarily brave men who clung to and were proud of a collective vision started by Bagnold, and marked by the fact that even after they left the desert, they refused to be called by anything other than the Long Range Desert Group. They were true kings of the desert, and although they were in existence but a short time they contributed more than most to final allied victory. The experience of people like Ralph Bagnold and the LRDG would certainly have not have gone amiss in more recent desert conflicts.

References, Kelly, S. The Hunt for Zerzura, The Lost Oasis and the Desert War. John Murray, 2002. Thompson, J. War Behind Enemy Lines Pan Books, German site by Sven Schwarz, and James Appleyard.

(IMG:http://www.alliedspecialforces.org/leslieangusmciver003.gif)
Did I say a little info? lol

This post has been edited by ham and jam: Aug 13 2003, 04:59 PM

[appell8]

Andy, I have long been intrigued by the LRDG. There was an American TV show in the mid-60's that tried to invoke them that was long on flair and short on plot: "The Rat Patrol."

As I've posted before, I was in awe when Sgt Fussell told us at the Liberation Day ceremony in Eindhoven that he and other paras had jumped in support of the LRDG.

Way, way, cool.

[hwhap]

He worked out how to drive a vehicle over a sand dune without getting stuck, and if you did get stuck, he worked out special devices for freeing vehicles from the sand.

Andy, so how did they drive over the sand dunes?

Very interesting info. I learned something new today!

Vee

[ham and jam]

Thanks guys, Vee, I think it was a skill they learnt through trial and era, I read that you can learn to read a sand dune and find a way up it. Its supposed to be a fine art to drive a vehicle up a dune without turning it over or getting it stuck. They gained experience of desert surface of all types, from loose sand to fields of basalt. Apparently Bagnold and a group or explorers studied the desert in the 30's in Egypt. They studied it's characteristics, and perfected ways of navigating across the vast desert wastes like a mariner at sea.

They found the best vehicle to use was the Chevrolet 15 cwt truck, it was built on a Canadian-built Chevrolet chassis, and fitted with desert tyres (wireless) and a condenser fitted on the running board and connected to the radiator to conserve cooling water. If the trucks became stuck they carried on board Sand-mats of canvas and steel channels to help get them out of the moving sand dunes.

Andy

[ham and jam]

Merlyn Craw. 4/10/15 to 17/ 01/03:
Service No. 37112
NZ Divisional Cavalry.
LRDG.
Died in New Zealand, 17 January 2003, aged 87 years.

The War Years as recounted by Brendan O’Carroll, the author of “Kiwi Scorpions” and “Bearded Brigands”

I have only known Merlyn for the last six years, yet I feel I have known him all his life.

Merlyn was a wonderful man and as history tells us, a great warrior. He lived independently in a very remote beach house at Te Kaha on the eastern coast of New Zealand. After spending most of his life farming, including being one of the pioneers of deer farming in NZ, he left the farm to his son, and took up commercial fishing for 20 years before retiring.

He died of a massive heart attack after landing his boat following a days fishing, his favorite pastime. Merlyn died in the sand, something that he could have very easily done over 60 years ago. He was very active for his years and was still capable of driving long distances at 87 years. Merlyn would have hated being ill or bed ridden and couldn't have died a better way.

My introduction to him came about when I was undertaking research for my book about New Zealanders in the Long Range Desert Group. This unit was one of the first special forces of WW2 and operated behind enemy lines in Libya. The men who served had to be self reliant, tough and hardy, as they had to fight and survive in one of the most arid places on earth. Merlyn’s outdoor background and temperament seemed well suited to this type of work.

I wrote to him asking about his time in the LRDG and he kindly responded with a wealth of information. This led on to a volume of correspondence and a number of wonderful visits to his seaside home in Te Kaha. My family would accompany me and they would walk along the beach with Merlyn’s faithful dog Jack, while I interviewed Merlyn about the war years. This was always followed by a lovely meal of fresh fish or crayfish. It was a great treat for us, and we really enjoyed those visits and I will miss those special chats we had.

He said he had told me things he had never even told his family before. As with most veterans after the war he was reluctant to speak of such things to those who weren’t there, especially of the bad times; thinking that the people at home would never understand, as they hadn’t been through it. He said he would never forget it, and there were men that may have saved his life, or he may have saved theirs. The bond between them remains until they are gone. Merlyn regularly attended LRDG reunions.

Merlyn’s wartime adventures are well covered in my books, where his activities are explained in full, but I will outline a brief history of his war service.

He went overseas with the NZ Divisional Cavalry in November 1940 and volunteered for the LRDG in early 1941. He served with distinction with T Patrol, first under the command of Captain L.B. Ballantyne then later under Captain N.P. Wilder. He remained with the unit until his capture after the Barce Raid in September 1942. He was particularly skilful at bomb making and demolitions, an art he said he learnt on his father’s farm before the war. On the Barce raid he destroyed 10 planes with his homemade bombs and was given orders to blow the Barce town safe, but his capture prevented that from happening.

He spent a year suffering the privations of an Italian POW camp before he escaped, and with the help of Italian peasants he made his way to allied lines. After which he was sent home on furlough for six months. Then he returned to Italy in 1944 with the NZ Divisional Cavalry to serve with armoured cars.

Some time after, due to a dispute with his superiors he went AWOL for six weeks, and sought out the Italians who had helped him to escape the year before. Later, while wandering the streets of Rome, by pure chance he met members of the British section of the LRDG who invited him to rejoin the unit. He did so without notifying 2nd NZEF and remained as a Sergeant with the LRDG in Italy till the end of the war. He learnt mountain climbing, snow skiing, and undertook seven parachute jumps. Amazingly he was never brought to account for is disappearance from the Div. Cavalry. But that was typical Merlyn, a real survivor.

Merlyn’s total overseas service was 4 years 189 days.

He won the Military Medal for gallantry during the Barce raid and other actions. His official citation that sums up the sort of soldier he was.

“On the night of 13/14th September 1942, Corporal Craw’s patrol entered Barce aerodrome to attack aircraft. Corporal Craw, in the last truck, was detailed to place short-delay bombs on the aircraft which had not been burnt by small arms fire. He carried out this task at great personal risk, as aircraft were on fire and blowing up all round him, and destroyed 10 single handed.

In two previous occasions when on patrol, Corporal Craw displayed great gallantry. Once near Benghazi, his truck successfully attacked a vehicle carrying twenty troops, destroying the vehicle and killing the majority of the occupants. In a later engagement near Matruh he saved the life of his officer, Capt. Wilder, by his prompt action in picking up this officer who was on foot, while Corporal Craw’s truck was under heavy and concentrated fire from three 47 mm guns.

As a non commissioned officer he always did extremely good work on patrol, and in action was cool and confident.”

Though he was a tough soldier in a harsh environment, he was also a compassionate man. On one occasion after a small action, Merlyn, because he was also trained as a medical orderly, made great endeavours to save the life of a badly wounded Italian He looked after him for five days as he lay in the back of his truck. Though he didn’t need to do this, because while behind the lines it was not the LRDG’s job to look after the enemy wounded or take prisoners. But Merlyn for some reason took it upon himself to take care of this man, who without his help would have certainly died.

Another time he was ordered to dispose of two prisoners who got caught up in a special secret mission the patrol was on. Contrary to his orders, instead of killing the men, he drove them out into the desert, gave them some water and a compass bearing; far enough away so that mission could not be compromised.

Merlyn was a real gentleman from a generation the like of which we will never see again. I am so grateful I was able to gather his incredible LRDG stories and find him a rightful place in the history books before all was lost to time.

Merlyn I salute you, a wonderful man and great warrior, it has been a very special for me to have known you.

A Kiwi Scorpion now at rest.

(LRDG) Preservation Society

[ham and jam]

(IMG:http://www.lrdg.org/images/museum3.jpg)
sand tyres (imperial war museum)
(IMG:http://www.lrdg.org/images/s9.jpg)
imperial war museum
(IMG:http://www.lrdg.org/images/LRDG-P12.jpg)
(IMG:http://www.lrdg.addr.com/images/Sand_Storm_-_from_TC_7.JPG)
tail end of a storm
(IMG:http://www.lrdg.addr.com/images/Ford_-_from_TC_6.JPG)
(IMG:http://www.lrdg.org/images/Cheytrucks.JPG)
Ford verses Chevy Truck, The Ford is in the lead.
photos by Luke Cloete, Titch Cave a veteran of the LRDG, and the imperial war museum.

[4deucer]

Like appell8, I immediately thought of the Rat Patrol when I read this most interesting post about the LRDG. I'd never before heard of a theodolite, an instrument that is used in surveying, its origin unknown but possibly traceable to 16th century English mathematician Leonard Digges. The theodolite measures vertical and horizontal angles.

The theodolite has changed over time. In its current form it is a telescope mounted to swivel both horizontally and vertically. The theodolite is used to find angles in road building, tunnel alignment, and other civil-engineering work.

Also, the ingenious methods developed for maneuvering motorized equipment over sand dunes. I wonder if any of our present-day troops were faced with any sand dunes to cross? I suppose Iraq is far enough developed to have a system of roadways, which I understand we used as much as possible once we saw we could.
Nevertheless, I believe in some instances we did have to take vehicles on alternate routes that were off-road.

[ham and jam]

Major-General David Lloyd Owen

MAJOR-GENERAL DAVID LLOYD OWEN, who has died aged 83, commanded the Long Range Desert Group from 1943 to 1945. In the course of the war he won both the DSO and the MC, the latter awarded for his part in the joint raid on Tobruk by the LRDG and the SAS in September 1942. "Danger," he wrote, "has some kind of satanic appeal to me. I am drawn towards it in an octopus-like grip of fear."

Nevertheless, he recalled, "I was often frightened, often tired, often worried, and very often longing to be doing some other thing or to be in some other place when danger was lurking."

His experiences caused him to analyse courage very thoughtfully and to decide that ultimately it stemmed from self-discipline. He was also strongly aware of moral courage, and recognized that this was sometimes needed in conditions which sorely taxed mere physical bravery.

Such situations were an almost daily occurrence for the members of the LRDG, which Lloyd Owen joined in July 1941. Born of the expertise of a handful of pre-war desert explorers, notably Ralph Bagnold, it ranged freely over North Africa, travelling hundreds of miles behind enemy lines to gather information for the 8th Army; in early 1942, the LRDG made a round trip of 1,500 miles in 19 days, much of it through completely featureless terrain.

Its troops navigated the sands with the help of the stars and a sun compass. They also knew how to negotiate treacherous surfaces, and to conserve water with special condensers, but above all they learned to read tracks so that they could tell how many vehicles, men or camels had gone in various directions.

After the SAS was formed in November 1941, it came to rely on the LRDG to assist it to its destinations - and then to recover its men rapidly when their work was done. But reconnaissance always remained the primary purpose of the LRDG. They did not seek confrontation, but when they encountered it often inflicted just as much damage as the SAS.

In his memoirs The Desert My Dwelling Place (1957) and Providence Their Guide (1980), Lloyd Owen recalled that sometimes men were isolated on these occasions and left behind, but then accomplished remarkable feats of endurance. Once nine men walked 200 miles back to base, fortified by a single packet of biscuits and a few mouthfuls of water. He also remembered the discomfort of lying on watch all night in the pouring rain, and the constant worries for the wounded and the sick when a patrol was hundreds of miles from help.

Lloyd Owen took command of the LRDG in the winter of 1943, when it was operating in the Aegean. The troops he led were of the finest quality, but were independent and would not accept anything but the best type of leadership. This he provided, but did so by making his men feel like his partners in a joint adventure. He had a friendly and rather relaxed style of command, based on persuasion and shared hardships. The mutual confidence this bred would reap an uncommonly rich dividend.

David Lanyon Lloyd Owen, the son of a captain in the Royal Navy, was born at Hampton, Middlesex, on October 10 1917. He was educated at Winchester and Sandhurst and was commissioned into The Queen's Royal Regiment in 1938. He began his military service in Palestine during the Arab rebellion. When the Italians moved towards Mersah Matruh, his regiment was sent to Egypt and in December 1940 he took part in Wavell's offensive, which reached Benghazi.

In March 1941 he was posted to the Middle East Officer Cadet Training Unit in Cairo, and to his disgust found himself in charge of administration. But he soon met a member of the Long Range Desert Group, and managed to join the unit. At first Lloyd Owen was somewhat surprised by the informality - even the sheer scruffiness - of his new comrades, but he quickly began to blend in.

In September 1942, he was severely wounded in an air raid on Kufra, the LRDG's base, but recovered in time for the final stages of the North African campaign. In May 1943 the LRDG was sent to Lebanon, where it was trained for a new role in mountain warfare. However, it was then unexpectedly posted to the Aegean. There it took part in the battle for Leros, where Lloyd Owen's predecessor as CO, Jake Easonsmith, was killed.

Having taken charge of the unit, Lloyd Owen based himself at Bari, in southern Italy, from which he mounted a successful raid on Corfu and staged operations in the Dalmatian islands and Yugoslavia. In September 1944, he was parachuted into Albania at night. Shortly after landing he fell 30 ft into a ravine and severely damaged his spine. The LRDG's doctor was parachuted in to set the back in plaster; he dropped with a bottle of whisky strapped to his leg, it being Lloyd Owen's birthday.

Despite being in continual pain, Lloyd Owen directed operations in the mountains for the next three months. As he became more mobile, he expanded his activities by adroit purchases of everything from mountain ponies to information. The only viable currency was gold, whose use brought its own risks. "I never felt really safe carrying 500 gold sovereigns," he recalled.

Eventually Lloyd Owen was evacuated to Italy, was successfully operated on, and told not to return to his former activities. But he managed to bluff his way past a medical board and returned to Albania, although this time by boat. The LRDG was eventually disbanded in June 1945. For his leadership in the Balkans, Lloyd Owen was awarded the DSO that year.

After the war, he had various appointments in Britain, including a period on the staff at Sandhurst. In 1952, he was appointed Military Assistant to the High Commissioner in Malaya. He then commanded the 1st Battalion of The Queen's Royal Regiment from 1957 to 1959. In the early 1960s he led 24 Infantry Brigade Group in Kenya and was then, from 1966 to 1968, GOC, Cyprus District. From 1968 to 1969 he was GOC, Near East Land Forces and, from 1969 to 1972, president of the Regular Commissions Board. He was appointed OBE in 1954 and CB in 1971.

David Lloyd Owen was a man of great charm, immaculate appearance (when not on operations) and remarkable skill and endurance. He won the admiration of the members of the LRDG - many of them tough Rhodesians and New Zealanders - not merely for his daring but also for his sheer stamina, as well as for his tactical knowledge and foresight.

In retirement, much of his time was given to the Long Range Desert Group Association, of which he was chairman from 1945 until its final reunion last year. He married, in 1957, Ursula Barclay. They had three sons.

Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) Preservation Society

[homefront41]

Another stunner, Andy! Thanks so much for spotlighting this unit and these men who served in such difficult-to-conquer spaces and danger beyond facing a human enemy. I'm collecting some more book titles. Thanks, buddy. BK