long range desert group reconnaissance raiding unit british_army second world war originally called unit founded egypt june major acting direction general assisted captain captain majority men new_zealand soon joined southern british volunteers new sub units formed changed better known long range desert group numbered men volunteers formed specifically carry deep penetration covert reconnaissance patrols intelligence missions italian lines engaged combat operations experts desert navigation assigned guide units including secret agents desert desert campaign december april vehicles operated constantly axis lines missing total days entire period possibly notable offensive action operation attack town associated airfield night september vital role road watch monitored traffic main road tripoli intelligence surrender axis forces tunisia changed roles moved operations eastern mediterranean carrying missions greek islands italy balkans end war europe leaders request unit transferred far_east conduct operations request declined disbanded august formation war major learned maintain operate vehicles navigate communicate desert june met general commander alexandria explained concept group men intended undertake long range reconnaissance patrols gather intelligence italian lines libya general familiar desert warfare having liaison officer world war understood endorsed suggested concept assisted force unit initially known founded july wanted men energetic innovative self reliant physically mentally tough able live fight desert felt new_zealand farmers possess attributes given permission approach 2nd volunteers half division volunteered officers ranks including administrative technical personnel eventually selected coming 27th machine gun battalion men recruited started training desert survival techniques desert driving navigation additional training radio communications initially form units known patrols doubling strength allowed addition new november changed long range desert group new joined volunteers british southern regiments british volunteers came regiments incorporated patrols original patrol unit consisted officers ranks equipped ford imperial cwt truck chevrolet cwt trucks march new types trucks issued patrol units split half patrols officer men vehicles patrol incorporated medical orderly navigator radio operator vehicle mechanic manned truck equipped role patrols long range patrol comprised man headquarters command sub units patrol commanded captain patrol commanded captain patrol commanded captain edward cecil patrols combat units patrol intended support unit november reorganised designated expanded patrols patrols joined patrols patrol expected belong regimental group regiments formed patrols respectively men patrol drawn 2nd battalion scots guards command captain patrol men drawn command captain additional men december patrol disbanded personnel bring patrols strength patrol took vehicles june organised squadrons new_zealand squadron patrols squadron patrols headquarters section signals survey light repair sections heavy section initially equipped ton trucks provide logistical support transporting supplies bases setting hidden points pre arranged locations addition air section transported key personnel evacuated wounded performed liaison tasks august artillery unit formed attack italian forts effectively initially inch carried ton truck accompanying light tank armoured observation post handed unit issued pounder successfully attacking capturing fort truck abandoned experiment ended squadrons october expanded patrols simple method splitting existing patrols half patrols new formed squadron comprising patrols british formed squadron comprising patrols patrol disbanded september months service squadrons joined december formed volunteers 2nd 3rd organized ethnic religious lines patrols originally known patrols designations changed avoid confusion october indian patrols formed muslim patrols patrols demolition squadron commanded major briefly attached december vehicles patrol adopted markings patrol green red tongue painted right vehicle left place beginning letter example patrol vehicles black green grass starting example corresponding places patrol vehicles word starting painted vehicles british patrol vehicles carried distinctive markings vehicles guards insignia took patrol vehicles unit disbanded patrol vehicles slightly different half patrol vehicles names famous drinking establishments north half patrol names books example left vehicle headquarters section sequence letters arranged square photo patrol vehicles names connection salisbury painted left vehicles practice naming replacement vehicles dropped equipment vehicles vehicles mainly wheel drive chosen lighter fuel wheel drive stripped non including doors roofs fitted bigger system built leaf springs harsh terrain wide low pressure desert tyres sand channels plus map containers sun compass devised wireless trucks special compartments built house wireless equipment initially patrols equipped ford cwt truck commander rest patrol chevrolet cwt trucks march cwt replaced ford cwt ways step wheel drive heavier twice fuel turn reduced range patrol march progressively replaced canadian chevrolet specially ordered july began issued patrol commander patrol sergeant weapons patrol vehicles initially armed lewis machine guns boys anti tank rifles anti tank gun distributed vehicles december vehicle armaments improved patrol example vickers machine guns lewis guns boys anti tank guns vickers gun heavy vickers machine gun mounted rear vehicle unit vehicles armed gun vehicle fitted gun normally use army supplied weapons equipped surplus royal_air_force raf aircraft guns acquired high rate fire widely machine gun mounted pairs acquired raf stocks mounted pairs combined rate fire rounds minute new vehicles issued march converted carry captured dual purpose replaced half patrol equipped gun truck september heavy machine gun began replace vickers machine guns boys anti tank rifle men carried standard british second world war small arms short magazine lee primary rifle small arms carried thompson guns pistols types hand grenade mills bomb anti tank truck outfitted lee rifle attachment cup able fire mills rifle grenade laid land mines common explosives bombs custom weapon nobel destroy aircraft targets sticky bombs destroy enemy vehicles italian small arms utilised including pistols german gun italian machine guns communications radio operators new radio operators men skilled communications able maintain repair equipment outside help occasions broken radio prevent patrol communicating headquarters patrols included vehicle equipped wireless set non military model receiver set designed use tanks receiver circuits expected use set transmit receive miles miles use feet feet code able transmit great distances antenna system attached feet rod antenna mounted truck adequate miles greater distances system feet tall poles disadvantage system took time erect work correct antenna length relatively safe area power set extra batteries carried radio vehicles receiver monitor mean time time checks vital desert navigation lead vehicles patrol commanders flew small flag organised divisional cavalry lines leaders carried green flags troop black troop yellow troop red organised vehicle patrols simplified green flag displaying patrol letter white later half patrols plain green flag occasion necessary change course intended route event enemy action patrol movements controlled simple flag system blue white signal flags hand signals depending widely dispersed trucks navigation trucks equipped sun compass trucks equipped tank compass patrol navigator rode second truck formation equipped astronomical position tables plot star sightings maps watches adjusted evening time check major problem faced early lack accurate maps libya particular patrols surveys maps route took july survey section formed carry task history area operations desert stretches miles south mediterranean mountains miles valley east mountains tunisia algeria west paved roads non existent small tracks pathways crossed area daytime temperatures reach night drop freezing water area found number small vegetation grows patrol began italian invasion egypt patrol commanded captain set september carry reconnaissance finding trace italians turned south attacked fuel aircraft italian convoy carrying supplies patrol commanded captain main route drove south meet patrol units returned base having captured italian trucks official mail italian response raids reduce line forces increase number troops area men september november december patrols left cairo crossed desert northwest arrival met representatives free french forces january carried joint raid italian fort hours fighting fort remained italian hands adjoining airfield destroyed units withdrew southwards free french post january intercepted italian unit similar valley man killed men captured including major trucks destroyed battle italians losses killed wounded truck abandoned members escaped walking miles safety days food water patrol arrived egypt february covered miles experiencing loss trucks enemy action mechanical vehicle broken rear axle towed miles repaired total casualties dead captured major awarded operation compass ended italians forced decided cairo libya time expanded addition patrols command general april ordered reinforce area patrol based patrol headquarters patrol free french command detached patrols based command air link created occupation major value aircraft reconnaissance liaison evacuating wounded flights cairo aircraft fitted long range fuel tanks flew flew appointed general staff cairo august given command began series patrols axis lines near end july patrol left desert south patrol truck managed observe main coastal road axis traffic passing followed weeks later patrol carried similar reconnaissance oasis patrols returned safely discovered august patrol relieved patrols joined patrol october command november command newly formed moved central libya patrols given task watching desert tracks south report signs reinforcements patrol pick captain men lines raid airfields west men arrived rendezvous returned british lines later nucleus roles assigned transport units enemy lines continued issued transport early november patrol took british officers return collect weeks later officers advance land party planned kill general november support ordered attack axis rear areas patrol patrols attacked targets area damaged vehicles transport park captured small fort italians patrols attacked targets area ambushed vehicles patrols assigned main road near attacks road traffic shot vehicles axis forces withdrew moved base oasis miles south south east operations december twice ferried raids axis airfields attacking airfields twice destroying aircraft vehicles second raid devised new method attacking parked aircraft drove trucks rows aircraft engaged machine guns hand grenades prior procedure quietly infiltrate airfield place bombs aircraft vehicles leaving bombs exploded attack successful preferred method attacking airfields road watch based took known road watch tripoli road patrols engaged road watch duties time watching road week days route relieve returning having relieved site road watch miles marble arch monument road watch patrol park miles away road trucks camouflage nets local foliage sand dawn day men position yards road day record details vehicles troop movements night yards road guess type vehicles passing sound outline daylight relieved pair men took day road watch tanks large number troops seen passing radio headquarters immediately time enemy reached line cairo know coming patrol relieved transmit details seen lose men vehicles road watch close encounters march patrol surrounded convoy vehicles men stopped night vehicles road watch ongoing patrols attacking targets stretches tripoli road planting mines attacking vehicles machine gun fire road kept constant observation clock march july fall forced withdraw june squadron withdrew cairo resupply moved squadron moved holding line plans submitted attack axis supply lines ports september attack land sea operation agreement attack capture oasis guide attacking forces targets time force attack operation force consisted vehicles men patrols travel miles reach target arrival patrol attacked airfield barracks attack airfield destroyed aircraft according italian prisoner war official italian figures quote aircraft destroyed seven damaged september ceased command came direct command final operation north_africa tunisia guided 2nd march post operations sent lebanon mountain warfare following italian armistice sent islands serve normal infantry later took commanding officer killed replaced battle new officers approximately men withdrawn returned division december organised squadrons patrols patrol contained officer ranks major given command major patrols north rome obtain information german troop movements carried raids august patrols yugoslavia patrol destroyed feet spans large railway bridge caused widespread disruption movement german troops supplies commanding officer lieutenant colonel owen team men albania september mission follow german retreat assist resistance groups attacking october patrols area greece mined road retreating germans destroying vehicles blocking road firing stranded convoy adjacent directed raf aircraft destroy rest convoy end war europe leaders request unit transferred far_east conduct operations request declined disbanded august legacy long range desert group disbanded end second world war comparable british_army units today mobility troops regular army squadrons mobility troop like specialists vehicles trained advanced level motor mechanics fix problem vehicles experts desert warfare second world war units represented wartime units represented include regiments wartime erected permanent memorial barracks august honour boards containing details new_zealand soldier served unveiled chevrolet trucks displayed london presented museum recovered desert retired chairman association preserved condition discovered largely intact media appearances lost libya search long range desert group historians new_zealand switzerland italy travelled libya track trucks abandoned encounter italian equivalent minute documentary traced journey includes seen archival film action aired day april
Long Range Desert Group