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Products mentioned in this Article
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When war broke out, Bagnold convinced General
Archibald Wavell, the commander of the Middle East Command, to let him
form a scouting force that would operate in the deep desert. He found a
wealth of volunteers in the New Zealand Division who were bored out of
their minds sitting around with nothing to do except drill.
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Bagnold selected about 90 of the volunteers and organised them into
the Long Range Patrol (LRP). However, the unit was quickly expanded and
renamed the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG). They were equipped with
specially modified Ford and Chevorlet trucks, each fitted with a sun
dial compass for desert navigation. |
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The new patrols included Guards, Rhodesian,
and British units organised into two squadrons. The LRDG also received a
Heavy Section, which experimented with transporting heavy equipment,
such as a 25 pdr artillery piece and light tanks, into the deep desert. While these weapons gave their opponents
great concern, the logistics of maintaining them was too great a
challenge and the project was eventually abandoned in 1942. |
The LRDG conducted a successful campaign in North
Africa, hitting enemy supply convoys, raiding airfields, and conducting
important ‘Road Watch’ missions where they simply recorded all enemy
movement and reported it back to Alexandria. |
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After the North African campaign, the LRDG was
retrained in mountain warfare and fought on Leros, one of the Dodecanese
islands between Greece and the western coast of Turkey, the Dalmatian
Islands, Corfu, and even into Albania and Yugoslavia. The legacy of the
LRDG established the foundation for many of the modern special forces in
operation today.
Designed by Evan Allen
Painted by James Brown
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Last Updated On Friday, December 14, 2012 by Blake at Battlefront
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