![]() The SAS were trained as parachutists but the unit’s first drop behind enemy lines in November 1941 was a disaster, with one third of the unit killed or captured. Nonetheless, the SAS consisted initially of only 5 officers and 60 men. ![]() Around July 1942, following the entry of the US into the war, the patrol commanding officer and the leading patrol sergeant were equipped with Willys Jeeps.Įstablished in July 1941, the SAS was so named as part of a deception plan to convince the Axis that a full parachute regiment was in the region. The trucks were stripped down to reduce weight with the roof, doors and other amenities removed and larger radiators installed. Some trucks were mounted with the Boys Anti Tank Rifles and the more effective, but increasingly obsolescent, 37mm Bofors gun. The vehicles of choice were Ford or Chevrolet 30 cwt trucks that were armed with a variety of machine guns, such as the Lewis Gun, Vickers. This was later reduced to 1 officer and 15 other ranks in six vehicles. Patrols were initially composed of 2 officers and 28 non-commissioned and enlisted men, in 11 specially modified trucks. The LRDG was divided into Squadrons, in the manner of cavalry regiments, and these Squadrons were divided into Patrols, the size of which fluctuated throughout the desert campaign. It frequently operated from a base in the Jalo Oasis, in central Libya at the edge of the Great Sand Sea, and at other times from the Siwa Oasis in southern Egypt. One of the remarkable aspects of the LRDG is the enormous amount of time it spent behind enemy lines. The LRDG reflected this diversity and initially most of the Group were New Zealanders and were soon joined by recruits from Indian and Rhodesian regiments, in addition to soldiers from British Army units. The Eighth Army as a whole was a diverse army, with entire divisions from Australia, New Zealand, India, Rhodesia, and South Africa. If one sifts through the growing literature of histories of the British Special Forces during World War II, it seems that all authors are contractually obligated to note that the British military establishment looked with disfavor on special forces as “private armies.” Despite this alleged disfavor, the number of special raiding forces grew, especially in the Western Desert campaign. The LRDG was a volunteer force, and it had at its peak 350 members. His sister is a little more famous as the novelist who wrote National Velvet. He also created the Bagnold sun compass, which was superior to other sun compasses and unlike magnetic compasses was not affected by the metal of the vehicles and could be used while driving. Bagnold had had a pre-war career as a geologist and explorer, crossing the Libyan desert in the 1930’s using automobiles. This article will focus on the LRDG, with a subsequent article examining the SAS.įormed in July 1940, by Major Ralph Bagnold, and originally called the Long Range Patrol, the LRDG grew and changed to its more well known name. The LRDG, until recently, remained largely unknown. The SAS was reconstituted after the war ended and remained an obscure special forces unit until the SAS made world news during the Iranian Embassy hostage rescue on May 5 th 1980. The Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) and the Special Air Service (SAS) were two special reconnaissance and commando units created during the Western Desert campaign and unlike the television Rat Patrol were composed of UK and Commonwealth troops. The source of inspiration for the show was however quite real. The Rat Patrol was a fun show unburdened by historical accuracy or probability. ![]() A recurring opponent was a German captain, a cross between a Teutonic Wiley Coyote and the Good German trope of the 1960’s. 50 calibre machine guns, would destroy larger and better armed Afrika Korps convoys. Each week, three Americans and an Englishman, roaring around the desert in American Jeeps armed with Browning. One of the most popular shows for the 1966-1968 TV seasons was The Rat Patrol, a show in color, set in North Africa during 1942-1943. In the 1960’s there was a wave of TV shows, mostly in black and white, set during World War II. The Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) and the Special Air Service (SAS) were the inspiration for a kitschy American TV show of the 1960’s. A heavily armed jeep patrol from “L” Detachment SAS. ![]()
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