Helion & Company The Long Range Desert Group - History & Legacy - Helion & Company via Casemate UK

[Julien]

The Long Range Desert Group - History & Legacy

ISBN : 9781911628880

Helion & Company via Casemate UK

 

 

Not everyone has heard of the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG), however most will have heard of the unit they went on to inspire the SAS. Unlike the SAS the LRDG was primarily a reconnaissance and intelligence unit. The were formed in the Western Desert in June of 1940 by Major RA Bagnold from volunteers who at the time were primarily from the New Zealand forces stationed there.  It was a small tight knit unit that operated for the most behind enemy lines supplying much needed intelligence to Army HQ, they did though engage in some offensive action, one notable one was the attack on the Italian airfield at Barce after a journey of 1155 miles! Here they destroyed or damaged 32 Italian bombers. 

 

 

This book is not a pure history of the LRDG ( there are these in Casemate's stable of titles if you want one) but a look at what it must have been like. The authors took to modern day Egypt in period Jeeps to look at the situation on the ground and to follow in the footsteps (or Jeep tracks) of the LRDG. While doing this they look into what the LRDG were doing and how they managed to accomplish it. It is strange to learn the LRDG actually acquired its first Jeeps from ones the SAS had abandoned in the desert.  

 

 

The book not only includes original black and white photos, but colours ones from the modern expedition including LRGD wrecks still in the western desert. Original LRDG training notes as well as modern tips for extreme travellers are included. The book in A5 Hard back and 130 pages long.

 

Conclusion

This book will give the reader an understanding of what it was like to operate in the western desert as the LRDG did. This is much more than a straight "history" of the LRDG, it looks into what was actually involved in these deep missions into the desert and kind of men it took to undertake them. Very highly recommended. 

 

 

 

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