Bagnold learns of the loss of Clayton on the 1st of February 1941, and learns of the disastrous
engagement with the Italian Auto Saharan Company the next day. Five men had been killed, three
wounded, and three captured. Four of the “dead” men are from Moore’s party, who have their
own epic journey to complete, but this is unknown to Bagnold, who feels deeply troubled
by this loss.
Equally concerning, Clayton’s papers and cipher are also captured. On the 3rd of February,
the Italians use the cipher to send a series of bogus messages to the LRDG, which just
raise smiles in the group, but concern Bagnold nonetheless.
The good news is that by this point, O’Connor’s Western Desert Force has advanced 500 miles,
beaten the Italian 10th Army, and has captured scores of prisoners, equipment and material.
The British are now at El Agheila, and despite the fact that there is little opposition left,
and that O’Connor wants to go all the way and throw the Italians out of North Africa
for good, Churchill thinks otherwise. Churchill orders Wavell to stop the advance and transfer
the bulk of his forces to Greece. This leaves General Neame in charge of the now weakened
British force at El Agheila.
General Wavell commiserates Bagnold over the loss of Clayton, and to raise his spirits,
asks him to write about the LRDG for the newspapers. Britain, suffering under the Blitz, needs
a morale boost. A few days later, Bagnold’s account appears in the newspapers and is an
instant hit.
The BBC also gets involved and the LRDG became the most famous and most romantic unit of
the North African Campaign. They became instantly recognizable as the BBC showed them in their
Arab headdress… even though they only wore them during a sandstorm or used them “as
a dishcloth”. Once the cameras are gone, they revert to their cap comforter.
Bagnold and a few others also appear on the radio in New Zealand. One of the New Zealand
soldiers (Cyril Aire) reassures everyone at home that he has plenty of rum to drink.
But despite this publicity, there’s no getting around the fact that the LRDG had suffered
a serious blow. Clayton is gone. And Bagnold has to find a replacement. On the 16th of
February, Guy Prendergast comes from England to join Bagnold as his second-in-command,
and a proper Group HQ is organised. A general reorganisation of the LRDG takes place. It
now consists of two squadrons.
Steele’s B Squadron is formed using the New Zealand patrols. After the success of
the Murzuk operation, New Zealand General Freyberg decides that the New Zealand Patrols
can remain with the LRDG - and that they should be kept up to full strength. T and R Patrols are
therefore saved and are now under Steele’s command. Mitford’s A Squadron receives G
Patrol and the newly formed S Patrol, named after the Southern Rhodesians who formed its
ranks. This is created at the end of January 1941. And Mitford also receives a “Y”
Patrol, which comes into being on the 25th of February 1941. This is under the command
of Pat McCraith.
Called “Y” Patrol, because it was drawn from the Yeomanry regiments of 1st Cavalry
Division, this patrol has a rough beginning. The 1st Cavalry Division have been sent from
England to Palestine, complete with their horses, and were neither use nor ornament
there. The men sent to Bagnold were so bad, that Bagnold sent 24 of the 32 recruits back
to their regiments. Bad characters - they had been sent by their units just to get rid
of them - and were simply unsuitable for the task. Their units wanted rid of them, and
so did Bagnold. But eight were taken on.
What the LRDG lacked most, was skilled navigators.
Luckily for Bagnold, one of the eight, was the man for the job.
A self-taught but skilled navigator, “Lofty” Carr, had to be escorted from his previous
unit as the commanding officer wasn’t willing to give Carr a helping hand. Outspoken and
intelligent, Carr had antagonized his officers, because they treated the war as if they were
out on a North Staffordshire Hunt. Carr’s prowess at navigation and his known reputation
in the Staffordshire Yeomanry made him the ideal candidate, and because of his height
and intelligence he soon earned the nickname “Lofty”. Lofty Carr would go on to be
an important character later, but for now, he had to learn the ropes.
The 8 new recruits were nicknamed “Bagnold's Blue-eyed Boys” by their new officer, Captain
McCraith, and were told to forget everything they’d learnt up to now because they weren’t
in the regular army any more. When one appears on parade in full riding breeches and shiny
boots, McCraith looks the soldier up and down in mocking silence, before telling him
to get changed.
McCraith had to go off in search of more men with the qualities that impressed Bagnold.
Eventually, by March 1941, “Y” Patrol has its full complement of thirty-two men.
Bagnold doesn’t want thugs - he wants ordinary men with the right frame of mind for the job.
And that’s exactly what he got. Another of the men enrolled at this point was Trooper
Cave, who we’ll come back to shortly.
In addition to the manpower changes, most of the 30-cwt Chevrolet trucks are worn out
after travelling thousands of miles in the desert. It’s unprofitable to waste time
repairing them so they have to be replaced. But there simply wasn’t the option to replace
them like for like, and there was nothing else in the desert except for new Ford 30-cwt
four-wheeled drive trucks. 70 of these new trucks are given to the LRDG in February
and it takes nearly a month of modification before they’re considered desert-worthy.
The new paint camouflage includes the colour Pink, which is effective at dawn and dusk
as it blends in with the haze from the sun.
Bagnold isn’t impressed by the new trucks though. Not only would there be complications
because of the front wheel drive, but their greater weight is also of concern. The men
also prefer the Chevrolets because they’re easier to handle and because they have a bonnet.
With the Fords, the men get a blast of hot air in their face as they're riding, making
it an uncomfortable drive.
While the LRDG is being reorganised and re equiped, important events happened in the
south.
General Leclerc advances on Kurfa, and the Italian Auto-Saharan Company decides to flee.
The Italians in the fort continue to hold on for a little while longer, but on the 1st
of March, 10 years and 40 days after they first occupied the Libyan oasis, the Italians
are thrown out of Kufra. Kufra surrenders to the Free French. 64 Italians and 650 Libyans,
together with large quantities of arms and ammunition, fall into French hands. Leclerc’s
capture of Kufra is to be a great boon for the LRDG, who used it in the following two
years as a base and forward supply point.
Bagnold is made commander of the Kufra Garrison. In order
to ensure its safety, B Squadron has to be used on static observation duties at Tazerbo
and Zighen.
The main issue for the LRDG in Kufra is the lack of fuel. It’s 800 miles from Cairo
across the desert, so by the end of the journey there is little fuel left to supply the Patrols
who were needing it so badly. Therefore, the LRDG at Kufra spent much of the summer months
on garrison duties and protecting Kufra - as there were no other troops to do this. They
also focused on keeping itself supplied with petrol and rations, as well as training.
But Mitford’s A Squadron, with Guards and Yeomanry Patrols, are kept busy from their
base at Siwa. They keep an eye on the country to the south of the Gebel Akhdar, which is
the fertile hilly area of Cyrenaica. But in April, the situation changes.
As a consequence of Italian failure in North Africa, Hitler sends a new force to help out
his ally. In late February 1941, Rommel and his new 5th Light Division arrives in Libya
and in early April, Rommel disobeys his orders and attacks.
Mitford operates in a close reconnaissance role during the enemy advance. A Squadron
is ordered to Barce - about 70 miles north-east of Benghazi. When Rommel attacks, Mitford
leaves Barce on the 1st of April, heading south to Msus. Unfortunately, half of Crichton-Stuart’s
G Patrol, including Crichton-Stuart himself, become cut off from the rest of the squadron.
Unable to raise Mitford on the wireless, their only source of information comes from the
BBC on the radio. Crichton-Stuart listens to the announcer, who becomes ominously vaguer
as time goes on. After the fall of Agedabia, the announcer only refers to the situation
as “fluid”.
Mitford’s portion are around ten miles east of Msus when they spot a number of vehicles
coming their way. Lofty Carr recalls McCraith giving them a talk earlier on saying that
they weren’t in the cavalry any more and they weren’t to charge the enemy. But when
they spot the six trucks coming towards them, McCraith immediately shouts “Charge!”
The enemy vehicles turn and flee, and the LRDG give chase. Firing their vickers and
Lewis-guns, they can’t hear McCraith screaming “stop!” as they drive past little red
flags in the sand. McCraith is stood up waving his arms, as his car takes off into the air
and crashes down, having hit an AR-4 Italian mine. The AR-4 mine was nicknamed a thermos
bomb by the British troops because it looks like a thermos flask. Luckily, the only harm
to the truck is a blown rear tyre. However, McCraith breaks his arm and hand in several
places and knocks out his teeth. Worse, that night Mitford calls Cyrenaica Command and
is informed that the vehicles they’d chased belonged to an Indian cavalry regiment. So
McCraith loses his teeth for nothing.
The next day, Mitford leads his men to Msus - currently held by the Free French - and
evacuate McCraith. Mitford places Gibbs in command of Y Patrol - which Y Patrol weren’t
particularly happy with as they don’t like traditional British officers, like Gibbs.
Gibbs wouldn’t make small talk with his men, and earned no respect from them.
On the 4th of April, Mitford moves the squadron south-east, and they camp for the night about
eighty miles east of Msus. The next day they move north towards Mechili. During these moves
they spot no sign of enemy ground troops, even though German and Italian forces were
moving through Msus towards Mechili. By the evening of the 5th, Mitford loses contact
with Cyrenaica Command. His last order is to move the squadron to Mechili, so Mitford
does as instructed. At Mechili, he places himself under the command of the brigadier
in charge of the Indian motorized brigade. They’re defending the town from a force
of Italians attacking from the south. Finally in the late afternoon of the 5th of April,
Crichton-Stuart makes contact with Mitford, who says he’s at Mechili and surrounded
by the enemy. He advises Crichton-Stuart to head to Jarabub. Dismayed by the news, Crichton-Stuart
faithfully heads towards Jarabub, leaving Mitford to his fate.
Mitford is ordered to attack the enemy on their western flank. He splits the Squadron
and goes off “hunting”. Mitford captures an Italian officer, while Gibbs skirmishes
with an enemy HQ. During this period, one of the trucks was disabled by a stone that
damages the radiator. Loft Carr and Trooper Cave drive the truck to Mechili, and Trooper
Cave stays with it while it is being repaired in the workshops of an Indian motorized brigade.
As Cave waits, Lofty and the rest of the unit meet up again on the night of the 6th of April
four miles south-west of Mechili.
One of the men spot a tank in the distance. Their Boys anti-tank rifle is ineffectual
over 100 yards, but they decide to give it a try anyway. Firing two shots, the enemy
responds by firing a shell back at them. Thankfully, it misses.
Mitford continues communication with the brigadier inside Mechili and agrees to continue harassing
the Italian flanks. Throughout the 7th of April, the squadron skirmishes with the Italians,
and at one point, opens fire on a forty-strong column of German vehicles. Two enemy trucks
are knocked out and four prisoners taken. Having earned some success, that evening the
squadron camp six miles west of Mechili.
At 0600hrs on April 8th, the Germans attack Mechili in force and overwhelmed the Allied
forces there. Trooper Cave as well as 1,500 other Allied troops are taken prisoner. Cave
vows to escape, but there’s little he can do for the time being. Some of the men offer
to go rescue Cave, but Mitford dismisses the attempt and decides to withdraw. Using the
terrain and aided by a sudden sandstorm, A Squadron withdrew east, and by the evening
of the 8th they were forty miles east of Mechili.
Here they find a column of German artillery in 50 vehicles camped in a depression. Early
next morning, A Squadron creeps up behind a ridge and gets behind them. With the German
guns are facing the wrong way, Mitford signals with his hand, and the LRDG open fire. In
a short sharp engagement, they “obliterate” the Germans, and flee the scene.
Crichton-Stuart arrives at Jarabub on the morning of the 10th of April. The French officer
there treats the patrol to a lavish meal, but just after they finish eating, the alarm
is sounds. The Patrol seize their weapons and rush to the battlements, as though they’re
in a western film. They prepare to fire on the vehicles approaching from the north. Crichton-Stuart
peers through his binoculars and, in the nick of time, identifies them.
Mitford arrives with Y Patrol and the other half of G Patrol. Reunited, they spend two
days at Jarabub. Here they rest before they head off east to Siwa, knowing they did all
they could to help hurt the Germans. Then they get a nice surprise. At Siwa they meet
back up with Trooper Cave. He had escaped and walk over two hundred miles through the
desert to safety. The LRDG is really the only success story of this period of the Western
Desert Campaign, apart from maybe the siege of Tobruk. If you haven’t seen my video
on Rommel’s First Desert Offensive, you’ll find the links on the screen or in the description
below. Thanks for watching, bye for now.