ianjonesncl Posted 24 January , 2020 Share Posted 24 January , 2020 WWI Desert Rats - an article from Forces Network https://www.forces.net/stories/wwi-desert-rats-and-origins-special-forces Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 24 January , 2020 Share Posted 24 January , 2020 Nice link, thanks Ian Mersa Matruh is a name that the next generation of Desert Rats would certainly recognise This pic is captioned No.1 Car, No.3 Battery RR Armoured Cars at that place Note the top of the turret has been removed, very probably to improve ventilation and reduce the heat in the car when it was used in the desert photo from 'Rolls Royce and the Great Vicory' original pub. 1919 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david murdoch Posted 6 February , 2020 Share Posted 6 February , 2020 I'd certainly say the L.A.M.B units in the Middle East were a direct forerunner for the LRDG in WW2. In Mesopotamia they were used to get behind enemy lines to cut communications (telegraph wires) and cut off enemy troops. They also rescued downed pilots from well behind enemy lines, salvaged aircraft and sabotaged bridges and railways (Berlin to Baghdad).I've seen notes in a war diary of attacking enemy airfield (Tikrit if I remember rightly). In addition the business end of Lawrence operations were the Machine Gun Corps (Motors) of the Hejaz armoured cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 6 February , 2020 Share Posted 6 February , 2020 Is that between Aqaba and Petra, David? If so, this is what the area looked like in 2014. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david murdoch Posted 7 February , 2020 Share Posted 7 February , 2020 I believe it is the place, as the hill looks very like it. They also had a camp called "Tooth Hill" for obvious reasons (location discovered just a few years ago) that was directly east of Aqaba. In the picture I posted earlier they are obviously camped and also you can see a wind sock so likely a good place for temporary airstrip. The ground looks pretty decent for the cars. Both there and in Mesopotamia the armoured cars worked closely with the RFC. My grandfather who was in a L.A.M.B unit did some back seat flying in an RE8 of 63 Squadron. The picture with the plane is in Mesopotamia - 14th L.A.M.B bringing in a Martinsyde Elephant that had been forced down by the German air force in Palestine and then re used by the Turks in Mesopotamia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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