Murzuq Airfield

This Blog will go a bit quiet over the festive season and right through January. I am heading off to Libya on 28th December with a group of Archaeologists - a trip I have now completed eight times! Quite by chance though, this year, one of the areas of study is around Murzuq. The LRDG raid on the Murzuq Airfield is judged to be their most daring and successful. Bagnold had enlisted the help and support of the Free French in Chad. The French drove north from Fort Lamy under the leadership of Colonel d’Ornano and Clayton and took an LRDG group comprising 76 men and 23 trucks, 1000 miles southwest from Cairo. The attack took the enemy completely by surprise and destroyed the airfield and all of the ‘planes there. I can see no evidence of the airfield on Google Earth, but will try and find whatever may be left.

Thanks to P. Mrazek for the photo of the old fort, downloaded from Google.
Other photos are Murzuq from Space - Google, and my Land Rover taken last year by Katja Schorle, heading out into the Ubari Sand Sea.

If you go down to the woods today.

A little late, but here is the film we shot in Matt's Woodland last week. It was freezing, but both Jeeps performed well. The Willy's is now ready for an MOT test (after a wash), then it can be registered and used on the road up until our departure date

Delighted to confirm we now have two confirmed guests for our unique Desert Adventure.

With a little help from our friends.

Fans of the Desert, and I mean real desert, living in the West are a small but very dedicated bunch. Always keen to help fellow travellers with snippets of information about shipping, waypoints, border crossings and that all important answer to the question, ‘How’s the going?’ Since launching this Blog and the main web site about our plans I am indebted to many and feel compelled to list them here.

From Jonathan and Roseann Hanson in Arizona, USA: This sounds a great trip. Good luck from both of us here at ConserVentures and Overland Expo.

From Lois Pryce in London. Ooh! That looks amazing. If you can cope with any more excitement after that it would be great to see you at our film festival in Devon Adventure Travel Film Festival.

From Robert Twigger in Cairo: ‘Your trip looks brilliant! We can give it a shout from our blog at theexplorerschool - if you want.’

From Doug Manzer in Alberta, USA: ‘Looked through your plans for the LRDG and am pretty envious.  The mere thought of bumping along in Rat Patrol form is exciting!’

From Mike Van Pelt in the USA: ‘Your trip looks fascinating! I would love to make the trip with you. www.globalxvehicles.com

From Martin Sohms in London: ‘Your trip will certainly go down in history... I would like to do the training day, that way I can say I at least contributed to it.’ www.africa-overland.net

From Chris Scott somewhere in Europe : ‘Avoid container shipping unless you have a quarter of a million tons of iron ore!’ (We are now taking the ferry - Venice to Alex) sahara overland

Kit Constable Maxwell in U.K: ‘Give my regards to Richard Noble when you see him, we had a great trip together on that Murzuq expedition. Good luck and kind regards, Kit. Kitmax.com

From Alan Hall in London: I have also seen a possibly ex-Italian vehicle just south of the Gilf and not far from that Cloverleaf Chevy. I’ll send you the co-ordinates.’

From Filip De Pauw in Belgium: ‘This year I drove the new BF Goodrich Mud Terrain's 245/75/16 on my LR Discovery and I past all the dunes (even where the Toyota 80’ and 100’s got stuck!) at 900 gram pressure, without any problem.’

From Paul Cordle at Michelin: ‘We have them (set of 5 x 205 - 80 - R16, XZL's) in stock. it's not a problem to have another lot.’

From Brian B*****g. US Military: ‘Over the past ** years I've had the honour to fly top cover for ******, modern day versions of the LRDG while they are on patrol & would love to see where it all began in Egypt. Expedition Portal

From Ray Bird in UK: ‘I have just retuned from Angras Zboray,s similar trip which went well in spite of the +10 police { they help when one gets stuck !!! ]  We also crossed the 70 odd sand ridges between Big Cairn and Ain Duilla , no trouble.’

From Michelle Forrest in UK: ‘I was doing some research on the LRDG and came across your web site following a Google search for my Grandfather, Harry Harrison who I believed was in the group.

The photo shows Mahmoud's Land Rover being pushed on our last Gilf Expedition in 2003. Mahmoud is behind the wheel, watched by Lootfi. Pushing are Kevin White and Rich Washington. It the hat is Issa - the coolest guy in the Desert.