36: The Libyan Taxi Service - How the LRDG Delivered the SAS (Part 2)

The Libyan Taxi Service: How the LRDG Delivered the SAS (Part 2)

As the battle for North Africa raged, the Long Range Desert Group evolved from a small reconnaissance unit into a vital intelligence network operating deep behind Axis lines. In Part 2 of our series on the Militia Historia Podcast, we delve into the operational peak of the LRDG.

We explore how the unit expanded its ranks beyond the original New Zealand core to include highly capable Rhodesian, British, and Indian troops. This episode breaks down their most dangerous and strategically vital task: "road-watching." We examine the extreme discipline required to lie camouflaged just yards from the Via Balbia, secretly logging every movement of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel’s supply convoys and transmitting that intelligence back to the 8th Army.

We also cover the legendary partnership between the LRDG and David Stirling’s newly formed Special Air Service. Operating as the "Libyan Desert Taxi Service," the LRDG utilised their unparalleled navigational mastery to silently transport SAS saboteurs across hundreds of miles of hostile terrain, culminating in devastating surprise raids on German and Italian airfields.

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Series Music:

Written By Benjamin Sturley Performed By Salon Dijon Produced By Salon Dijon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.