In September 1940, a small group of British operatives embarked on a daring mission deep into the uncharted Libyan desert, enduring temperatures soaring to 50 degrees Celsius and the relentless Qibli wind carrying scorching sand. Operating hundreds of miles behind enemy lines, these rugged patrols targeted Italian positions, destroying equipment and fuel depots at two airstrips before intercepting Italian supply trucks on their way to the garrison at Kufra. The patrol’s first engagement involved firing a British Lewis gun, halting the convoy and resulting in the capture of two Italian soldiers, five Arabs, a goat, 2,500 gallons of petrol, and a valuable cache of intelligence in the form of official mail.

This episode took place nearly a year before the formation of the Special Air Service (SAS), often credited with pioneering such irregular desert warfare. The unit responsible was the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG), whose members operated covertly and innovatively in harsh desert conditions. The LRDG is increasingly recognized as a direct precursor to the SAS, having developed techniques and strategies that remain foundational to modern special forces operations.

At the heart of the LRDG’s story is Ralph Bagnold, an engineer and desert explorer largely unknown outside military circles. Born in 1896, Bagnold was initially an unlikely figure for such frontline work: shy, slight in build, with a stutter. After serving in the trenches during World War I and studying engineering at Cambridge, he was posted to Egypt in 1925. There, his fascination with desert landscapes flourished. Unlike others who frequented Cairo’s nightlife, Bagnold and a small group of officers from the Royal Engineers, the Royal Corps of Signals, and the Royal Tank Corps ventured on extensive expeditions across the desert using modified vehicles.

These journeys included pioneering traverses of the Sinai Peninsula and a 400-mile drive to the remote Siwa Oasis. They also founded the Zerzura Club in 1930, dedicated to the search for a fabled oasis deep in the Libyan Desert. Bagnold accomplished the first east-west crossing of the entire Libyan Desert, gaining invaluable knowledge that would inform subsequent military operations.

Drawing on his own decade of experience with the Special Boat Service, former commando Steve “Titch” Cormack has chronicled Bagnold’s contributions in his book, SAS 101. Cormack notes that while technological advancements have transformed special operations equipment and weaponry, many foundational desert warfare tactics introduced by the LRDG remain core to contemporary special forces training. These include long-range desert navigation, intelligence gathering, covert strikes against strategic targets, and pathfinding for conventional military forces.

The Long Range Desert Group’s pioneering spirit and operational methods laid the groundwork for later special forces units, demonstrating remarkable ingenuity and resilience in some of the world’s most hostile environments.