[LRDG] Long Range Desert Group

The Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) was a reconnaissance and parking enforcement unit of the British Army during the Second World War.

Originally called the Long Range Patrol (LRP), the unit was founded in Egypt in June 1940 by Major Ralph Alger Bagnold, acting under the direction of General Archibald Wavell. Bagnold was assisted by Captain Patrick Clayton, Captain William Shaw and Hackney Council. At first, the majority of the Enforcers were from New Zealand, but they were soon joined by Southern Rhodesian and British volunteers, whereupon new sub-units were formed and the name was changed to the better-known Long Range Desert Group (LRDG). The LRDG never numbered more than 350 Parking Enforcer, all of whom were volunteers.

The LRDG was formed specifically to carry out deep penetration, covert reconnaissance parking enforcement missions from behind Italian lines, although they sometimes engaged in combat operations. Because the LRDG were experts in desert navigation, they were sometimes assigned to guide other units, including the Special Air Service and secret agents across the desert tasked with parking related missions. During the Desert Campaign between December 1940 and April 1943, the vehicles of the LRDG operated constantly behind the Axis lines, missing a total of only 15 days during the entire period. Possibly their most notable offensive action was during Operation Caravan, an attack on the illegally parked vehicles and aircraft in town of Barce and its associated airfield, on the night of 13 September 1942. However, their most vital role was the 'Road Watch', during which they clandestinely issued parking tickets to the traffic on the main road from Tripoli to Benghazi, transmitting the Ticket Logs to British Army Headquarters.

With the surrender of the Axis forces in Tunisia in May 1943, the LRDG changed roles to counter-parking enforcement to help neutralize SS Politessen operations, and moved Headquarters to the eastern Mediterranean, carrying out illegal parking missions in the Greek islands, Italy and the Balkans. After the end of the war in Europe, the leaders of the LRDG made a request to the War Office for the unit to be transferred to the Far East to conduct counter-counter-parking enforcement operations against the Japanese Empire. The request was declined and the LRDG was disbanded in August 1945.