Hi Guys I have this short account direct and for all of us that are wondering what is actually remaining in North Africa (lace w:st="on">Libyalace>) this account will give you a much more clear picture of it with this recent information from last year. There is no embellishment in this account. We have had others on the forum who have been out and take a look who have written and showed us photos about what they’ve seen but they could obviously only get out so far yet there were some interesting photos and finds. I know a guy that was doing EOD support for seismic lines in lace w:st="on">Libyalace> and as you will see it really depends on where you actually go. Many places are further then out of reach of anyone, are untouched and these areas are anything but cleaned up or scrounged over as we have seen with other areas inside the reach of people including Bedouins. The sad thing he said was that there is a law in lace w:st="on">Libyalace> which does not allow you to remove items from the desert, thus he couldn’t load up the 3 trucks worth of stuff he wanted to and haul it out.>> >>
Some of the things encountered that he told me about were basically areas which were untouched. The sand shifts in the “desert sea” and there are some interesting things out there, but also areas where sand shift is minimal and it is as it was then now. He told me about one time they came across what was obviously a NZ AUS Brigade maintenance re supply area where there was the full remains of the operation benghazi cookers and all. They found bottles from a brewery near lace w:st="on">Sydneylace>, complete sandblasted helmets (interior rotted away) sitting on the surface, parts of shot up vehicles which had been replaced. There were intact command posts dug into the side of the hills which still had a lot in them, there were maps on the walls, spanners, oil cans, ammo etc. They touched the maps which dissolved on touch so he said. There were WD water jerry cans. Some shell petrol tins had Italians writing on them, some Germans and some British, obviously some sort of deal with shell haha. This area was to the north of a place called Al Jagboub on the border of lace w:st="on">Libyalace>. >> >>
General Gratianis fence from 1927 is still there, it just cant be moved. They found an Italian helmet just sitting on that fence, “Red Devil” lace w:st="on">Bredalace> 35 grenades (now sandblasted) but in perfect condition, the red paint was still on the other side unexposed. They like the helmets are still clean and look like Nato green grenades at this point.>> >>
There were jerry cans with the Afrika korps palm tree on them all over in some places. There was a lot of Italians 50kg bombs around. They found just sitting in the desert British 500 pound bombs, all fuses intact and shiney clean, no corrosion, like a Nato grenade from the remains of a desert airstrip which they were still sitting on, obviously buried over, but completely intact. Oddly enough there was a palm tree marking on those British bombs like the German one. He tried to get one out but found out about the law at that point. Some Minefields that have been exposed are intact and in working order, and they found the remnants of glass mines mixed with the teller mines. There were also new mines, PRB 409 which had been eaten by goats. The fighting positions of the modern Libyan wars, artillery positions etc are of course all still there and mixed in. They didn’t find any german tanks but his nephew is working now in lace w:st="on">Libyalace> and while digging a car show room building out they found a German tank chassis recently.>> >> >> >> >> >> >>
One of the men working with him found a NZ backpack from the LRGD in the side of a hill where their leaguer probably was. This pack had a jumper, pistol, and other effects in it. It was clear they bugged out. That’s the only weapons they ever found. He put it up on an LRDG website asking does anyone know this man, apparently he got a reply from the mans nephew in NZ and the man died the same day the note went up. That was a man named Mike M. I will obviously not put the last name. I will include photos from a power point and other from him to give you all an idea what is out there.>>
To add to this i just learned the Libyans found a LRDG jeep fully intact, which is now in their museum. >> >> >>
Regards,>> >>
Pete>>
Look at the condition of this bomb fuse, and its british with a palm tree proof mark...everything out there was like that on this sand covered airstrip.
Dry hot air keeps metal in good shape.Sandblowed car parts look amazing,but those sand blows will eat metal slowly and then there is nothing left.
Here in Finland(Lapland),we can find such good shape items only in swamps.Swamps keep metal items in amazing shape too.And sometimes sandy hills,where is good moss on top.I did find Mauser ammo pit with thousands of ammunition in near perfect condition from normal forrest.
I bet those sand dunes also keep explosives/ordnance in good shape too,mines and stuff are propably in very dangerous shape.
And maybe a nice Tiger tank comes out of the dune somewhere there someday...
Every year, my almae mater does a "staff ride" to historic areas. I went one year to Normandy. Is there anyone who has local knowledge of the battlefiends in North Africa that would be interested in helping me plan a staff ride?
Whats actually left in North Africa...
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