Impression sketch
of armoured car - by Jamie. An original image can be seen at : <http://www.centenaryww1orange.com.au/home/page/3/>
[Accessed: 20 March 2016]
From tense days
in opposition to French
Presence, the
Sect Senussi of Sahara -
Objectifiers of
peace against fanaticism -
Became
susceptible to the influences
Of both Ottoman
and German Empires.
Although war was
fought on other shores
Conflicts were to
spread across waters,
To pull others
into causes with Turkish,
Libya and across
Egyptian frontiers -
Evolving
provocations for British.
Senussi leader,
Ahmed Sharif as-Senussi
Was persuaded by
1915, to take a jihad
Against Egyptian
occupation of British -
Weaponry from Ottoman's
were given
To stir incidents
over summer months.
Confrontations
with Senussi and Italy
Already had a
history - then by diplomatic
Incident 15
August 1915, Senussi guns
Had fired on British
submarine, to state
They believed the
vessel was Italian.
Senussi forces set
to artillery training
About Sollum, with British attempts
To appease them -
yet aggressions
Did not stop - with further incidents
The British set
to defeat the Senussi.
From November, attacks started
About Sollum,
where barracks were
Hit - to prompt civil
unrest, 280 miles
From Alexandria -
Sollum was not well
Placed as a
base to be evacuated.
The Senussi
campaign had seen sect
Forces pass over
Libyan Egyptian border
Across the coast,
to see Agagia conflict -
Major General
William Peyton commander
Of Egyptian
Frontier Forces, set into action.
An intention was
to recapture Sollum -
British
forces marched onto Sidi Barrani
With horse and
camels carrying supplies,
While wheeled
convoys followed - above
Air
reconnaissance made an important find.
A Senussi camp at
Birwar was discovered
Reported to be
seen apparently deserted -
Among the Cheshire
Yeomanry, Hugh
Grosvenor, 2nd
Duke of Westminster,
Developed the
use of armoured cars.
Though unsuited
to muddy western front,
The Rolls Royce armoured
car could
Operate across
the Egypt planes - with
Following
information of ariel observation
The armoured cars
started off in pursuit.
The terrain was
rough for eight miles
Then onto the
Derna road their pace
Picked up, with
cars running at 40 mph -
Along the route, armed Bedouins were
Sighted, but they
carried onto targets.
25 miles west of
Sollum the target
Camp lay a mile
south off Derna road -
While the leading
armoured cars turned
From the road in
a line over the rough -
Two cars moved on
at speed for two miles.
With the cars
approach to the camp,
They came under
fire of machine guns.
While amour
deflected bullets, the cars
Maintained speed
to return accuracy
Of aim, to cut down
enemy gun teams.
Without slowing
pace of the attack,
Armoured cars
drove into the camp
To scatter the
enemy - they pushed
Onwards until
finally Sollum village
Was retaken, Tuesday 14 March 1916.
An arduous
campaign proved ability
In the effective
usage of armoured
Motorcars, across a relatively stable
Terrain of desert
ground - such engine
Driven machinery was still to develop.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1916. Operations
in Egypt - British Succeses - Agagia & Sollum Battles - Armoured Car Dash. The Daily
Telegraph, [online] 20 March 1916.
P.9. Col.7. Available at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/12196045/Daily-Telegraph-March-20-1916.html
[Accessed: 20 March 2016].
Source: File:
Action of Agagia. Online. Available at:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_of_Agagia> Accessed 20 March 2016
Mann, J., 2016. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 20 March 2016).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #WW1poem #GreatWar #WW1centenary #worldwarone
#worldwaroneremembered #WW1Egypt
