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North Africa Topics specific to North Africa and the Sahara down to the 17th parallel (excludes Morocco)
Photo by Hendi Kaf, in Cambodia

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Hendi Kaf,
in Cambodia



Trans Sahara Routes.

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  #1  
Old 8 Dec 2007
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BBC NEWS | UK | England | Lancashire | WWII army bag is found in desert

Ch

(fyi: I travelled with Khaled in 2001 and he will be guiding next year's Gilf tour)
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Old 8 Dec 2007
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ooooo! I say!
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Originally Posted by Chris Scott View Post
BBC NEWS | UK | England | Lancashire | WWII army bag is found in desert

Ch

(fyi: I travelled with Khaled in 2001 and he will be guiding next year's Gilf tour)
Did a Google search for Gilf....... it came up with stuff a bit like MILF but much older ....... Tell me I'm Wrong...

Martyn
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Old 13 Dec 2007
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Smile Wow!
To put it simply,
What a fantastic story.
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  #4  
Old 13 Dec 2007
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Gilf
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Originally Posted by Martynbiker View Post
Did a Google search for Gilf....... it came up with stuff a bit like MILF but much older ....... Tell me I'm Wrong...

Martyn

Martyn,
You're wrong. I thought a couple of times about your post - it has to be your humour - and then I thought that maybe you are not familiar with C's tours:-
(although "tour" is a weak word for his adventures) ps The link is showing as a banner at the top of this page.
Sahara Overland 4x4 and motorcycle tours 2008

Agreed about the story; there was an article on the BBC radio about it at about the same date as the webpage.
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Old 13 Dec 2007
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Forget the desert. I want some GILF action closer to home !
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Old 18 Dec 2007
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That is such a great story!
Gil
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Old 2 Mar 2008
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A good guide from Gilf Kebir
There was an item on local news last night about an Egyptian guide called Khaled Makram who found a WW2 soldiers kit bag whilst in the Gilf. It contained all the soldiers personal effects, perfectly preserved by the sands including his letters home to his family which never arrived.

He was able to return the items to his elderly sister in person and they showed it on the news last night. I thought it was a kind thing to do and wanted to pay tribute to him here in case anyone knows him.
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Old 2 Mar 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Martynbiker View Post
Did a Google search for Gilf....... it came up with stuff a bit like MILF but much older ....... Tell me I'm Wrong...

Martyn

I haven't laughed this hard in a while! Too funny! The bulging eyes made it!!


On a serious note, great story. Somebody buy this man a for doing the right thing. Cheers!
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Old 3 Mar 2008
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Great story!

As an aside 'Popski' (not his actual name, which I can't remember, popski was his nickname) wrote a book called, funnily enough, 'Popski's Private Army'. Popski was a, quite clearly, slightly loony Pole who formed his own 'irregular unit' as was the fashion in North Africa at the time. Presumably he thought 'If it's good enough for David Stirling...' (for those who don't know D.S. founded the SAS).

Popski's private army completed many incredibly daring raids in North Africa and later in Italy. The book is hilarious, and relates some fantastic stories of the unit's exploits. Most memorable perhaps was the unit's habit of driving around occupied territory in Willy's jeeps (or possibly Chevrolet trucks) in British Army uniform on the assumption that German soldiers would assume any military personnel must be on their side and not look too closely at uniforms. It seemed to work and Popski even stopped his jeep while dressed in British uniform to ask a german soldier for directions (which of course he got). I'd reccomend the book to anyone who likes a good story of true adventure. Keep an eye out for it in 2nd hand bookshops!

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Old 3 Mar 2008
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That's a great story.

I'd never thought of Gilf as an acronym until now...

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Old 3 Mar 2008
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Often called a "Pole" but a Belge in fact
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Originally Posted by Matt Cartney View Post
Great story!

As an aside 'Popski' (not his actual name, which I can't remember, popski was his nickname) wrote a book called, funnily enough, 'Popski's Private Army'. Popski was a, quite clearly, slightly loony Pole who formed his own 'irregular unit' as was the fashion in North Africa at the time. Presumably he thought 'If it's good enough for David Stirling...' (for those who don't know D.S. founded the SAS).

Popski's private army completed many incredibly daring raids in North Africa and later in Italy. The book is hilarious, and relates some fantastic stories of the unit's exploits. Most memorable perhaps was the unit's habit of driving around occupied territory in Willy's jeeps (or possibly Chevrolet trucks) in British Army uniform on the assumption that German soldiers would assume any military personnel must be on their side and not look too closely at uniforms. It seemed to work and Popski even stopped his jeep while dressed in British uniform to ask a german soldier for directions (which of course he got). I'd reccomend the book to anyone who likes a good story of true adventure. Keep an eye out for it in 2nd hand bookshops!

Matt

"Private Army" by Vladimir Peniakoff - in fact, he was a Belgium national, born of Russian parents who served in the French Army in WW1 and the British Army, as outlined by Matt, in WW2.
He taught himself to navigate in the desert, and drive at the same time, with solo trips from Cairo in the 1930s - this came in handy in the 1940s.

He often visited the Gilf as well
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Old 3 Mar 2008
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He often visited the Gilf as well
Source ?

I'm not questioning his daring military exploits, but AFAIK Popski & co. never went anywhere near the Gilf or the deep desert, his ventures were limited to the northern coast, which barely qualifies as 'desert' to most serious visitors of this forum...
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Old 3 Mar 2008
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Military History Online - Popski's Private Army

interesting
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Old 3 Mar 2008
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Originally Posted by andrasz View Post
Source ?

I'm not questioning his daring military exploits, but AFAIK Popski & co. never went anywhere near the Gilf or the deep desert, his ventures were limited to the northern coast, which barely qualifies as 'desert' to most serious visitors of this forum...

Yep, "often" is wrong: he went that way with Easonsmith: its outlined in the link from Richard K.

Cheers,
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Old 4 Mar 2008
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"Private Army" by Vladimir Peniakoff - in fact, he was a Belgium national, born of Russian parents who served in the French Army in WW1 and the British Army, as outlined by Matt, in WW2.
:
That'll teach me to be all authoratative about historical 'facts' I have sketchy memories of!

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*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!
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