It was 45 years ago

Hugh · 03-16-2007, 01:24 AM

in 1962 when I was working in the Sahara Desert in Libya, North Africa. We were out exploring and ran across an old WWII German campsite. Here are a few pictures. From what was left, it looks like they may have evacuated in a hurry. The 88 shell was a live one! Also, you had to be very careful when you picked something up, no telling what might be hiding under it!

Steinar · 03-16-2007, 05:44 AM

They clearly left behind a scorpion to guard the place.
Very interesting Hugh. Where the pistol taken as a souvenir?

Hugh · 03-16-2007, 12:12 PM

Tac,
Were you aware that Germans smoked Viceroy's during WWII?

Steinar,
Yes the pistol was taken as a souvenir, but unfortunately not by me, as one of the other guys found it.

Can you believe that one of the guys wanted to take the 88 shell as well!

But cooler and wiser heads prevailed and it was not touched.

stefanosg · 03-17-2007, 05:38 AM

I would have loved to have explorered that campsite. A little amateur archeology.

mauro · 03-17-2007, 09:03 AM

Nice.
Thank you for sharing.
Mauro

Hugh · 03-17-2007, 06:11 PM

TAC,

We found an English campsite at a small oasis once, and discovered among other things a few cans of unopened Bully Beef. The cans still appeared to be in good condition. I didn't have the nerve to do it, but one of the guys opened a can, said it looked and smelled good, and ate it. He said it was ok after all that time.

You wouldn't believe what some of those idoits did! We had a Halliburton cementer come roaring into camp one day and jumped out of his pickup shouting for us to come see what he had found. He had a live 88 shell that had been bouncing around in the back of his truck for several miles. Needless to say he was ordered to immediately go very far away and dump it.

We heard storys every month of Camels, Bedoins, and trucks getting blown up by mines. Many of the mine fields had been cleared, but many more had not. Some were laid on top of each other by English, Germans, & Italians as they retreated and advanced over the same area, and no one had attempted to clear them.

We had maps of the KNOWN mined areas and once had a camp right next one that had been marked with flags so no one would venture into it. Unfortunately the supply plane landing strip was on the other side of it from camp, and the road to the landing strip looped around the mine field.

One day when the mail plane landed my Geologist was in a hurry to pick up letters from his girl friend. I got in the Landrover with him to go to the plane and he took off straight toward the plane (and across the mine field) with me screaming at him to stop. When I finally got him stopped we were in the middle of it! I got out of the Rover, wished him good luck and walked back out in one of the truck tracks. The lucky bastard drove on out without getting blown up.

Frank · 03-18-2007, 08:38 PM

Hey Hugh, I spent some time in Libya too during the 1970s. We were located about 50 miles north of the Kufra Air Base. I saw a bunch of camels, but no gazelles!! Some friends and I spent one warm afternoon (about 125 F) searching for the "Lady Be Good" B-24 Wreck, but no luck. We did have a good time trying to climb some sand dunes!!

I was hoping to find the left overs of an encampment of any kind, but no luck there either. Oh well, the Sahara was a pretty neat place. I didn't mind the visit, but I wouldn't want to live there!!

Hugh · 03-19-2007, 01:01 AM

Frank,

You mean sand dunes like these?

Here was "home away from home"

Here's the Lady Be Good--you finally found her!

RylanBrissette · 03-19-2007, 03:20 AM

Great storys guys. I still want to do some exploring of my own. But why the hell didn't you guys take more pictures??

That german camp looked really cool

And what was the pistol? German or Italian? Anyone know the name of it?

Frank · 03-19-2007, 08:30 AM

Hugh, Yup those are the dunes, well they look like the dunes I climbed but once you see a dune they all start to look alike!!

Thanks for the Lady Be Good Photo. I know we were close, but we ran out of time (daylight) to continue the search.

I'll try to dig up some photos to post!!

Hugh · 03-19-2007, 10:30 AM

Rylan,

Took a lot more pics, but can't post all of them here!!
It seems that at the time we thought the pistol was Italian, however in looking thru Still's AXIS PISTOLS, it looks like a French Unique mdl 17 which was produced for the German Army. All features match except the shape of the front of the trigger guard is a little different, although this could be due to the angle that my picture was taken. I do remember that it was 32 caliber.

Maybe some of the experts here can identify it.

03-16-2007, 01:24 AM	#1
Hugh RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Southeast Texas Swamp Posts: 2,460 Thanks: 2 Thanked 165 Times in 64 Posts	It was 45 years ago in 1962 when I was working in the Sahara Desert in Libya, North Africa. We were out exploring and ran across an old WWII German campsite. Here are a few pictures. From what was left, it looks like they may have evacuated in a hurry. The 88 shell was a live one! Also, you had to be very careful when you picked something up, no telling what might be hiding under it! __________________ *TRUMP FOR PREZ IN '20!*

03-16-2007, 05:44 AM	#2
Steinar User Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 1,538 Thanks: 18 Thanked 36 Times in 21 Posts	They clearly left behind a scorpion to guard the place. Very interesting Hugh. Where the pistol taken as a souvenir? __________________ Previously known as Morgan Kane

03-16-2007, 12:12 PM	#3
Hugh RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Southeast Texas Swamp Posts: 2,460 Thanks: 2 Thanked 165 Times in 64 Posts	Tac, Were you aware that Germans smoked Viceroy's during WWII? Steinar, Yes the pistol was taken as a souvenir, but unfortunately not by me, as one of the other guys found it. Can you believe that one of the guys wanted to take the 88 shell as well! But cooler and wiser heads prevailed and it was not touched. __________________ *TRUMP FOR PREZ IN '20!*

03-17-2007, 05:38 AM	#4
stefanosg User Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: East Central Florida Posts: 367 Thanks: 1 Thanked 7 Times in 2 Posts	I would have loved to have explorered that campsite. A little amateur archeology. __________________ "When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."

03-17-2007, 09:03 AM	#5
mauro FIREARM HISTORIAN AND AUT Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Belgium Posts: 1,535 Thanks: 106 Thanked 349 Times in 129 Posts	Nice. Thank you for sharing. Mauro __________________ Mauro Baudino - www.lugerlp08.com www.paul-mauser-archive.com Mauser Company and Firearm Historian - Mauser Parabellum Certification Service.

03-17-2007, 06:11 PM	#6
Hugh RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Southeast Texas Swamp Posts: 2,460 Thanks: 2 Thanked 165 Times in 64 Posts	TAC, We found an English campsite at a small oasis once, and discovered among other things a few cans of unopened Bully Beef. The cans still appeared to be in good condition. I didn't have the nerve to do it, but one of the guys opened a can, said it looked and smelled good, and ate it. He said it was ok after all that time. You wouldn't believe what some of those idoits did! We had a Halliburton cementer come roaring into camp one day and jumped out of his pickup shouting for us to come see what he had found. He had a live 88 shell that had been bouncing around in the back of his truck for several miles. Needless to say he was ordered to immediately go very far away and dump it. We heard storys every month of Camels, Bedoins, and trucks getting blown up by mines. Many of the mine fields had been cleared, but many more had not. Some were laid on top of each other by English, Germans, & Italians as they retreated and advanced over the same area, and no one had attempted to clear them. We had maps of the KNOWN mined areas and once had a camp right next one that had been marked with flags so no one would venture into it. Unfortunately the supply plane landing strip was on the other side of it from camp, and the road to the landing strip looped around the mine field. One day when the mail plane landed my Geologist was in a hurry to pick up letters from his girl friend. I got in the Landrover with him to go to the plane and he took off straight toward the plane (and across the mine field) with me screaming at him to stop. When I finally got him stopped we were in the middle of it! I got out of the Rover, wished him good luck and walked back out in one of the truck tracks. The lucky bastard drove on out without getting blown up. __________________ *TRUMP FOR PREZ IN '20!*

03-18-2007, 08:38 PM	#7
Frank RIP Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Hot & Dry PHX, AZ Posts: 2,078 Thanks: 24 Thanked 163 Times in 87 Posts	Hey Hugh, I spent some time in Libya too during the 1970s. We were located about 50 miles north of the Kufra Air Base. I saw a bunch of camels, but no gazelles!! Some friends and I spent one warm afternoon (about 125 F) searching for the "Lady Be Good" B-24 Wreck, but no luck. We did have a good time trying to climb some sand dunes!! I was hoping to find the left overs of an encampment of any kind, but no luck there either. Oh well, the Sahara was a pretty neat place. I didn't mind the visit, but I wouldn't want to live there!!

03-19-2007, 01:01 AM	#8
Hugh RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Southeast Texas Swamp Posts: 2,460 Thanks: 2 Thanked 165 Times in 64 Posts	Frank, You mean sand dunes like these? Here was "home away from home" Here's the Lady Be Good--you finally found her! __________________ *TRUMP FOR PREZ IN '20!*

03-19-2007, 03:20 AM	#9
RylanBrissette User Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: British Columbia, Canada Posts: 189 Thanks: 4 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Great storys guys. I still want to do some exploring of my own. But why the hell didn't you guys take more pictures?? That german camp looked really cool And what was the pistol? German or Italian? Anyone know the name of it?

03-19-2007, 08:30 AM	#10
Frank RIP Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Hot & Dry PHX, AZ Posts: 2,078 Thanks: 24 Thanked 163 Times in 87 Posts	Hugh, Yup those are the dunes, well they look like the dunes I climbed but once you see a dune they all start to look alike!! Thanks for the Lady Be Good Photo. I know we were close, but we ran out of time (daylight) to continue the search. I'll try to dig up some photos to post!!

03-19-2007, 10:30 AM	#11
Hugh RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Southeast Texas Swamp Posts: 2,460 Thanks: 2 Thanked 165 Times in 64 Posts	Rylan, Took a lot more pics, but can't post all of them here!! It seems that at the time we thought the pistol was Italian, however in looking thru Still's AXIS PISTOLS, it looks like a French Unique mdl 17 which was produced for the German Army. All features match except the shape of the front of the trigger guard is a little different, although this could be due to the angle that my picture was taken. I do remember that it was 32 caliber. Maybe some of the experts here can identify it. __________________ *TRUMP FOR PREZ IN '20!*