Sand, Sweat And Camels: George F. and Edmée M. Langley; Australian Aviator: Sir Norman Brearly

Sand, Sweat And Camels: The Australian Companies Of The Imperial Camel Corps (I.C.C.) were formed in January 1916 in order to deal with the revolt of pro-Turkish Senussi tribesmen in Egypt’s Western Desert. The first four companies were recruited from Australian infantry battalions recuperating after Gallipoli. Four battalions were eventually formed: the 1st and 3rd were entirely Australian, the 2nd was British, and the 4th was a mix of Australians and New Zealanders. The I.C.C. also had its own machine gun unit, and a battery of light artillery recruited in Hong Kong and Singapore. Operations were characterised by long patrols and brief skirmishes in the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East. The men of the ICC had a rough reputation, as Australian battalion commanders had seized upon it as an opportunity to offload some of their more difficult characters. In 1917 a British supply dump at Rafa was warned to double their guards as the ICC was going to be camped nearby. The men of the I.C.C. were, however, resourceful and effective. While defending a hill called Musallabeh in April 1918, the men of the I.C.C. ran out of hand grenades. They resorted to heaving boulders down upon the attacking Turks and eventually fought them off. The hill became known as the “Camel’s Hump”. The author, George Langley was the commanding officer of the 1st (Australian Battalion), Imperial Camel Corps. Australian Aviator: In April, 1915, after undertaking a 5-year apprenticeship as a mechanic, Brearly worked his way to the United Kingdom and enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps. Whilst flying in France during World War I he was badly wounded when he was shot down over the Western Front in October, 1916. He came to found, in 1921, Western Australian Airways Ltd - Australia's first commercial airline. In the same year, he was issued with Australia's first civil pilot's licence, under the 1921 Air Navigation Regulations. Despite his holding licence No. 2, licence No. 1 was not issued until the 1930s in honour of Amy Johnson's record flight from London to Australia. In 1927, Brearley opened the Perth Flying School. He retired from commercial aviation in 1936 when he merged his airline with Australian National Airways and later served with the R.A.A.F. during World War II. Brearley was knighted in 1971. He died on 9 June 1989 - but has left us this well told story, as well as his contributions to aviation in war and peace. Illustrated with black and white photographs.