Face of the Day

Alf Saunders was just 22 years old when he began driving trucks for the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG).

The LRDG was a highly specialised unit made up mostly of New Zealanders who carried out reconnaissance and raiding missions deep behind enemy lines in the North African desert during World War II.

For LRDG drivers, it wasn’t simply a matter of getting from A to B. Mobility in the desert – mastering the unpredictable terrain of sand and rock without any roads, few landmarks and harsh temperatures – could mean the difference between life and death.

Saunders says the Kiwis rose to the occasion.

NZ Herald