'Bardia Church', Libya, 1942

Photograph by Major Wilfred Herbert James Sale, MC, 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), World War Two, North Africa, 1942.

A view of the battle-damaged town of Bardia, Cyrenaica, Libya.

Bardia was the first Libyan town to the west of the border with Egypt and was headquarters to Italian forces in the region in 1940. The capture of Bardia in January 1941 was a key part of Operation COMPASS, the general offensive by General Sir Archibald Wavell's Western Desert Force against the Italians. Over 35,000 prisoners were taken by the British and Australian troops and it opened the way for the capture of almost all of Cyrenaica. The town subsequently changed hands three more times before it was finally occupied by the Allies in November 1942.

From an album containing 189 photographs compiled by Major W H J Sale, MC, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters).