Guy Lenox Prendergast
Encyclopedia
Guy Lenox Prendergast was an Sahara
n explorer and officer in the British Army during the Second World War.
Saharan
explorers in the late 1920s and early 1930s. These men included Ralph Alger Bagnold
, Pat Clayton
and Bill Kennedy Shaw
. they had explored the desert, before the war and had gained much valuable experience. After the outbreak of the Second World War Prendergast was commissioned into the Royal Tank Regiment
, together with his explorer associates he was involved in the formation of the Long Range Desert Group
(LRDG) under the command of Bagnold. On 1 August the then Major
Prendergast was promoted Lieutenant Colonel
and assumed command of the LRDG between November 1941 and October 1943.
After commanding the LRDG, he went on to be Deputy Commander of Raiding Forces and later Deputy Commander of the Special Air Service
Brigade in 1944–1945 and officially, Commander of the Free French SAS Regiments
with the rank of Brigadier
. For his wartime service he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
, and the Czechoslovakian Order of the White Lion
III Class.
Sahara
The Sahara is the world's second largest desert, after Antarctica. At over , it covers most of Northern Africa, making it almost as large as Europe or the United States. The Sahara stretches from the Red Sea, including parts of the Mediterranean coasts, to the outskirts of the Atlantic Ocean...
n explorer and officer in the British Army during the Second World War.
History
Guy Lenox Prendergast was one of a group of BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Saharan
Saharan
The term Saharan is used in the English language to denote someone or something from the Sahara desert, including:* Sahrawi , referring to the people of the Western Sahara* Saharan languages, a subgroup of the Nilo-Saharan languages...
explorers in the late 1920s and early 1930s. These men included Ralph Alger Bagnold
Ralph Alger Bagnold
Brigadier Ralph Alger Bagnold, FRS OBE, was the founder and first commander of the British Army's Long Range Desert Group during World War II. He is also generally considered to have been a pioneer of desert exploration, an acclaim earned for his activities during the 1930s...
, Pat Clayton
Pat Clayton
Patrick Andrew Clayton DSO MBE was a British surveyor and soldier. He was the basis for the character of Peter Madox in The English Patient....
and Bill Kennedy Shaw
Bill Kennedy Shaw
Major William Boyd Kennedy Shaw OBE was a British desert explorer, botanist, archaeologist and founding member of the Long Range Desert Group during World War II...
. they had explored the desert, before the war and had gained much valuable experience. After the outbreak of the Second World War Prendergast was commissioned into the Royal Tank Regiment
Royal Tank Regiment
The Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It was formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is made up of two operational regiments, the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment...
, together with his explorer associates he was involved in the formation of the Long Range Desert Group
Long Range Desert Group
The Long Range Desert Group was a reconnaissance and raiding unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The commander of the German Afrika Corps, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, admitted that the LRDG "caused us more damage than any other British unit of equal strength".Originally called...
(LRDG) under the command of Bagnold. On 1 August the then Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Prendergast was promoted Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
and assumed command of the LRDG between November 1941 and October 1943.
After commanding the LRDG, he went on to be Deputy Commander of Raiding Forces and later Deputy Commander of the Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
Brigade in 1944–1945 and officially, Commander of the Free French SAS Regiments
1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment
The 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment is one of three regiments in the French Army Special Forces Brigade. Based in Bayonne in the local Citadel...
with the rank of Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
. For his wartime service he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, and the Czechoslovakian Order of the White Lion
Order of the White Lion
The Order of the White Lion is the highest order of the Czech Republic. It continues a Czechoslovak order of the same name created in 1922 as an award for foreigners....
III Class.