Original Items: Only One Available. This map is one of three that were printed by British forces for the North Africa Campaign, and is No.2 in that series, for the Capital City of Libya, Tripoli. From 1911 onwards, Libya was a colony of Italy, which lasted until Allied forces captured it in 1943.
This map is marked in the lower right corner: Compiled, drawn and reproduced by 521 Fd.Survey Coy, R.E. Dec 1942. The 512 (Army) Field Survey Company , Royal Engineers, was founded in December 1939, and was formed from a mixture of regular soldiers, reservists, militiamen and others ‘called-up’ on the outbreak of war. They trained in England, later moving to Gibraltar, before arriving in Egypt in March of 1940, and setting up operations in Cairo. Their job was to compile and print up to date maps of the North African theater.
The map shows Tripoli and the surrounding desert areas to the south, and is full of details provided by various sources. The lower right corner is almost entirely desert, and based on 1941 Italian maps and intelligence reports. More interesting is the information printed on the map in orange, which comes from AIR INFORMATION as supplied by H.Q., R.A.F, M.E. (I) Dec. 1942. This included information on airfields, landing strips, and other facilities usable by the RAF.
The map is in very good condition, with just a bit of staining on the edges. It has lots of colors and details. Scale is 1:200,000. A great North Africa Campaign collector’s item!