Need help w/photos WW2 desert

As for flora, Opuntia cacti are present in scattered hedges. You may call them "Pricky Pear" or "Indian Fig". they are a New world cactus that has been transplanted around the globe (6 of the 7 continents), they have the flat pads. Actually, the Aussies are trying to eliminate the ones "Down Under" with the use of a moth to eat them. 

I have seen these cacti alot in period photo's, especially in the area of Tunisia, but can be found elsewhere in the desert in small groupings. They were a good place to emplace smaller anti-tank and AA guns from the photo's that I have seen.

Mike T.

thank you, one thing I have found from my stint in Iraq DS not IF was how the desert looks.   Most people think Lawrence of Arabia all sand dunes but it is mostly just sand and very very sharp rocks lol.  Oh and Spiders.

Sean

I would suggest reading Crisp's book "Brazen Chariots". He rode M3 Stuarts (Honeys) out there. There wouldn't be many sand dunes. Alot of the North African desert is barren hard surfaces with rocks strown about. Very little in elevation differences. Another good read woud be "Iron Hearts, Iron Hulls" about the Italian armor.

Commonwealth units involved in the action would be ANZAC and Indian units as well as British. Except for vehicle codes, the foot sloggers would look very much the same.

Mike T.

edited Crisp's name

thank you guys for the info, more of scenery and vehicles, thanks for the other web site.

This sounds like a giant undertaking, considering there was close to a dozen, if not more nationalities on the allied side.  Canadian formations were not present in the desert (unless there was some secret force that has come to light recently?).   No doubt there were volunteers to be found with British units.

Are you looking for photos as reference for uniforms or for scenery?  If the former, there are some good books out there, with the author already have done the legwork - the name Andrew Mollo comes to mind here.  

I wouldn't discount movies... on youtube can find quite a bit on El Alamein.  Actual war footage as presented by the BBC  actually did exist.

Rare photos never printed, try posting at WW2talk.com -  if you haven't done so already, should try that forum.

regards,
Jack

Google for the holder of all things British, the Imperial War Museum website as it is the depository for the British forces photos.

I recently did a diorama batssed on the Rats of Tobruk. I found there was enormous amounts of photos from the Africa subject just by googling key words such a desert rats, Afrika, matilda, armato, M3 africa, etc etc.

Each time you use a slightly different keyword search you will get heaps of differnt pics. Don't forget to click on images also. Try small variations too such as diorama El Alemein, Diorama desert rat, etc

Hope this helps,

I found a myriad of pics using small changes.

Look in Italian sites:

I don't speak Italian, but I used http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_txt.

@Scorpiomikey thank you there were a few pics there i don't have.

@Tom I see where i were i was not specific, I have about 473 pics of the battles, troops in transit or on maneuvers in the North Africa campaign, however, quite a few are duplicates, i would have more but  images from movies (ppl believe movies are real, and the equipment used is correct) I do not use.  They also portray mostly Germans and Brits and sometimes the U.S. but what they don't portray are the Australians, Canadians, Indians, etc... which are important imo to represent a real diorama and not just an idea that this or that could have occurred. 

I am not new to building dioramas as this one in itself has taken me about 1 year and 5 months and I have not even started on the Commonwealth aspect of the diorama.  I do however, want this to be accurate as it will be displayed in a prominant office that deals with Veterans.  And as a Vet, I know when things are said or shown that are wrong when dealing with the very short war I was in.

So if anyone has a photograph or picture that is not widely used or found on Google, bing, or another search engine or of a museum display, i would love to see it and give credit to you for the photo reference.

Thank you

Sean

You're kidding? Try "afrikakorps" on Google.

Or "Italian Army" (above also Google).

"El Alamein, second battle time frame" gets:

Came accross oodles of photos just my google image searching El Alamein

https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=El+Alamein&hl=en&safe=off&rlz=1C1CHKB_enNZ416NZ416&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=K9--T9iiM6ywiQezk7yPCg&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CFQQ_AUoAQ&biw=1680&bih=935