At Berbera the R.A.F. were feverishly engaged in the assembling and tuning up of the ten fighting two-seaters, and the two ambulance planes that had been landed from H.M.S. Ark Royal. In addition to this work they had prepared emergency landing grounds and established dumps at Las Khorai, Burao, and Eil Dab.
The P.W.D., Somaliland, was pushing on as quickly as possible with the work of making the track between Berbera and Las Dureh passable for motorcars, which were not, however, used for transport for the expedition. They were found most useful in carrying European ranks over the first, and worst, stage of the journey between Berbera and Las Dureh. A dry barren terrain, over which they were never able to proceed farther than within a few miles of Hagal, about forty-five miles out. From here the almost impossible country for cars became quite impossible, unless most expensive works were undertaken.
On the 16th of January, His Excellency the Governor left Berbera for El-dur-Elan, and on the following day, accompanied by the Director of Public Works, I followed.
On the 20th of January and at seven a.m. I arrived at El-dur-Elan, to find that the Camel Corps and the 101st Grenadiers had moved on to El Afweina with the bulk of supplies intended for the land forces. The only troops at El-dur-Elan were seventy rifles of the 101st Grenadiers, and His Excellency's bodyguard. His Excellency would not grant me permission to proceed farther without an adequate escort, so that I had a good opportunity of seeing the first machines arrive at El-dur-Elan from Berbera, and likewise the first flight, timed for the 21st, that was to break for ever the power of the Mad Mullah in British Somaliland.
On the 21st, although the machines were not completely assembled, the R.A.F. preparations were sufficiently advanced to commence operations, the scheme of which was roughly as follows. Medishe, where the Mullah was known to be, was to be bombed first. The Camel Corps, which had left El-dur-Elan on the 19th, was to move forward and take Jidali, thus cutting off any concerted move to the South. A large party of friendlies under Captain Gibb had been collected to the South, to keep a sharp look-out for scattered groups of fugitives and stock, and most particularly to intercept the Mullah himself should he succeed, as was considered highly probable, in breaking South for Tale. These friendlies had suffered severely at the Mullah's hands for years, and were dying to see the last of him. They, as subsequently transpired, gave a good account of themselves.
The transport of the Camel Corps, escorted by the 101st Grenadiers, was to move forward from El Afweina towards Jidali, when opportunity offered and the situation developed. The K.A.R., from Musha Aled, were to attend to the fortress of Baran, which they approached over a difficult and precipitous escarpment.
On Wednesday morning, the 21st, the first four aeroplanes got away from El-dur-Elan, and how anxiously their return was awaited at the Camp is beyond the power of my pen to describe. When the first faint drone of engines was heard there was a general rush for the "drome." Only two machines had returned and they reported as follows:—
On flying out four smoke signals, lit by Somali scouts to mark the vicinity of the dervish cattle, had been readily found, but, shortly afterwards, one of the planes was seen to be in trouble and heading for the sea. This machine and the two pilots, who had returned, followed, until they were assured it had a good chance of landing either at Las Khorai or on the sea-coast, when they returned. We learned later it had landed safely at Las Khorai.
They had not seen Medishe, or any of the Mullah's forts. The fourth plane, which had not returned, left them when over the hills, and had swung Eastwards, after the first machine was in difficulty. All the men who listened to the report, and who knew Somaliland, offered up a silent prayer that her pilot and observer were safe or dead, and had not been delivered into the merciless hands of the Mad Mullah.
But soon the faint drone of the missing plane was heard. It landed safely, and reported that it had found and bombed Medishe. The observer said the place was strongly held, and defended by five stone tower-like forts. He could not say what damage had been done, but he had made direct hits, causing great confusion amongst the garrison. The group of officers broke up, now well satisfied, and there was a feeling all round that the aeroplanes were going to justify their existence.