Smith and Jetley – Special Forces
Several Sharpshooters and a Kent Yeoman served in the elite Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) which was formed early in WW2 to carry out long range reconnaissance behind enemy lines in the Western Desert.
The LRDG was organised into several patrols one of which one was Yeomanry or “Y’ Patrol which recruited from Yeomanry units posted to the Middle East.
Gilbert Jetley of 3CLY joined ‘Y’ Patrol of the LRDG in mid-1942. One of the first major operations that Gilbert was involved in was in September 1942 when “Y’ Patrol acted as a guide to raiding forces that were to attack the port of Tobruk, which at this time was in enemy hands.