Our old acquaintance, the " Mad Mullah " of Somaliland,
has once again been disposed of. He had, it seems, taken advan- tage of our preoccupation with the war to build himself forts near the Somali coast. The Colonial Office decided to give the Air Force an opportunity of disciplining the Mullah. A small detachment with twelve machines reached Berbera last month, and on January 21st it suddenly swooped down on the enemy. His forts were bombed and his camelry were scattered by machine- gun fire. Our tribal levies with a few Indian or African regulars from the garrison completed the work. By February 11th the Mullah's last stronghold was taken, and the elusive chieftain himself was a destitute fugitive. The Air Force deserves great credit for this very well-managed campaign, which oost which involved no casualities to our troops, and which ought to ensure the peace of Somaliland for a long time to come. The desert which has foiled so many elaborate expeditions has been conquered by the aeroplane.
Previous page
