A British Special Air Service unit commanded by Major David Stirling attacked a German-held airfield in Egypt during the Western Desert Campaign of Second World War.

The terrain in North Africa often made land transport impractical, forcing aircraft to fly between remote desert airstrips to deliver supplies, parts, troops and food.

[7] Stirling had for some time been developing a plan to attack the Sidi Haneish Airfield, a complex located 235 mi (378 km) west of Cairo, which the Germans called Haggag el Qasaba.

The SAS was no longer dependent on the Long Range Desert Group for transport, judging the firepower and speed of the jeeps to be sufficient to overcome the German defences.

The raiders were to drive 50 mi (80 km) through the desert from a hideout in Bir el Quseir and then overrun the airfield in 18 jeeps in two columns, with Stirling at the lead.

[8] The raid commenced on the night of 26/27 July, with the 18 jeeps, each carrying three or four British or French commandos, navigating the desert in formation without headlights.

Lance Bombardier John Robson, a 21-year-old SAS soldier manning a machine gun, was shot and killed, the only Allied casualty of the raid itself.