Here is the quote:
Source: http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/milestones- ... y/1920.cfmJanuary
Royal Air Force Headquarters at Halton is granted command status.
21 January
The Royal Air Force's first 'Little War' commences when 'Z' Squadron begins operations against the tribal leader Mohammed bin Abdulla Hassan, the 'Mad Mullah', in British Somaliland in co-operation with the Camel Corps.
Bombing from a disguised base in Berbera, 'Z' Squadron destroys three Dervish forts in 5 days and subsequently provides air support and communications for the ground forces. The Royal Air Force contingent, under the command of Group Captain R. Gordon were "the main instrument and decisive factor" in the overthrow of the 'Mad Mullah', who had defied British military power since 1900.
Source: http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles ... A98948.pdfThe first campaign to explore the possibility of exploiting air power’s reach and power
in this manner took place in British Somaliland in the Horn of Africa. A Muslim cleric
Mohammed bin Abdullah, colloquially, if inaccurately known as “The Mad Mullah”, had
proved a thorn in the flesh of the colonial administration for many years and had
frustrated repeated attempts to bring law and order to the area. In 1920 his activities had
reached such a pitch that the Colonial Office again wished to take military action against
him and his large band of armed followers. The British Army estimated that this would
require a full scale expeditionary force involving 2 or 3 divisions of troops and attendant
bag and baggage at a cost of several million pounds. Trenchard, however, offered to do
the job using one squadron of de Havilland DH9s, in collaboration with the local
gendarmerie regiment, the Somaliland Camel Corps and a battalion of the King’s African
Rifles. His offer was accepted and the Squadron of 12 aircraft, to be known as “Z Force”
was shipped to the area... Although Air Control had its origins in Z Force’s operations in Somaliland it came of age
in Iraq, and was to start an association with that country which has continued on and off
right up to the present day. With the successful example of Somaliland still fresh in the
mind Churchill, by now the Colonial Secretary, was encouraged to adopt a similar
approach to the much larger and more politically charged situation in Iraq.
Picture: UK Royal Air Force in Somaliland
There was NEVER a country called "Somaliland". It was a Protectorate under the British Authority. This are the sort of things that makes history very crooked. The area that was BOMBED by the British was Taleex, a city that was located in a State recognized by the British, Ethiopia and Italy as the State of Darwiishland. 