Somaliland campaign (1920)

Fifth Expedition
Part of Somaliland Campaign
Aerial bombardment of Dervish forts in Taleh
Date January to 9 February 1920 Location British Somaliland Result British victory Fall of the Dervish State
Belligerents
British Empire	Dervish State
Commanders and leaders
Gp Capt Robert Gordon Wg Cdr Frederick Bowhill	Sayyid Mohammed Abdullah Hassan
Strength
12 aircraft, local gendarmerie, 1 battalion (KAR)

British victory

The Fifth Expedition of the Somaliland campaign in 1920 was the final British expedition against the Dervish forces of Mohammed Abdullah Hassan (often called the "Mad Mullah" derogatorily by British ), the Somali religious leader. Although the majority of the combat took place in January of the year, British troops had begun preparations for the assault as early as November 1919. The British forces included elements of the Royal Air Force and the Somaliland Camel Corps. After three weeks of battle, Hassan's Dervishes were defeated, bringing an effective end to their 20-year resistance.

The British had previously conducted three expeditions to British Somaliland against Hassan and his forces from 1900 to 1904 with limited or no success. In 1913, the Dervishes had previously defeated British forces at the Battle of Dul Madoba. Following the end of World War I, the British once again turned their attention to the ongoing violence in British Somaliland.

In 1919, the unrest in British Somaliland alarmed the British Government enough for Lord Milner, the Colonial Secretary, to consider sending a military expedition to the protectorate. The Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Sir Henry Wilson, advised Milner that at least two divisions would be required and this was likely to cost several million pounds. Such a cost was seen as being prohibitively expensive in the conditions of post-war austerity.

Lord Milner then turned to the newly formed Royal Air Force, asking the Chief of the Air Staff, Sir Hugh Trenchard, if he could suggest a solution. Trenchard who at that time was most eager to ensure that the air force remained as a separate service, immediately proposed that the RAF should take responsibility for the whole operation. Milner argued that some ground troops would be needed and Trenchard replied that the local colonial forces which were already in Somaliland would be sufficient.

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