Memories of Libya 1956 to 1959

Contributed by Trevor STUBBERFIELD 52A

Libyan Farming

Three miles from the centre of Tripoli, at Sidi Mesri, the Libyan Government had established an agricultural centre with a view to developing crops and livestock which could tolerate the harsh conditions found in the region. Through a project undertaken by Mr Head, the ASM of our LAD with 38 Company RASC, I got to hear of this and thought it might be an interesting place in which to spend a few hours. I arranged an interview with one of the management staff and after he explained the trials that were going on there, he asked me why I wanted to look round. Was I a farmer or did I have an agricultural background which would be a legitimate reason for a visit? Very unlikely for an East End of London boy so thinking on my feet, I explained that my father worked for the British Oil and Cake Mills, a major supplier of animal feedstuffs. He took notice because the farm used these products. It was true because dad worked there as a maintenance fitter. Inadvertently I may have conveyed the information that dad was well up the management ladder and had quite a lot of influence in decisions to help establishments, such as Sidi Mesri. I was in. Given a family pass for recreational purposes my wife and I paid the first of many visits. Although we had a one day pass the gate keeper was led to believe that it was an open ticket and we could visit at any time. Indeed, we visited so many times that in the end he just used to wave us through the gate. The following photos give some impression of the projects going on at the centre.

Two of the breeding stock, close up they were truly magnificent beasts and very well cared for.
	Most people would be happy just taking a dog for a walk but this was a common sight as the animals were exercised. You never knew quite what would be walking along the road towards you. Probably the handlers were deemed expendable, not so the animals.
	Here I’m seen making friends with some of the younger animals with the little fellow on the left barely twenty four hours old.
Little ones grow up to become large ones and yes, the photo on the right is blurred. The animals were normally quite placid, we could pat or stroke them and feed them by hand, but of course they were still unpredictable. I stood on the gate of the paddock to take a photo of this bull. I was having a job focussing when I realised the bull was coming forward at a great rate of knots. I took the shot as I fell of the gate. The bull stopped, pawing the ground, and I’m sure I saw a glimmer of a smile on his lips. A close examination of the gate showed it was only secured by a loop of thin baler twine. Later we met him going for a stroll around the grounds with his handler, calm as you please.
The donkey on the left was the size you would normally see. Usually grossly over-worked, life for them was not particularly good. Another of the projects of the centre was to improve the knowledge of the local owners and to understand that if you cared well for the animal you would get better use of it. The much bigger donkey on the right is one of a group shipped in from Sicily to improve the stock. Because of their size they needed regular exercise and work and so the blacksmith was called in to shoe them. They were then saddled and ridden around the roads of the farm, forget the sea-side donkey, these fellows went like the wind. On the other hand, like their smaller brethren they had powerful brakes and we saw a few jockeys exit by the front door when the beast spotted a tasty morsel in the hedges.
			On our regular visits we always filled our pockets with tasty nibbles for the animals, carrots, apples and a good supply of peppermints. They came to expect us and as we walked around, the donkeys would throw their heads up and start braying as loud as they could. All the subjects of this photo are in various stages of pregnancy, perhaps that’s why they got on so well together.
			Horses were widely used for pulling carts and the gharries used for local travel around the city. Generally they were in a very poor state and it was very distressing when you saw one drop dead in the shafts. Once again there was a program to improve the quality and care of the horse. These are some of the breeding stock.

Unseen for more than 50 years, a selection of my colour slides of Sidi Mesri can be viewed from HERE.

First Published: 1st February 2008.

Latest Update: 1st May 2011.

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Libyan Farming continued.