Andrew Cross
Edition of 3
"In recent years I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Somali architect Rashid Ali in recording Architecture in Somalia and Somaliland. Our 2014 exhibition Mogadishu – Lost Moderns was held at the Mosaic Rooms, London and elements shown at the 2014 Dakar Biennale.
Prior to visiting the port city of Berbera, Somaliland in 2023 I was curious about two aspects of British colonial history.
Firstly a railway linking Berbera with the hinterland but which was never built. Detailed survey maps are held in the National Archives, Kew and using these as a reference I made photographs along the originally proposed route.
Secondly, that in 1920 the RAF established a temporary airfield for the ‘policing’ of nationalist resistance. The operation known as Z Force is recognised as the first exclusive use of arial bombardment instead of air power used in support of ground troops. Therefore changing forever the nature of warfare and believed to have secured the future of the RAF.
The site was identified using archive photographs held at the RAF Museum, Hendon."
