Under shellfire in the Battle for Keren

21st February 1941: An obscure location in the middle of East Africa is essential to wresting the region back from the Italians and securing sea routes

The landscape of Eritrea. A Wellesley Mark I of No. 47 Squadron RAF based at Agordat, Eritrea, in flight during a bombing mission to Keren.

On the 20th February, Churchill telegrammed his Middle East Commander, General Sir Archibald Wavell :

Am concerned at [a] check developing at Keren. Abyssinia might be left, but had hopes Eritrea would be cleaned up.

W…