On the outbreak of War with Italy, in June 1940, Flight Lieutenant Casano was serving with No. 2 Armoured Car Company RAF at Amman in the Transjordan. In September of that year, the Army requested assistance for its hard-pressed armoured reconnaissance regiment, whose small force of armoured cars had to cover the vastness of the Western Desert almost single-handed. Flt Lt Casano took two Sections of 2 ACC, of six cars each, to Egypt, to help the Army in formation reconnaissance duties, the traditional cavalry screen, patrolling the border with the large Italian force in Libya. The Army regiment was the old colleagues the 11th Hussars and the RAF cars were soon incorporated, as 'D' Sqn., with Casano as Squadron Commander. The RAF unit took part in the great Battle of Bardia, in December 1940, when the daring of a smaller British Empire force blocked the hesitant advance into Egypt. The Commonwealth forces then seized the initiative and pushed the enemy back as far as El Agheila, in the next few weeks, with D Sqn. acting as flank protection on the Desert flank. In February 1941, after 5 months of very hard, but very successful campaigning, the RAF vehicles were released, to return to Amman for rest and refit. Losses were just 5 wounded or otherwise injured. The vehicles were elderly Rolls-Royce armoured car bodies, refurbished on a rather less exalted Fordson, but durable, truck chassis. After this brilliant baptism of fire, Casano was soon promoted and given command of the whole Company.