• May 1941
• October 1941
• November 1941
• December 1941
• September 1942

The spirit and work of the Division during the past four months has been splendid. Experience has shown that we are undoubtedly superior to the enemy in every way except perhaps temporarily as regards quantity of equipment. It is therefore imperative that the strictest attention is paid to the care and maintenance of the machine. This must be the individual concern of all ranks.

For the rest we are all of us, whether we know it or not, fighting for the principles of liberty, justice and honour and last but by no means least to kill Italians.

Let us go forward with confidence and good courage to that task.

Officer Attached

A grand concert to be held on the Harland Estate Arena (Mussolini permitting) under the auspices of everybody that matters (and the watchful eye of AA sentries)

ALL ITEMS PASSED BY ‘WHISKERS’ UNIT CENSOR.

In order to avoid accidents patrons are requested NOT to drive their tanks into the arena. Adequate parking space in the vicinity has been kindly loaned by the King of Egypt (for the duration).

1. Tpr Holden in “A Melody” or should we say “Wrapped around a Melody”.
2. Community Singing – Here is your chance to ease your lungs and settle yourselves in.
3. Mouth Organ Duet – Messrs Toomer and Mayer.
4. Round 1 of the Quartet Contest – Merry’s merry men from ‘C’ in “Over the Seas” (We might consign them there later), followed after a short interval, in order to allow you to recuperate, by A1 torturing “When Day is Done” and again by HQ1 who have omitted to tell us what they intend to rend (sorry,render).

   If we are still alive there will now be an interval of five minutes for FURIOUS DRINKING.

   COMING BACK

5. Something really good (we hope) Capt Smith, (without his go-and-get-it lads) in a melody. Melodies seem quite the thing tonight. Give him a big hand (but empty it first).
6. IVAN ACKEROFF HOWLAND (Russian extraction) in “Sam and his Medal”. (Young soldiers watch the technique)
7. Round 2 of the Quartet Contest (and the final round) in the order HQ, C & A (accompanied by the Sqt- Major, off the stage, if it gets too boring.
8. Mouth Organ solo – Toomer – without comment.
9. Sgt Merry will warble about his Gypsy Dream Girl.
10. Tpr Holden with his squeeze box again.
11. Lcpl Craven with “Pennies From Heaven” (if by this time we haven’t heard from Graziani we can almost say that that will be all we get from Heaven tonight).
12. Tpr Buckling – Rosita
13. Community Singing (All in, no grumbling).

7th.     Normal replenishment was carried out and the Echelon moved forward to MINQUAR EL AHMA conforming to the Regt’s advance.

8th.     After normal replenishment B Echelon moved up 32 miles behind the Regt to the area SW of ALAM EL HEILIF. Replenishing vehicles then went forward with the tanks a further 10 miles to the area.

9th.     At 0800 hrs the replenishing vehicles reported to Bde B Echelon commander, Major GC Webb, and prepared a hot meal to take up to the tanks that night.
At 1530 hrs the Bde B Echelon moved off to the dispersal area but were forced to halt three times en route by enemy aircraft. On the third occasion 19 enemy planes were dispersed, with the loss of one, by 4 Hurricanes.
The Regts replenishment packet was then sent off, commanded by Lt F Fleming, to the forward troops, but owing to being given the wrong Map Ref, arrived very late. They provided a welcome hot meal and a further one at dawn the next day, before returning to B Echelon, with some 400 prisoners captured by the Regt.

10th.     At 2100 hrs the B1 Group, moving on a Northerly course to contact the Regt, which had moved to the area of ABUR EL SHIREISAT to co-operate in operations of the MATRUH Mobile Force, came under very heavy fire from an enemy camp (Pt 90) in the TUMMAR area, which had not been cleared up during operations of the 4th Indian Div on the previous day. The enemy opened Breda fire across the front of the column and also shelled the lorries with field guns. Unfortunately the first shell hit and set on fire a petrol lorry, which lit up the other transport, which was badly disorganised in its efforts to reach a place of safety. Four vehicles only reached the Regt, one of which carried the Echelon commander, Capt FJA Pettman and none of these carried useful replenishment. Three returned under SSM W Rivers to Bde B Echelon and others continued to arrive throughout the 11th.
Casualties to personnel were one killed, Tpr R Cole, and to vehicles, eight lost, three petrol, 2 rations, 1 ammunition, 1 water and 1 15cwt. That losses were not heavier, especially of personnel, was largly due to the work of SSM A Gray and Sgt A Carter who remained till late on that night on the scene of the shelling, working on vehicles and looking for personnel.

11th.     Replenishing during the morning was hampered by enemy air activity. This took the form of bombing and machine gunning, which caused no casualties, though 106 Bty RA nearby had some.
Hard rations had to taken up to the tanks, as the loss of containers on the previous day precluded the possibility of taking up a hot meal. On this occasion the lorries got involved in a minefield with the subsequent loss of three vehicles, and the wounding of three men. The ones of two of these were aggravated by acid from the batteries carried on the lorry getting on to them. Contact was not established with the tanks as B Echelon had been given the wrong rendezvous ALAN EL DAB.
During the day Lt EH Symcox and one OR were killed, and one OR wounded, during an air raid on Rear HQ, 4th Armd Bde.

12th.     At 1130 hrs B Echelon were rejoined by the replenishment group, less three vehicles lost on the minefield. Shortly after, Sgt A Carter brought in a water truck abandoned during the bombardment on the 10th.
At 1400 hrs HQ 4th Armd Bde cancelled replenishing as they were moving to KHREIGAT. It was then learnt that 6th RTR were now under orders of HQ 7th Armd Bde and Capt Pettman went off to their Rear HQ to discuss replenishing. There he contacted Major GJ Dean and was told that the Regt were now in the area GHOT EL SHALLUDI. He therefore gave orders to Lt Fleming to draw rations from the SIS and the whole B Echelon had rejoined the Regt by 2000 hrs.

13th.     Normal replenishing.

14th.     B2 Echelon moved up to BIR KHREIGAT to replenish. They failed to establish wireless communication with the Regt and spent the night in the area.

15th.     B Echelon returned to QARET EL HAMRA where Capt EJA Pettman was evacuated sick. Lt F Fleming spent the morning trying to get in touch with the Regt. Eventually 2Lt AH Crickmay arrived from 6th RTR and took forward necessary replenishment items.
The remainder of B Echelon moved at 1600 hrs to SIDI SULLEIMAN. During the night enemy planes dropped bombs in an area near the camp.

16th.     Replenishing was carried out by RSM C McComb but was very late owing to bombing of the RASC. Capt JD Aldridge took command of HQ Sqn.

17th.     Replenishment was carried out with Support Group.

18th.     A normal day, though on two occasions areas near B Echelon were heavily bombed.

19th.     Normal replenishing. Capt JD Aldridge sent two vehicles under the RSM to bring back rations from a deserted Italian camp. One vehicle broke down and the RSM returned empty handed except for a quantity of sherry.

20th.     Normal day.

21st.     normal replenishing. The RSM was more successful on this occasion in getting rations from the Italian camp, but failed to recover the lorry which had broken down. As this was a RASC vehicle and as its driver had been left with it, it was assumed to have rejoined its own unit.

22nd.     Capt WI Miller took over command of HQ Sqn. The Regt replenished under 4th Armd Bde to whose command the Regt had reverted. B2 Echelon now moved to an area seven miles West of SIDI SULLEIMAN.

23rd.     replenishment under Capt Miller was completed early. There was plenty of enemy air activity, but B Echelon escaped attention.

Appendix C – Nominal Roll of Officers and Warrant Officers, as at 31 December 1940