Alamein - a Commonwealth victory

An overview by Lieutenant Colonel (Rtd) Hon Sir John White, former Justice of the High Court and wartime personal assistant to General Freyberg.

	LEADING FROM THE FRONT: General Freyberg directs operations from the turret of his Honey tank.

The names on our war memorials in Egypt are uppermost in our minds this year as we remember the 60th anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein and what was suffered and achieved. The overview of history, underlines the significance of the decisive victory of the British Commonwealth and, for us, the contribution of the "second ANZACs" in the Mediterranean theatre of war.

We look back 60 years to the time when, after the fall of France, the British Commonwealth stood almost alone facing the Axis powers. The alliance with Russia and the United States had yet to come. In 1940, following Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain, the situation faced by the British Commonwealth forces in the Middle East was formidable indeed. Army formations from the United Kingdom and India were joined by Divisions from Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Their responsibility was to confront the enemy and defend the Middle East - a major strategic objective of the Axis powers.

These were the times when, as Churchill put it, the price was paid for the Allies' "want of preparation" for war against the German war machine.

In the Desert War, which had been spectacularly successful against the Italians, the situation changed dramatically with the arrival of the German Army and Air Force in Libya. In the two years before Alamein, the war moved back and forth across the Libyan Desert. Besieged Tobruk became a focal point, successfully held by Australian and British forces against all assaults. Late in 1941 the Desert Army lost an armoured battle, but returned to the attack; Tobruk was relieved in costly fighting, Benghazi was captured and the Axis forces retreated to the Agheila Line.

It was a short respite. In 1942, the year of crises on the far-flung fronts of the global war from Russia to the Pacific, the Middle East was no exception. Rommel's reinforced Panzer Army and Air Force struck again from Libya, won a battle, captured Tobruk and advanced into Egypt.

Imperial War Museum
ASSISTING THE ENEMY: Australian troops bring in a wounded German prisoner of war.

To meet this disaster all the Commonwealth Divisions were called in to hold the last defensive position at Alamein, less than 100 miles from Alexandria. From Syria came the 9th Australian Division and the 2nd New Zealand Division. Both had been in reserve reorganising after the 1941 campaign when the 9th Australian Division held Tobruk and the 2nd New Zealand Division had had a leading role in the battle to relieve the fortress. Both arrived in Egypt after record moves to play a leading part in stemming the retreat.

At Alamein the line was stabilised in fierce and costly battles marked by successful infantry night attacks by the 8th Army, but domination of the battlefield by the enemy armour and 88mm anti-tank guns continued.

It was here, at Alamein, just in time, the Army and Air Force received "adequate equipment" in quantity and quality from the supply lines of the United Kingdom and, significantly the United States - aircraft, artillery and armour, including 300 American Sherman tanks, diverted to the Middle East by President Roosevelt. The growing strength of the land and air forces of the British Commonwealth became an impressive unity of collective power.

Under the new Army Commander, General Montgomery, meticulous plans were being put into effect to hold the line and counter attack. The Allies were at last "organised on a war footing" with "adequate equipment".

Confident that the Suez Canal and control of the Mediterranean was in his grasp, Hitler made Rommel a Field Marshal, and in September, the Panzers attacked. Bombed by the Desert Air Force and met by artillery fire and dug-in armour, the attack failed.

Then on 23 October, the infantry divisions and the 900 guns of the 8th Army, supported by the Desert Air Force, launched a massive offensive. In the hard fought 12-day battle, the decisive victory of the Commonwealth was won, demonstrating the ability of Britain and the independent nations of the Commonwealth to become the powerful co-ordinated combination which turned back finally the tide of conquest.

The victory was the culmination of all that had been suffered and done on land, on sea and in the air. All the nations of the British Commonwealth and Empire had played their part. All were needed in those years when holding the line was in the balance. Throughout, the "second ANZACs" made a contribution second to none which the Australian historian, A K Macdougall records in his history ANZACs at War, quoting Churchill's acknowledgement:

"From the days of Bardia, Australian troops of three divisions and the New Zealand Division had played a foremost part in the Desert War…
They had shone in the van of its victories and shared in its grievous reverses. The 9th Australian Division had struck what history may well proclaim as the decisive blow in the Battle of Alamein".

With the fate of the Battle of Alamein still in doubt, the 2nd New Zealand Division and the British infantry and armour under General Freyberg's command shared in "the decisive blow" carrying out the infantry and artillery attack, and the assault by the armour which reached the enemy anti-tank gun line. In the salient the final armoured battle was fought and won by the British armoured divisions. It was indeed a British Commonwealth and Empire victory.