大象传媒

The gunners of the 155th Battery had done all they could in holding up the German onslaught for those vital twelve hours, in order to give their other two Batteries, the 153th and 154th along with other support
groups, precious time in which to get fully prepared to engage with them. some twelve miles behind, in the west. It was never expected that 155th could stop the Axis forces altogether.They had, however, destroyed almost a quarter of the thirty enemy tanks deployed against them -seven in fact by the eight guns, three Messerschmidts of eight, and each gun had fired 1,800 rounds of ammunition! The entire action was described as having been "Near to Greatness." Gunner R.S.Hitchen, one of the "F" Troop gun crew who won the Distinguished Conduct Medal,had a chance to make a run for cover behind rocks at the rear, to the left of the gun site, when he was obviously sighted by a tank crew who opened fire upon him with a machine gun. he feigned death, and whilst he was recovering his breath, noticed our signal Sergeant Benham and Gunner Ferrier, also a signaller,taking cover. Gunner Hitchen indicated to them that he was about to make a run for it, and they agreed to make a dash with him.Upon a given signal they darted behind some rocks then crossed a minefield to take shelter in the derelict SidiN'Sir railway station, which itself was encircled with Col.-Gen. Lang's tanks! In the hours of darkness they crawled over the railway track and eventually up and over the hills alongside, late on the following day they made contact with one of our Recce Corps by which time they were not only exhausted, and hungry, but obviously very very greatful to be at least alive! Of the 5th Hants, a few may have been killed, but also hiding out until dark in slit trenches, some two hundred, together with their C.O., Col. Newnham, were also able to make for the safety of our own lines.In an Order of the Day from the C.R.A.(Brigadier T. Rigby) he declared that "For grit and devotion to duty the action of the 155th Field Battery at Sidi Nsir compares with anything in the history of the Royal Regiment"

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