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ADDENDUM:-

The Sidi N'Sir action was also reported in the Illustrated London News, dated Wednesday, 23rd June,1943, under the heading 'THE VC BATTERY' and accompanied by a vivid drawing by war artist Bryan de Grineau , depicting 155 Battery's last stand.

There were those at the time who felt that the importance of the success in this battle was very much under-rated by High Command, but not by the Germans. A German Afrika Corps Commander talking to Brigadier Graham many years after the war admitted that their failure at Sidi N'Sir and Hunt's Gap 'marked the end of their hopes of victory in North Africa'

Indeed within two months of the battle for Beja, Tunis had been taken and the Germans had surrendered at Cap Bon. At this point it is very interesting to note that having heard of the landings ia Algeria at about 08.00 hours on 8th November 1942, Rommel had stated to the Commander of the Afrika Korps, General Fritz Bayerlein, "this spells the end of the Army in Africa" Indeed, it eventually proved to have been the killer blow!

It is also fitting to add that, in order to commemmorate the action in which the 155 Battery had been involved, Captain Marcus Phillips, R.A., was commissioned by the Royal Artillery Institution in 1964 to paint a reproduction in oils.The finished product, a large canvas 7ftx5ft., was later hung in the Royal Artillery Museum, Woolwich and was later on display in the Royal Artillery Mess, Pembroke Dock, South Wales.

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