大象传媒

Message 1 - Mis Adventures in Nth Africa

Posted on: 08 December 2004 by Trooper Tom Canning - WW2 Site Helper

Dear Hairy Mac -

It would appear , from your Grandfather's stories that I have wasted an immense amount of time, not to mention hard cash in studying the various campaigns in Africa. In many of these historical accounts it is stressed that in the to-ing and fro-ing of the armies under many Commanders - and I am thinking of Wavell - O'Connor - Cunningham - Ritchie - Auckinleck - and finally Montgomery, who declared when he took over the 8th Army on the 12th of August 1942 at El Alamein some 60 miles from the Delta that " there would be no more retreating" and he gave orders that all plans for evacuation to the Canal Delta were to be scrapped.What he was really saying was that the forces under Rommell- both German and Italian - would only reach the Canal and Cairo over the dead bodies of ALL the 8th Army including himself ! It would therefore appear that at least one German Officer managed to reach the Canal - your Grandfather did not by any chance, get his name as he was a prime candidate for an Iron Cross , First Class with Diamonds !

Similarily coming out of a bar in the immense stretch of desert and wandering into a German camp.. reminds me of the story of the man - desperate for water in the desert comes across a little Jewish tailor selling ties ! No water - just ties. The tailor however directed him to a night club just over the next sand dune and the man wandered in that direction, returning hours later on his knees and croaking that they wouldn't let him in without a tie !

I am having some difficulty with your Grandfather's tales of the desert war !

best regards
Tom