大象传媒

My father served in the 233 field Company RE Infantry Brigade, 50 (N) Divsion. One of the main units was involved in the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940 but my fatehr had not yet joined them.
This is the first part of his war time exploits which took place in North Africa, Sicily and the D day landings in Normandy.
In May 1941, after six months training in Aldershot, my father, a Forestry Commission worker, Ernest Glenesk Richards, from Bervie, Abendeenshire, sailed from Glasgow to the Middle East in the Duchess of Bedford. After ten weeks they arrived at Port Suez where as officers they were entitled to use the Port Suez Canal Company House to dine in style.
69th Brigade was posted to Cyprus and given the status of a Corps and given unlimited powers to hire local labour to build a hospital to serve the wounded, after the fall of Crete.
By December, when the Germans were well into Russia, my father's division was rushed to Kirkuk (Iraq) and then sent to Gazala in the Western Desert . Here they lived in a fortified area enclosed by barbed wire and perimeter mine fields.
Rommel attacked in the spring of 1942 when the units of 69 Brigade were dive bombed by Stukas but escaped by night and reformed near Mersa Matruh.
In June 1942 Rommels army surrounded Mersam Matruh; my father's brigade was formed into fighting groups of 20 vehicles and commanded to punch gaps in the German forces. By dint of a tourist map and the knowledge of the 4th Indian Division Sappers, whom they caught up with, they located a large RASC encampment where, after a hearty breakfast were dispatched to 50 Division.

A period of some months' consolidation followed as both sides re equipped . The 8th army held the narrow strip of desert from El Alamein to the impassable sands of the Quattara Depression, the two brigades of 50 Division held a position in the southern sector of this line.
The battle of El Alamein opened under a full moon on the night of 23 October. 233 Field Company (my father's section) succeeded in breaching a deep enemy minefield in the Munassib Depression and captured the high ground overlooking it.
This was for the sappers their first experience of a set piece battle. During the next two weeks the 69 Brigade of the 50 Division fought a series of actions in the soutern sector whence the brigade eventually secured the open desert.
By 23 January 1943, after much battlefield clearing, the 8th Army entered Tripoli. From January to April 1943 the Division engaged in advances from Libya to Tunisia, ntoably in the battles of the Mareth Line , Wadi Akarit and Enfidaville.
On 23rd April, his division handed over command to the Black Cats (59 Division) and motored eastwards to the Suez Canal from where the invasion of Sicily was to to take place. My father's section was chosen to assist 505 Field Company RE in the D day assualt on beaches near Avola, between Cape Passero and Syracuse.
This part of my father's story is now finished. It will resume with the assault on Sicily.

Postd by Pamela Martin (nee Richards) on behalf of her father Major EG Richards, M.C. (still alive and well)

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