Introduction

"The Second Battle of El Alamein, (1) marked a significant turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of World War II. The battle lasted from October 23 to November 3, 1942. By November 2nd 1942, Rommel knew that he was beaten. Hitler ordered the Afrika Korps to fight to the last but Rommel refused to carry out this order. On November 4th, Rommel started his retreat. 25,000 Germans and Italians had been killed or wounded in the battle and 13,000 Allied troops in the Eighth Army." - Wikipedia

The road out of Egypt

Thursday October 15th 1942, at Eaku

Well, here starts another book. On parade from 08:30. This morning things began to move. We had to take our tent down for Left Half and put up the guard tent in lieu. Then came the point of trying to cram as much kit as possible in haversack and valise as the blue kit bags with surplus kit had to be handed in. Whether we shall ever see these again, goodness only knows, but I've put some of mine in a sandbag to take; also got the 'tuck box'' pretty full. It's not a dead certainty we are going yet but we've got to be ready to move fairly quickly. The Beau's* have been pretty active today, so it looks as if another campaign is about to begin.

On first shift guard this afternoon; have just come off - now 21:30 and got L/C* No.6. off to H*. Received A/M* letter and 5/- postal order; also PC No.13 [17/9/1942]. Can't get any news of the move yet. Today we've had two R/A's, didn't fire, but I reported down at Bouselli. Lance Bombardier Henry went away to Mustapha to do his 28 days from the 8th and lost his stripe.

Friday October 16th

N.O.M. today. Had a church service in the morning but little else doing. No sign of a flap. Four of our men went early to P.O.W. camp to arrange for kit bags. Last night the Wogs cut the wire at the stores end of the camp and pinched three tents and not a sound was heard. This afternoon the wind got up and started blowing the sand about; also rained in the showers. Now tonight the old tent is shaking wildly in a strong wind - shades of the blue. Ron Hough got his paid stripe back. Wrote L/C to Mother. Started letter to H but had to pack it up as the wind got so rough that it tore a big hole at Ted's side and I really thought the tent would collapse altogether.

Saturday October 17th

No S/T this morning owing to the rain, but had Reveille at 06:45. Didn't get up until 07:20 and it was so cold during the night that I pulled my other blanket and top coat on me. M.O.P.* from 08:30 but it was so rough with short heavy storms that we didn't line up until 11:00. Lunch was just a large biscuit and cheese. Wrote eight page letter to H. and sent Blighty cutting. Also sent A/G to Frank Parker (George's pre-war work colleague and Best Man at his wedding). Left Half lost 4-1 to 46 Squadron (3) in a poor game.

Just started evening S/T when heavy rain came on, so we packed up. At night, no beer or lemonade in the canteen, so we fried a supper of bacon, two tins of sausages and three tins of beans and now I'm waiting for a mash of 'shag'. Day Leave to Alex. starts again in the morning so the flap is not so urgent and I've sent my leave shorts in my kit bag!

Sunday October 18th

M.O. No.4 from 08:30. This morning we had a discussion in the canteen by the five new G.H. fellows on 'Conditions In England' as they have only just come out and it was very interesting. It has been a lot warmer today and I had a full strip wash during the afternoon. For the second night there is no beer in the canteen so I just went into No.1 tent for a chat.

Monday October 19th

M.O.P. Nothing much doing in the morning so just stuck a few more snaps in album. No.1 gun came out of action for test on wheels. There is still some rumours of going up to the front for C.B. work. In the afternoon there was another game of football by the non-playing fellows and provided some good fun. Ended in a draw 3-3. Number of Mosquitoes about this afternoon so turned in 20:30 hours.

Friday October 23rd

M.O.P. 08:30. Had a church service in the morning, nothing much else doing. Jack North was taken away last night with malaria. He seems to have had a poor time out here. I have just been detailed along with others for a mystery party tomorrow, have got to take rations and water bottle as well as rifle and steel helmet. So far can't get any more 'gen'' but Reveille will be very early. Wrote L/C No.7 to H. Have just been listening to the new wireless in the canteen - An HMV 8-valve battery set playing to the tune of £47 - quite a few ackers!

According to the latest 'griff', tomorrow's 'do' is off. Had R/A at 22:00 hours for a quarter on an hour on Alex.

Saturday October 24th

N.O.M. from 08:30 but had to load two Ammo lorries and at 10:15 Arthur and I were detailed to go along as guard. Went through Alex and Mex to Dekheila (a port on the Mediterranean west of the Nile delta 7 kilometres from Alexandria) and the Wogs unloaded. Stopped in Mex for some eggs and chips and afterwards stopped at The Springbok for a wash etc. Arthur went to Amiriya to pick up Bob Hodgson. We got back to the site by 17:30 hours.

This morning the Beaus were very active - sixteen went off for one 'do' - all back OK. No mail again today for me. This is getting serious!

Sunday October 25th

M.O.P. 08:30 hours. Started letter to H. At 12:00 hours the order came through to strike all 180 pound tents, under three hour notice, so I moved in with Arthur in his small tent. Apparently the 8th Army went into attack on Friday night and we are getting ready to move at any time.

Received A/M letter [31/8/42] and 5/- P.O. from H. Should be on leave tomorrow but I'll bet it's off now. Had 'Cease Fire' at 14:45 just as a lot of Bostons and Baltimores (Allied Aircraft) came in. Loaded ammo during the afternoon. On first shift guard this evening 19:00 - 21:00 and 01:00 - 02:00. Two of the guns changed barrels at night. Arthur went to Alex with the other gun barrels and didn't get back until after midnight.

Into the desert

Monday October 26th

Reveille 03:45. Thank goodness we had a full moon. All packed and loaded and left Eaku 05:15 hours. Stopped for breakfast near Alex at 07:00 and then on through Mex for the old desert once more, picked some figs on the way up. Thought we were going to Burg El Arab but carried straight on to K82 and turned down the Bombay Road to the railway and got onto site at 15:00. G.L. came so we rigged up cover for parade. We are quite close to the front as can see gun flashes on the skyline and hear a lot of rumbling. During the night heard quite a lot of bombing round about. We got three turn outs for Fire patrol

Tuesday October 27th

So starts our first day in the desert again. Reveille was last R/A at 06:15 and digging-in started at once. Our Camel water tanks have been taken away but kept the water by getting another tin. Had my first shave for two days. No water issue today. The Bostons and Batts are running a No.18 bus service and the fighters are pretty active, apparently it's not going quite so well as we expected - Jerry is taking some digging out. Eddie Davis was taken to hospital yesterday. The instrument pits were finished in the afternoon and we moved in. 'Rosie'' Taylor was taken away to hospital. At night we had an issue of one bottle of beer each, the first for nearly two weeks. Finished off my Sunday's letter to Hilda and sent it Air Mail. N.O.M. today. No R/A.

Wednesday October 28th

M.O.P. from 08:30 hours but Arthur and I were sent out on a detail to collect empty petrol tins and these were rather scarce. Just managed to get a load. It is very hot today but digging still goes on. The guns should finish their pits by tonight. One M.E.109 picked up in the distance but that is all we have seen so far of the Jerry Air Force, but our planes have been bombing him pretty well. They only take about 15-20 minutes from the time they pass over our site and drop their load and come back again. I watched them on the H.F. make their run over the Jerry lines and very little Ack-Ack opposed them. Water ration two bottles a day.

Continued in column 2...

Thursday October 29th

We had four R/As from 04:30 until dawn, just a matter of getting back to bed and getting comfortable and then out again. One load dropped at the back of us some way off and while we were in bed, but it went off with a hell of a crack, didn't fire.

From 08:30 Arthur and I were on cookhouse, peeling 'marbles'. At 13:30 we went on the first bathing parade on the coast and had a grand dip. All four guns are now in the pits. Made sure of my 'doubles' in the afternoon. N.O.M. Had another bottle of beer. Could see a lot of flares dropping over the front. Bombardier Compton got his third stripe; of all the ...!! No R/A. in the evening.

Friday October 30th

M.O.P. from 08:30. During the morning could see Jerry Ack-Ack going up at our fighters, but it didn't touch them. Arthur and I dug our tent in, not very deep, but enough to give us more head room. The sand has been blowing about today, breaking us in for some real sandstorms.

So far up here the grub has been better. For breakfast we've had bacon and beans or sausages. Also spuds instead of yams. Our luck is in, another bottle of beer again tonight, result of a bit of wangling I think. George Henry came back to site after serving his sentence! Lucky blighter. On third shift guard this evening 22:30 - 00:30. From 22:00 there was a hell of an artillery barrage going on with the skyline ablaze with gun flashes with an unending rumble like thunder and I'm glad I wasn't on the receiving end of it. The main barrage lasted until about 00:15 but there was a number of guns firing until about dawn. On the other shift, 04:30 - 06:30 there was also some bombing but we didn't get out turn out.

Started a nice cold in the head tonight. Two A/M letters from H [2/9 and 7/9/42] and 5/-

Saturday October 31st

N.O.M. today although they tried to put us on cookhouse again. Pay day: drew 100 pt. Eric Palethorpe leaving us today for L/H - another one less for guard, which comes round just as quick although there are only nine on now instead of twelve. Battle dress issued - this is second hand this year. I got quite a decent fit. Wrote L/C No.8 to H. Clocks go forward one hour tonight. Had a bottle of beer and two aspirins and turned in just after 20:00 hours.

Sunday November 1st

M.O.P. from 08:30. Two Jerry 88mm have come to B.H.Q. this morning and ten men from each site to man them and now word has gone round that we are probably going up to the front with our guns for 'tank busting'. Not a nice prospect. Anyway as I write the officers are practicing with aiming posts etc. I should think they are going to turn all the 25pders into Ack-Ack just to see how they manage it.

Received four PCs from H [No.14 23/9/42; No.14 30/9/42; No.15 04/10/42; No.16 13/10/42; also A/G 3/10/42] PC from mother [2/10/42] and bundle of papers [25/7/42]. The clocks have been put back an hour today so it's as we were before.

Later news :- The 88s are going up in the morning for a crack off and the latest 'gen' is that a push is starting tonight. We've got a lot of tanks parked around us as reserves.

Monday November 2nd

Reveille still 06:15. Put on cookhouse again with Arthur but only dirty pans to do so far. A helluva lot of guns have been going by this morning as well as some tanks. The other lot have moved off. The Bostons and Baltimores have been very busy again and a shower of fighters. Received PC from H No.16 [10/10/42] At night had a darn good fill at the cookhouse followed by a bottle of White Label beer and turned in fairly early. No R/A.

Tuesday November 3rd

M.O.P Neither of the 88s went yesterday owing to slight blockages and mad Mac was down raving and ranting. Anyway one gun has gone up this morning - the other followed later. Nothing much doing for us. The bombers have been very busy again - three came limping back. At night the artillery started before dusk and was going although until dawn, as well as bombs and flares all helping to give Jerry a big headache.

Sent a six page letter and four snaps to Mother. All my other snaps are in the album - over 180.

Wednesday November 4th

N.O.M. Had a free day. Went on a bathing parade - bathing in the sea in November and it was grand. Saw 199 going up.

Glossary and abbreviations

A/M: Air Mail
Beau's: Bristol Beaufighter fighter-bomber
H: Hilda Mary Cook - his wife
L/C: Letter Card. It was typical of him to date and number each of these communications
Left Half: We suspect that the camp was divided into Right and Left halves for duty purposes
M.O.P.: Men On Parade
N.O.M: Not on manouevres
R/As: Radar or Raider Alert

Acknowledgement

George Craxford's War Diaries and other memorabilia were donated after his death to the Imperial War Museum. We are most grateful to Dr Simon Robbins, Archivist, for providing copies of the manuscripts used in the preparation of this article (6)

References

1. The Second Battle of El-Alamein on Wikipedia
2. The Bristol Beaufighter World War 2 Planes
3. 46 Squadron: The Tobruk By-pass BBC "The Peoples War"
4. El-Alamein Battle maps: Staffordshire Yeomanry: Picture File
5. 25pdr field gun The Royal Artillery 1939 - 1945
6. IWM Collections: The Imperial War Museum

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Added: May 10th 2006
Updated: March 14th 2012

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