George Forty - Desert Rats at War: North Africa. Italy. Northwest Europe

Crusader II CS leads a line of tanks in the Western Desert, 1942.

First published 2014 by Air Sea Media Services, an imprint of Forty Editorial Services Ltd
www.airseamedia.co.uk

ISBN 978-0-9576915-2-0

Copyright 2014 Air Sea Media Services

All rights reserved. With the exception of quoting brief passages for the purposes of review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission of the Publisher.

The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without any guarantee on the part of the Author or Publisher, who also disclaim any liability incurred in connection with the use of this data or specific details. We recognize, further, that some words, model names, and designations mentioned herein are the property of the trademark holder. We use them for identification purposes only. This is not an official publication.

Printed and bound in China.

Note on photographs and quotes
The majority of the photographs in this book come from the collection George Forty built up in some 40 years of writing. The collection contains much British Official, Crown Copyright material and photos from NARAincluding material from IWM, still the best repository of wartime photographs in the UK. The original research for the Desert Rats at War titles also provided a plethora of personal material, some of which had to be dropped from this combined version. The ones kept in have been credited where possible below, apologies if anybody has been missed:
Peter and Linda Anderson, 122123, 124, 125 (all except BL), 223T; APTC Museum, 108, 109L; Arts et Metiers Graphiques, 16T; A. Atkins, 42, 120TL, 121T, 130, 132, 145 (both), 190, 213 inset; H. Auger, 18T, 148TC; Maj A.H. Barnes, 153C; Battlefield Historian, 184TL and TR; Big Rolo Images/fotolia, 148B; N. Bloomfield, 198; Mrs D. Boggie, 74T; Maj A.S.C. Blackshaw, 25T; C.E. Chapman, 94B, 97B; The Commanding Officer, QOH, 62; Brig Sir F. Coates, 21; T.P. Dalton, 144, 153B; D. Dickson, 186, 200 (1), 201 (4), 201 (5); Editions de la Bevue du Caire 1942, 70TR; La 13e Demi-Brigade de Lgion Etrangre, 71B; Mark Doherty/fotolia, 96L; Maj H. Firth, 27CR, 32C; Maj I. Fowler, 12; F.H. Granger, 83, 120BL; N. Hall, 201 (6, 7, 8); R. Hardy, 212 (3); N.C. Harper, 7BR, 127T; Rev E.G. Hazelton, 33 (7); Home HQ 1 The Royal Hussars, 153T; Home HQ KRRC, 33 (5); Home HQ RGJ, 67 (5), 93L; B. Hook, 17T, 19C, 127B, 210 (3); Illustrated London News, 105, 110, 113, 185, 196L, 197R, 206; Col W.M.S. Jeffery, 7 inset TR; Col W. Kaulback, 86; L.J. Lee, 24T, 38; Leo Marriott, 57B; H. Martin, 176; John McDonnel (Surrey Comet), 120TR; Canon K. Meiklejohn, 28; Maj C. Milner, 183, 200 (3); Maj F.J. Mitchell, 131, 148TL; Mjkujipers/fotolia, 15T; Mrs S.M. Moore, 212 (1); E. Morrall, 192, 193T; NARA, 35R (199510); J.H.J. Orchard, 98L, 99T, 117BL; V. Overfield, 43T; R. Parker, 196R; D. Penty, 1 (and subsequent usage), 186 inset, 187 inset; Maj N. Plough, 49C, 49B, 61, 63BR; A. Potter, 27BL, 118TL, 147 (2), 160; K. Popplewell, 775T; Punch magazine, 2; Royal Signals Institution, 101 (1), 102TL; RA Institution, 93TR; RAC Tank Museum, 32 (1); RAOC Museum, 75T, 111, 112, 114 (2); RASC Museum, 104; 4RTR, 19T; Pascal Rateau/fotolia, 151B; W. Rendall, 18B; W.R. Reynolds, 171 (6), 171 (7); Maj-Gen G.W. Richards, 27T, 29; Royal Signals Museum, 15 inset, 63BL, 98R, 100 (both), 101B, 102TR, 102B, 103 (both), 119 (8), 222; RTR Association, 219; Col S.C.F. Salis, 96B; R.W.E. Smith, 129BL; Soldier magazine, 220; Col A.H. Stanton, 26 (4); Miss J. Surgey, 45; Brig P.A.L. Vaux, 27 (1), 70B; R.D. Walls, 200 (2); F.J. Williams, 24B.

Quotes are credited below or, if possible, in the text itself:
Jerboa extract from The Mammals by Desmond Morris, reproduced by kind permission of Hodder & Stoughton; Letter to The Duke of Connaught published courtesy RHQ The Royal Green Jackets; Maj A. L. King-Harman piece reproduced from the Royal Artillery Commemoration Book 193945 by kind permission of the Royal Artillery Institution; Cherry Pickers bring off the Hat Trick: from the Egyptian Mail of 29 June 1942, which appeared in a wartime edition of the 11th Hussars Journal (11HJ)and is reproduced here by kind permission of Home HQ, The Royal Hussars; obituary of Renton p33 published by kind permission of RHQ, the Royal Green Jackets; quote in Preparations for Normandy taken from the private papers of the late Gen Sir George Erskine and published by kind permission of Maj P. N. Erskine; personal impressions of D-Day extract from the Victory number of the 11HJ and published here by kind permission of Home HQ, The Royal Hussars; Wittmann quote from Profile AFV Weapons Book No 48 by P. Chamberlain and C. Ellis; The Inniskilling Dragoon was written in the 18th century by Charles Lever and turned into a march by E. Adams, who presented it to the regiment in 1931from Regimental History of The 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards, by Maj-Gen R. Evans, CB, MC; Charlie Love quote first published in the Victory number of the 11HJ and published here by kind permission of Home HQ, The Royal Hussars; surrender of Hamburg quoted from The Capitulation of Hamburg 3rd May 1945 by Dr J.K. Dunlop, published in the RUSI Journal, February 1954; Churchills Dear Desert Rats speech extracted from A Short History of the 7th Armoured Division June 1943-July 1945; Roll on My Demob! reproduced by kind permission of RHQ (Northumberland) The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, journal loaned by R. Jarvie; Sand at the finish quote from Soldier Magazine, March 1948.

Thanks to Jo and Sandra for scanning, Ad for badges, Mark Franklin for maps and Jan Suermondt and Richard Wood for vehicle recognition. In particular, thanks to Patrick Hook for writing up some of his fathers stories about his time in the desert and NW Europe. An RA territorial, Barry Hook may not have served in 7th Armoured but he fought alongside the division and his tales capture the spirit of the times.

The Western Desert was the backcloth for 7th Armoured Division from its formation in 1940 until it left for Italy in 1943. Andries Oudshoorn via Wikicommons