Countdown to 70th Anniversary of Second Alamein

Monty's handwritten notes for his adress to senior officers before the battle, dated 19/20 October 1942.

 

A Battle very much in the memory of Australians. The Australian 9th division (The Rats of Tobruk) proved their worth at Tobruk by denying Rommel, Alexandria and the Suez.

Recalled to Australia, along with the 6th and 7th divisions after the Pearl Harbor attack to defend Australia, Churchill fought tenaciously to allow them to stay for the future battles that would inevitabably occur and Roosevelt agreed to send an American division in their stead.

After their withdrawal from Tobruk after eight months, the division refitted and retrained and were sent to guard the Syria/Turkish border where they remained until moving up for the first Battle of Alamein and playing an integral part in the success of the second battle.

This presentation on the 60th anniversary is quite an interesting read:

This link takes you to the full presentation.

Remembering 1942 | Australian War Memorial

Remembering 1942


The Battle of El Alamein, 23 October 1942

Dr Mark Johnston
Presented by Dr Mark Johnston on Wednesday, 23 October 2002 in the Courtyard Gallery at the Memorial. (AWM PASU0177)
Dr Mark Johnston is Head of History at Scotch College, Melbourne. An authority on the Australian army in the Second World War, he has previously published At the Front Line, Fighting the Enemy and That Magnificent 9th. With Dr Peter Stanley, the Memorial's Principal Historian, he has co-written Alamein: the Australian Story , which was launched at the Memorial on 23 October 2002, the 60th anniversary of the opening of the battle.
Download the talk - 11:33 min (2.7 Mb Mp3)
Transcript

I'm Mark Johnston, and it's my privilege and pleasure to speak to you about the battle of El Alamein, which began 60 years ago today.
El Alamein was one of the great battles of the Second World War, and is frequently described as a turning-point of that conflict. Australians fought in the battle, and I'm going to concentrate on them, and in particular on the ones who were killed in the epic struggle that began on 23 October 1942 and lasted until 5 November. They were all members of the 9th Australian Division, which took a leading role in the battle. Its three field artillery regiments provided about 80 of the 880 guns that fired the extraordinary opening barrage at 9.40 p.m. on that first night, 23 October. They were still firing when the final breakthrough was achieved on the night of the 2 November, and in between they were often the crucial factor halting enemy advances and making Commonwealth ones possible.
The battle was a slogging match, for it soon became apparent that the original plan of the overall British commander, General Montgomery, to achieve a quick breakthrough with tanks, was impossible. The main theme of this slogging match or 'dogfight', became the necessity of drawing the best Axis formations, the German units, to a part of the battlefield where they could be pinned down and worn down. That would allow a breakthrough by the British tanks in an area that was denuded of these fine troops. In what Winston Churchill called "ceaseless bitter fighting", it was the Australians on the northern, coastal, flank of the battle, who managed to achieve this magnetic pull on the German armour and men. Churchill, General Montgomery and other British commanders acknowledged the crucial value of the Australian contribution at the time.



Read further at the link above.

 

Thanks for the link Spidge, always impressed with that site and the way its presented.
To quote Montgomery's words about the 9th Div. from the same book the above came from:

When all did so well it would seem hardly right to single out any for special praise. But I must say this - we could not have won the battle in 12 days without that magnificent 9th Australian Division.

 

Geoff
Thank you for the link and post, my father fought and lost mates during the battle.
It was at this time of year he went into reflective mode and often he seemed to be day dreaming but I think he was remembering the price of writing history

 

I was surprised by the lack of coverage of the 70th anniversary of the Second Battle of El-Alamein yesterday; in the press, on television and on this forum.

We shall remember them.

 

One of the more important series of Battles in the European campaign by a restored 8th Army has already been forgotten - before many of those who fought have gone- SHAME
Cheers

 

One of the more important series of Battles in the European campaign by a restored 8th Army has already been forgotten - before many of those who fought have gone- SHAME
Cheers

Hello Tom,

I had a beer with one of my best friends (41 years old and intelligent) yesterday and he had never heard of El Alamein, where it was or what happened there. To his credit he is now interested and wants a recommendation for a good general history of WWII - with probably a British and Commonwealth bias.

What chance has the Italian or any other campaign got? We all just have to keep putting information out there, for as long as we are able!

All the best,

Steve.

 

Steve
Then get him started on "ALANBROOKE " by Gen David Fraser - then Barrie Pitt's "Trilogy of War" - that should sort him out

Cheers

 

Do not forget Correli Barnett's the Desert Generals a very good read

As for the 70th Anniversary I saw a short bit on the Saturday news and thats all, I like many others whose fathers and relatives fought the battle raised a glass to them at the appropriate time yesterday.

To me there gone but not forgotten

 

Do not forget Correli Barnett's the Desert Generals a very good read.

I second this recommendation; Barnett's book is remarkably well-written, and at its publication was a lot more controversial than people might remember now, particularly in its treatment of Montgomery. It remains at odds with much of the conventional memory of the Desert War. Not a book to be read in isolation, but important all the same.

Best, Alan

 

Steve
Then get him started on "ALANBROOKE " by Gen David Fraser - then Barrie Pitt's "Trilogy of War" - that should sort him out

Cheers

Do not forget Correli Barnett's the Desert Generals a very good read

As for the 70th Anniversary I saw a short bit on the Saturday news and thats all, I like many others whose fathers and relatives fought the battle raised a glass to them at the appropriate time yesterday.

To me there gone but not forgotten

I second this recommendation; Barnett's book is remarkably well-written, and at its publication was a lot more controversial than people might remember now, particularly in its treatment of Montgomery. It remains at odds with much of the conventional memory of the Desert War. Not a book to be read in isolation, but important all the same.

Best, Alan

Thank you all.

As you probably realise my study wanderings through WWII have mainly followed the path of the 50th (Northumbrian) Division; which I believe is not a bad place to occupy given that their involvement was long and hard.

Despite my respect for Tom and other Italy veterans on this forum my knowledge of the Italian Campaign is 'general' at best. Sorry Tom; I promise to do better!

If I was starting out looking at WWII I would want to read a good general history of WWII - with probably a British and Commonwealth bias, not something that was too biased - as against Montgommery - nor too technical - as in a boring 'put off' for the reader. What I would want to read is something that lit the blue touch paper - so that I wanted to read further and wider, including the best warts and all books.

Which of the three recommended books would fit the bill?

Best,

Steve.

 

Steve -
no question - "ALANBROOKE" by Gen David Fraser

soup to nuts
Cheers

 

Steve -
no question - "ALANBROOKE" by Gen David Fraser

soup to nuts
Cheers

Thanks, Tom!

 

Steve
Then get him started on "ALANBROOKE " by Gen David Fraser

Cheers

Thanks for the tip - Just bought one on fleabay, - I've read all the others!