Click here for diary entry for Saturday November 22nd – Wednesday November 26th 1941

… through brigade – capturing most –  Brigader included.  Heavy casualties with them.  Fireworks started early morning – explosive bullets – all seem to be exploding just over head – giving us everything he’s got.  During afternoon broke through transport area – capturing many.  Things not looking too bright.  A Coy ordered to bayonet charge – at first not a wonderful feeling but once started greatly relieved.  Our Vickers (machine guns) & mortars put up a great barrage to advance under.  Able to push Jerry back with small loss to ourselves but saw some horrible sights.  During charge seem to stop being a human being and become beast.  Captured many and helped to bring in our own and Jerry wounded.  On guard at night.

 Thursday November 27th

236th Day

G.  Show & myself reviewed battle field – sights sickening – best left out.  Brought back field guns, machine guns, rifles, plenty of ammo.  Help to bury some of the dead.  Thousands of flies about them.  Found 3 dead from No8 platoon.  Jerry equipment seems far superior to ours also much lighter in everything.

Friday November 28th

237th Day

Jerry still shelling us.  Two German supply lorries captured.  Sighted convoys on horizon – 22 battalion what was left of them – had been with brigade.  Food rather scarce leaving most on captured supplies.  Enemy planes over at night.

Saturday November 29th

238th Day

22nd battalion came through perimeter.  Otherwise quiet except for a few shells.

Sunday November 30th

239th Day

Huge convoy sighted – took up fighting positions in readiness but turned out to be Indians and Tommies.  Feeling much easier now.  Ordered to pack but stayed the night.  Bardia still giving us hell.

Monday December 1st

240th Day

Left Capuzzo to Indians and Tommies.  Travelled past where Brigade got cleaned up – quite a mess.  While on escarpment, could see Med. Sea.  Coming…

The following extract from World War 2 Timelines website in order to put the above into perspective.  

http://www.worldwar-2.net/timelines/war-in-the-desert/war-in-the-desert-index-1941.htm

26/11/1941

Due to Rommel’s bold move, General Cunningham wants to halt the offensive and fall back to the frontier. General Auchinleck overrides him on this and replaces him as commander of the Eighth Army with General Ritchie.

27/11/1941

The Tobruk garrison links up the the New Zealand Division of the Eighth Army at El Duda. Rommel forces, now under constant attack by the RAF is forced to turn his forces around in order to deal with this new development. Gondar, the last Italian held town in East Africa surrenders to British forces after a tough battle. The Italian commander, General Nasi surrenders 23,500 men, while the British suffer 500 casualties.

Click here to read entry for Monday December 1st (cont) – Monday December 8th 1941