QUOTE OF THE MONTH

 

‘The British pride themselves on being good losers. I’m a damn bad loser. I’m going to win.’

– General Sir Claude Achinleck, Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, speaking to Major-General Dorman-Smith, in the desert in June 1942, shortly before the first battle of El Alamein.

After a disastrous period under the command of Major-General Neil Ritchie, the British Eighth Army fell back to Mersa Matruh where a weary Ritchie intended to make a stand to the last man, if necessary. Achinleck took the view that if the Eighth Army was destroyed, then Egypt, the Middle East and the Persian oilfields would be conquered and that therefore the Eighth Army had to remain in the field. He therefore dismissed Ritchie and took personal command of the Eighty Army. He ordered that if Rommel could not be stopped at Mersa Matruh, then there should be a retreat to El Alamein, which is what happened.

Achinleck intended to make a stand at El Alamein, but was prepared to retreat if necessary rather than see the Eighth Army destroyed. Meanwhile, as panic took hold, the Royal Navy ships in Egypt weighed anchor, without informing the Army, and there were preparations by base personnel for flight.

In the event, Rommel was stopped at El Alamein. The Eighth Army won the defensive battle. Egypt, the Middle East and the Persian oilfields were saved.

In October 1942, the Eighth Army, under the command of Lieutenant-General Montgomery launched an offensive in the second battle of El Alamein and broke through the enemy lines, forcing Rommel to order a general retreat – all the way back to Tunisia.