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Alam Halfa August 1942

This is an original order dated the 31st August 1942, it writes:

SPECIAL ORDER OF THE DAY
FORM GENERAL GHQ MEF 31 AUG 42

The German/Italian Forces are trying to force their way into the Delta
To capture Cairo and Alexandria and drive us from Egypt.
It is the duty of every officer and soldier to stand firm and fight the
Enemy wherever he may find him, regardless of the cost.
The results of the whole war may well depend on how we conduct
Ourselves in this great battle. As brothers in arms we must have
Confidence in ourselves, in each other, and in our weapons and
Determination to win or die. This is the fighting spirit which will
Give us victory.

SOLDIERS. DO YOUR DUTY

(Signed) H.R. Alexander, General, Commander in Chief,
Middle East Forces

Montgomery and Alexander took over command of the Eighth
Army from Auchinleck on the 13th August 1942, this was decided
after Churchill’s visit to the Western Desert on the 5th August.

Going by the date of the order this would have been given to
Counter the imminent attack by Rommel on El Alamein.

On the 28th August General Montgomery held a moral boosting
meeting with his officers where he spoke of the pending attack by
the enemy, which Rommel was clearly about to order. Monty said:-

“There will be no withdrawals,” “absolutely none-none whatsoever-
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On the 29th August Rommel announced to his troops that in two or three
days they would be in Alexandria, and issued a Special Order of
the Day in which he proclaimed that the forthcoming attack would
Accomplish the “Final annihilation of the enemy”.

Rommel struck on the night of the 30th August and the Eighth Army made a defensive stand at Alam Halfa where the battle took place, but by the
7th September the enemy attack was at an end and Rommel had only
Secured a little ground to the southern extremity of the British
Lines. This was seen as Montgomery’s and Alexander’s first victory
in the North African Campaign and a turning point n the war.

The British and German/Italian losses:-

British/Allied
1750 men
67 tanks
68 aircraft

German/Italian
2900 men
49 tanks
41 aircraft

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