8 Examinations

p. 140 Nash, ‘Rommel’s Lost Battalions’, Army History 84 (2012), p. 12, gives the firepower of Tunis Field Battalion T2 (not engaged at Sedjenane) as 124 Light MG, 12 Heavy MG, six 5–cm AT guns, a 75mm AT gun and six 8cm mortars. An Intelligence Report from 46th Division dated 20 January, in WO 175/0157 estimated the T3 battalion had 54 LMG, 16 HMG and 16 mortars, while the T4 battalion had 96 LMGs and 48 Machine Pistols and a similar number of heavy weapons.

pp. 142-45 Foresters’ dispositions from Binch, Memories of Sedjenane p. 10; Bill Sheppard, says that the motorcycle section was overrun at Sedjenane, but the carriers themselves were to the rear and not engaged, Sheppard, IWM tape #13455, Reel 6.

p. 145 Storey, in Memories of Sedjenane, p. 55, also in More Sherwood Forester Memories, p. 12.

p. 146 McKay, in Memories of Sedjenane, pp. 50–51.

p. 146-48 The fight by A Company is covered by Davenport, Memories of Sedjenane, p. 65, Gilliver ibid, p. 68. Jeffery, ibid, p. 70. Orme, ibid, pp. 108-110, More Sherwood Forester Memories, pp. 30–31, ‘Experiences of War’, pp. 14–15, and IWM Tape #21600, Reels 12–13; O’Sullivan IWM Tape #20789, Reel 13. Orme’s memories of the charge are echoed by Fred Jeffery from his platoon ‘I wasn't afraid at the time, but now when I think of it all it makes me tremble at the thought.’ O’Sullivan says that he was ‘in the bag’ by midday, but this timing does not match other accounts.

pp. 148-49 B Company action from Willis Dixon, Memories of Sedjenane, p. 74–75; Hirst, ibid, p. 118; Crews, ibid p. 72 and IWM Tape #19987, Reel 10; Summers, Lure of the Falcon, pp.152–3.  Summers has Morris as Commander of 12 Platoon to the right, but Crews, in Memories of Sedjenane , p.71 give Morris as second in command of the Company at this time, which makes more sense unless 12 Platoon had been driven back into the 11 Platoon positions. Bob Berkeley-Schultz commanded 12 Platoon, but according to Crews he may have been sick that day and not present – he was certainly the only other platoon commander in A or B company not to have been wounded or taken prisoner. Several details of Summers account are incorrect, for example he refers to the German paratroops as having been dropped from aircraft when they were almost certainly deployed on the ground in positions around Green Hill.

p. 149 Maurice Enser, in Memories of Sedjenane, p. 84; also NCA DDSF 3/6, ‘The Story of Sgt Maurice Enser, Taken Prisoner March 2nd 1943’, p. 2.  Enser gives the names of the men killed as Patton and Neid, the corrections are mine from the CWGC and Casualty Lists. There are two Private Coopers listed in the Casualty Lists, but only as POWs, neither is reported wounded.

pp. 149-50 Eric Morral, in Memories of Sedjenane, p. 93; Ernie Boultby, ibid, p. 95, George Price, ibid, pp. 98–99.

pp. 150-51 Both Keith-Lucas and Stokes place the last anti-tank gun close to Battalion HQ, Memories of Sedjenane, p. 25 and p. 30. Wally Binch’s recollections place it further forward to the rear of A Company, ibid, p. 2 and p. 10, even to the extent of identifying the exact location on a visit to the battlefield. Notwithstanding this, I believe the timing of the incident makes it more likely that the gun was near the Battalion HQ.  If three guns were forward with A Company as Binch says, this would still leave one unaccounted for, which could be the one used by Binch and Walker near Battalion HQ.

p. 151 Madden’s MC gazetted 22 April 1943. Madden’s father, Major John Grevile Madden, had won the DSO in the First World War, and his elder brother Major David Madden would later die at Arnhem.

p. 151-52 For the actions of the German AFVs, WO 175/0552, 5th SF War Diary, March 1943 and WO 175/0332, 70th Field Regiment War Diary, March 1943.

p. 153 Sam Fulwood, in Memories of Sedjenane, p. 54.

p. 153 Orme, ‘Experiences of War’, p. 15 and IWM tape #21600 Reel 13; O’Sullivan IWM Tape #20789, Reel 13; Enser in Memories of Sedjenane, p. 84 and Enser ‘Story’ p. 2.

p. 153-54 Lees, in On Active Service, p. 42, Stokes in Memories of Sedjenane, p. 30; WO 218/0049, 1 Cdo War Diary March 1943. Hutt, who was at Battalion HQ with the Signals Platoon, also referred to guarding prisoners taken by the commandos and may have been with Stokes, Memories of Sedjenane, p. 62.

p. 154 Crews, in Memories of Sedjenane, p. 73; Robinson, ibid, p. 78; Saxby, ibid, p. 58.

p. 155 Newton’s action from WO 175/498, 16th DLI War Diary Feb [sic] 1943, Appendix II ‘The Battle of Sedjenane’, p.4

p. 155 WO 373/1/149, citation for MM for Cpl William Pidgeon, awarded 22/3/43.

pp. 155-56 Casualty numbers for the battalion are derived from analysis of the official War Office casualty lists, in TNA WO 417 series. There are separate lists for Officers and Other Ranks. They are not always entirely accurate, and some casualties recorded as 3 March or 4 March, particularly prisoners of war, may actually have been incurred on the 2 March. From 2–8 March inclusive the battalion lost 12 officers and 351 men killed, wounded or missing. Two of these were thought to have been taken prisoner but later declared not missing, they may have escaped captivity while still in North Africa.

p. 155 Treatment of prisoners described by Storey, in More Forester Memories, p. 12; Orme, ‘Experiences of War’, p. 15; Cowen, IWM Tape #19628, Reel 1. A few days later the Lincoln’s MO and Chaplain were also taken prisoner with the wounded at Sedjenane.

p. 156 John Kerly’s body was not discovered until 17 May 1943, while the location of many others remains unknown.

p. 156 German sources are translations of excerpts from Division Manteuffel War Diary entries by Ken Clark, an officer in the 6th Lincolns, which appear in Memories of Sedjenane p. 12.

p. 156 Wallhead’s death is reported by Storey, in Memories of Sedjenane, p. 55; also Sheppard, IWM Tape #13455, Reel 7, though Sheppard was not present.

p. 157 Garrett, Memories of Sedjenane, p. 82; Gilliver, ibid, p. 68; Lees, in On Active Service, p. 43.

p. 157 In Memories of Sedjenane, p. 31, Keith-Lucas records this encounter as being with the Leicesters, and that it was the Leicesters’ QMS that gave him the new uniform. WO 175/513, the 2/5th Leicesters WD, clearly shows them as still south of Beja on the 3 March, and I believe it must have been the Lincolns in Sedjenane that he met. The passage is from Howard Marshall, Over to Tunis, quoted in Garrett, None But The Brave, p. 136.

p. 158 Chichester-Constable appears to have lost the confidence of V Corps commander Allfrey from the initial withdrawal of the Lincolns on 1 March; see Saul David Tunisgrad (2025) p. 350-51 which quotes Alfrey’s diary.

p. 157-58 The 6th Lincolns' War Diary is WO 175/514. Newton’s presence from ‘The Battle of Sedjenane’ in 16th DLI War Diary WO 175/498.

p. 159 Stokes, in Memories of Sedjenane, p. 31; Hutt, ibid, p. 63 and More Sherwood Forester Memories, p. 61. WO 417/058, casualty list 1093 (compiled 26/03/1943) gives the date for these casualties as 4 March; but the War Diary indicates that the injuries occurred on 3 March. Other entries on the same list for men missing in action are dated 3 March.  4 March may be the date that the three men arrived at the MDS. The date of Hine’s injury was also reported as 4 March.

p. 159 Hirst’s encounter with Lt-Col Stott from ‘A Forester’s Story’, p. 23.

p. 159 Lincoln’s casualties from WO 175/514, 6 Lincolns WD, Mar. 1943; German quotes are from the Division Manteuffel War Diary translation in Memories of Sedjenane, p. 12.