Museam News Octber to print 2012_Layout 1 27/09/2012 10:36 Page 1
MUSEUM NEWS September 2012
Tel 01623 824222
The Sherwood Rangers at El Alamein
www.qrlnymuseum.co.uk
Marking The 70th Anniversary Of This Historic Battle
After the loss of Tobruk the surge eastward by Axis forces was relentless. In July 1942
the advance reached the gap between the Mediterranean and the
Qattara Depression. The Allies feared a breakthrough to Alexandria, 60 miles east,
and the loss of Egypt while Rommel and the Axis powers were desperate to
secure their position in North Africa before the Allies could be reinforced.
Auchinleck's command of the Eighth Army during the First Battle of El Alamein in
July resulted in a stalemate which halted the Axis advance. Command of The Eighth
Army then passed to General Montgomery who secured a defensive victory at The
Battle of Alam al Halfa.
In the following extracts from Jonathan Hunt's forthcoming book 'Hard Fighting',
second volume of his History of The Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, he describes the
regiment's activities at the opening of the Second Battle of El Alamein, the
'break-in'.
“After the battle of Alam Halfa the Regiment displayed the capacity for self-analysis
which probably became one of its strongest assets, It realised it had had a mauling and
had been lucky to escape without worse and resolved to learn from the experience.....
On the night of the 21st October the Regiment left its staging area occupied by dummy
tanks. Its tracks were obliterated by harrows towed by jeeps. It
leaguered close to its start line and concealed its tanks with canvas "sunbonnets" to
make them resemble lorries....
Montgomery's plan was to attack in the north, the centre line of the attack running
westerly about ten miles south of the coast, using the infantry divisions of XXX
Corps supported by X Armoured Corps and to use XIII Corps to make a feint attack in the south, the centre line of which was also westerly and about five
miles from the left flank....
X Armoured Corps consisted of two Armoured Divisions, 1st Armoured Division (General Briggs) and 10th Armoured Division (General Gatehouse).
10th Armoured Division consisted of 8th Armoured Brigade which, of course, included the Regiment and 24th Armoured Brigade....
Each Armoured Division would pass through corridors sited three to five miles apart prepared for its use in each of the 8th Army's and the Afrika Korp's
minefields...
The enemy's minefield could not be cleared until the attack started and this was to be done under cover of darkness. All of this was to be preceded by an
artillery barrage of over 2,000 guns which opened up at 9.40pm on the night of 23rd October. The din was unbelievable. The Regiment moved off behind
its sappers guided down its track by lighted petrol tins with the shape of a boat cut into them. Although there was little communication established
between the Regiment and the infantry who were fighting their way across no man's land and through the enemy's minefields everything went broadly
to plan until the Regiment secured Miteiriya Ridge,..
An hour before daylight the next morning dangerously later than planned the Regiment was given the all clear by the sappers and advanced with 'A'Squadron
(9 Crusader Tanks) leading in the dark until, when they had cleared the minefield by about a mile, all hell broke loose. Trooper Philip Foster recalled "As
dawn broke the flood of battle burst with staccato fury. The tanks. had fallen foul of savage cross fire from 88 mm guns and machine guns. Everywhere
there was a crisscrossing of coloured tracer, accompanied by the ear splitting crescendo of explosion, and the bark of small arms fire. Green, red, and whitish
balls of brilliant fire raced through the air at colossal speed, seeking their targets. The whole column on the track through the minefield had been forced to
halt owing to this powerful opposition. Tanks began to "brew up" right and left. I glanced forward at other lines of tanks extended in battle order like ships
of a fleet. It was extraordinary how in this half-light of dawn these armoured monsters suggested the silhouettes of battleships
floating dispassionately in a calm sea. Armoured piercing thermite shells ricocheted close to the echelon cracking viciously as they smacked the deck."
A Squadron took the brunt of the fire but fought back and knocked out two enemy tanks in reply. B Squadron also deployed clear of the minefield but took
losses as well. By the time the sun had risen, 16 of our tanks had been hit and the Regiment withdrew a little way back on to Miteiriya Ridge where the
infantry had now dug in and there reorganised and held firm. Both the infantry and the armour now withstood a continuous bombardment by the enemy
artillery.”
The Regiment then held the Miteiriya Ridge for the night of the 24th October until it was withdrawn on the night of 25th. It resisted two enemy
counter-attacks and continuous aerial and artillary bombardment. While it was forming up for a night attack, due to start at 10.00 pm on the 24th it was
attacked by enemy bombers which destroyed much of the echelon, petrol and ammunition lorries, in an immense inferno The Brigade failed to achieve
its objective in that attack and withdrew to the Ridge where they fought on into 25th October.
‘Hard Fighting continues :
“In the evening the enemy counter-attacked Miteiriya Ridge with 100 tanks out of the setting sun. The centre point of their attack
was the Regiments positions onto which they brought down intense artillery fire. As the enemy came within range the entire
Regiment opened up. Flash Kellett (The SRY colonel) called down smoke to silhouette the enemy, but smoke is notoriously difficult to control and on this
occasion it drifted so as to obscure the enemy from 9th Armoured Brigade positioned 2000 yards southwest of the Regiment hampering their shoot and
therefore was discontinued. The attack was driven off, large fires on the enemy side indicating the damage done to him..
During that night, the night of the 25th October, the Brigade was withdrawn. The Sherwood Rangers had suffered 85 casualties in two days including every
officer in 'A' Squadron in addition the Regiment had lost about fifty percent of its tanks and the whole of its echelon. This reflected 10th Armoured
Division's losses estimated to be 1350 as at 31st October,equal to fifty percent of its tank crew strength; losses only exceeded at that point of the battle by
51st Highland Division and 9th Australian Division who had each lost approximately 2000.
On the 28th October 8th Armoured Brigade moved back into the line, relieving 1st Armoured Division in the area of Kidney Ridge. By then 1st Armoured
Division had been in continuous action for four and a half days.
Between 29th October and 1st November the Regiment was involved in a number of skirmishes in this area whilst the Infantry Divisions continued to exert
pressure on the enemy, as part of the crumbling process. During this same period Montgomery also used the infantry divisions to the north of 1st
Armoured Division's corridor to begin to open up a salient by pushing towards the sea despite meeting the strongest resistance, thus also drawing
substantial enemy reserves to the north and away from 1st Armoured Division's centre line.
The Regiment now received orders for the next phase for which 8th Armoured Brigade was to regroup under command of 1st Armoured Division.
This new phase was code named Operation Supercharge and was to be the coup de grace ”
Opening Times: 1st March - 30th November are 10:30 – 16:30
MAJOR GENERAL
PC MARRIOTT CB CBE
I believe that
one of the
indictments of
our generation
may yet be how
lamentably we
passed on our
understanding of
history to our
successors.
History is taught
now
as
a
miscellany of
topics. Topics
are selected by
trend
and
fashion.
Context, a sense of continuity and chronology and
the constant lessons of history are all lost. There is
no real analysis of the 'why' and 'how'. Niall
Ferguson, one of the foremost historians of our time,
makes this point so very clearly in the
preface to his book Civilization.
With this preamble, I am obviously delighted to have
become the Chairman of the museum Board. I am
very clear on the purpose and importance of
museums and their vital place in informing past,
present and, most importantly, future generations of
our extraordinary military history - and it's
place in the overall history of our country.
I am also very conscious, and humbled by, the
incredible labours that have gone into creating such
a first class museum. We all owe a debt of gratitude
that really cannot be quantified.
I will not name names; they know that I know who
they were and are.
It is also clear that the museum is thriving. As we
celebrate the first anniversary of opening on 26 July
2011, we are accumulating some impressive figures:
12,500 visitors in the first 4 months and 11,000
visitors from March to July this year so far.
We have recruited over 240 Friends and 30
volunteers.
We have already forged vital links with local
communities, schools and heritage groups.
Our links to our Regiments arestrong.
And as you will have read in my first paragraph, this
is the area where I believe we must focus.
We must inform - and in particular, we must
inform future generations.
Major General P C Marriott CB CBE
Curators Notes
By Capt JM Holtby AMA
[email protected].
As we approach the first anniversary of our
opening I am pleased to report that the
Museum is fast gaining a reputation as a
heritage attraction within the East Midlands.
Visitor numbers since July 2011 are now over
31,000 with donations from the “drum”
totalling £ 3,000. All good news but we cannot
afford to sit on our laurels.
The Museum staff have been hard at work in
several key areas including: education,
accreditation and marketing in addition to the day
to day running of the Museum.
Education is an important aspect of a modern
museum. During the planning of the Museum this
aspect was taken into account and certain
key areas covering the National Curriculum
were enhanced. Learning & Engagement Policy’
has been professionally written for the Museum
The Museum has developed a "joint
educational offer" in partnership with the
Perlethorpe Environmental Education Centre
(situated on the Thoresby Estate).
The centre already offer’s WWII based activities.
The Museum has agreed to act as an additional
resource for school groups attending the
Centre. Our first joint event was a local school’s
project based on ‘Warhorse’; this saw some 240
children from 35 local primary schools using the
museum for a Drama based activity, which was
very successful.
We have agreed to assist the Centre with any
future projects.
We have also had a number of visits from a local
Special needs school which may be developed
further.
Since re-opening there has been a number of
events, these have included our first Friends event
in May ‘An evening with Ray Ellis’, Ray gave a
moving personal account of the Battle of
Knightsbridge of which he was one of the few to
survive.
In June we were invited to Newstead Abbey where
the Antiques Roadshow was being filmed.
The aim was to publicise the Museum.
We took along the Terence Cuneo painting of the
“Battle of Knightsbridge” and the “Balaklava
Bugle”. Both artefacts were filmed, with our old
friend Bill Harriman, the programmes are expected
to be shown on the BBC later in the year.
Our latest event was a reception for major
donors hosted by the Lord Lieutenant of
Nottinghamshire, see full report on events
elsewhere in the newsletter.
I leave you with some of the visitor comments
received;
Issue 3 - SEPTEMBER 2012
Registered Charity Number : 1138821
Beautifully laid out, easily followed and extremely
informative
Well
done
on
a
most
informative and clear exhibition.
The area is light and airy and exhibits are all well
maintained and extremely well detailed and
documented. One of the best museums that we have
ever visited If you have not yet visited the
Museum, then please do so.
We look forward to welcoming you in the near
future. In the meantime do visit our web site at
www.qrlnymuseum.co.uk
Former Scots Guards
Sergeant Robert Osborn is
the Assistant
Curator of The Queen’s
Royal Lancers and
Nottinghamshire
Yeomanry Museum.
Robert joined the Army straight out of school in
1977 he served in Northern Ireland, Germany,
Australia and the Falklands with the Scots Guards
for the next 24 years, even after being injured it the
Battle of Mount Tumbledown in the
Falklands, an injury that resulted in his left leg
being amputated.
Since that injury Robert has represented not only
the Army, but also Scotland & Great Britain from
County up to International Level in a number of
sports including winning 3 Gold’s at the Disabled
Serviceman’s World Championship’s & is
currently the Scottish National Champion
After leaving the Army in 2001 Robert worked
briefly for the Duke of Rutland (for whom he is still
Cannon Master), before becoming the
Assistant Curator of the QRL Museum
Having an in-depth knowledge of Military
History, his special interests include Firearms,
Battle Honours and Battlefield cartography.
Museam News Octber to print 2012_Layout 1 27/09/2012 10:36 Page 2
MUSEUM NEWS September 2012
Tel 01623 824222
www.qrlnymuseum.co.uk
An Evening With Ray Ellis
Ray Ellis Enthralled His Audience At
The First Reception For Friends Of The Museum
Together with this Newsletter and a number of other privileges for Friends of The Museum
the Friends' Committee has undertaken to arrange an entertainment for Friends at least once
each year.
The first of these events took the form of a reception on on 31st May at The Thoresby Gallery,
by courtesy of the Stonebridge Trust , and with access to The Museum.
40 Friends and guests gathered for the event and were richly entertained by Ray Ellis giving
his stirring, and at times chilling account of the South Nottinghamshire Hussars' legendary
action at The Battle of 'Knightsbridge' . As this year is the 70th anniversary of the Battle there
is more to commemorate this action later in the Newsletter.
Ray stood before the audience for over an hour in this his 93rd year and held his listeners
spellbound by the courage, sacrifice and resilience of the regiment in that action as well as in the events before and after it.
He reminded us particularly that the significance of The Museum rests not only in recalling the
uniformsand equipment of the three regiments but in remembering the men who wore them and used them. In his own words 'he
tried to put lifeinto the artefacts'.
He told us of the desparate resistance to Rommel's advance in the Spring of 1941, of the deprivation and relentless stress of living
under the ensuing nine month siege of Tobruk – the abiding, life-long friendship and mutual respect forged between those who
shared such experience.
There were many anecdotes about these, so many of whom did not survive; friends, comrades, nurses, and even his brother,
Billy, in 'B'Troop.He told us vividly of the brave and desparate last-ditch defence of the 'Knightsbridege Box' during the unseccessful
attempt to relieve Tobruk, which was so fateful to his Regiment, and of his improbable survival and subsequent capture.
It was a great privilege for all who were present at the Reception to hear this narrative, and the event served both to recognise those
who have contributed to the Museum's success and the purpose for which the Museum was established.
RECEPTION AT THE QUEENS ROYAL LANCERS
AND NOTTINGHAMSHIRE YEOMANRY MUSEUM
A reception was held at the Museum
on Thursday 28th June 2012 with the
aim particularly of thanking large
donors for the support they gave with
regard to the Museum project. A
number of Charities were represented,
together with individual donors and
the Chairman of the Nottinghamshire
County Council, Councillor Kay Cutts
also attended with her husband. The
event was hosted by Sir Andrew
Buchanan Bt, KCVO, The Lord
Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire and a
former Honorary Colonel of the
Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry and he
gave a short address thanking the
major donors for their considerable
support for the Museum project.
THURSDAY 28TH JUNE 2012
The attached photograph was taken at the reception on the 28th June 2012 and shows Colonel Jonathan Hunt presenting a
copy of his book “Unicorns” being the first volume of his history of the Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry to Mr Kevin
McDonald of Serlby Hall, a major donor.
MUSEUM NEWS September 2012
Tel 01623 824222
The Battle of Modderfontein or Elands River
A note from Africa
–
www.qrlnymuseum.co.uk
7 Sep 1901
By Col Reggie Purbrick
KwaZulu Natal is rich in stories about Regimental derring do from both the Anglo/Zulu War of 1879 and the Anglo/Boer
War of 1902. One Squadron of the 5th Lancers made a stirring cavalry charge at Elandslaagte 21 Oct 1899 gaining a
huge tactical victory over the Boers … only to have that advantage squandered by General White who retreated into
Ladysmith where he was besieged for months and until after the Battle of Spion Kop.
The 17th Lancers were the first British troops in May 1879 back on to the field of Isandlwhana, which had been the site
of the worst defeat Britain ever suffered in her colonial history; over 1300 modern well equipped British soldiers
massacred by the Zulu, what Disraeli called a bunch of savages armed with sticks.
The story of Elands River towards the end of the Anglo/Boer war is remarkable for two reasons.
Firstly it accounts for the death of 29 soldiers of C Sqn 17th Lancers which is the highest one day casualties ever suffered
by 5th 16th 17th or 21st Lancers And There is a bitter sweet connection between the 16th and 17th Lancers
General Jan Smuts had taken his commando down in to the Cape away from the Boer held Provinces to the North and
his intention was to cause mayhem by guerilla warfare as best he could among the British garrisons.
Spring in South Africa is our Autumn and Spring 1901 was cold and very wet. His people lost 14 young Boers and over
40 ponies on their way South. Dressed in rags and even feed sacks with holes for arms and heads they came across C Sqn
17th Lancers at Elands River by Modderfontein.
A brief fight took place and, before surrender was sought and given, 29 Lancers were dead, 41 wounded and 60 taken
prisoner. Deneys Reitz was a 19 year old boy on the Boer side and described the battle and its aftermath.
‘I came across the British commander a cousin of Winston Churchill and his lieutenant Lord Vivian. Vivian was wounded
and pointed at his bivouac and bade me take his uniform rifle and horse as a gift so that it would not be seen as booty. For
the first time in many months I had a sporting rifle a Lee Metford with plenty of ammo (I was down to 2 rounds for my
Mauser) and clothes and a superb officer’s charger.’
The aftermath doesn’t matter because what does matter is that many years later just before the second World War Lord
Vivian’s son went to see Deneys Reitz
who was then High Commissioner for
South Africa in that monumental building
in Trafalgar Square. He carried a brown
parcel and when he undid it there was
Deneys Reitz’ old Mauser complete with
the marks on the stock from where he had
cut his biltong; the same rifle given to
him, by old Paul Kruger himself at the
beginning of the War, when he was a boy
of 18. The 4th Lord Vivian was 17th
Lancers and the 6th Lord - the late and
much loved Nick - was 16th Lancers.
That’s the ‘sweet’ connection between
those two Regiments and if we seek any
further reconciliations or connections
then how about
1. Deneys Reitz,who fought so ardently
against the British, ended up commanding the 1st Bn Royal Scots Fusiliers in the
trenches in WW1
‘All that was left of them’ by Richard Caton Woodville
2. Jan Smuts, his Commando leader, ended up as a member of Winston Churchill’s war cabinet in WW2 - a Field
Marshall in the British army.
And you can’t find reconciliation between old foes more poignant than that…..or can you?
Next Museum News Letter we will relate another bitter sweet story between Zulus and British from the Anglo/Zulu
War of 1879