Casualties of El Alamein

Troops from many nations fought side by side in the deserts of North Africa at the Second Battle of El Alamein in October 1942. Ahead of tomorrow’s commemoration at El Alamein War Cemetery marking the 75th anniversary of the battle, here are the stories of some of those who lost their lives.

William Henry Kibby

Elements of three Australian divisions fought in the desert from 1941-42. William Henry Kibby was a sergeant in the 2/48^th Infantry Battalion, during the North African campaign.

The father-of-two and husband of Mabel Sarah Bidmead Morgan, worked at a plasterworks in Edwardstown, before joining the Australian Militia in 1936. After the outbreak of the Second World War, he joined the Second Australian Imperial Force.

It was during the Second Battle of El Alamein that William distinguished himself. On 23 October, during the initial attack at Miteiriya Ridge, he charged a machine gun position killing three enemy soldiers, capturing 12 others and taking the position. His company commander intended to recommend him for the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his actions, but was killed. During the following days, he moved among his men directing fire and cheering them on. On 30–31 October, the platoon came under intense machine gun and mortar fire. Most of them were killed or wounded. To achieve his company's objective, William moved forward alone, to within a few metres of the enemy, throwing grenades to destroy them, when he was killed at the age of 39.

He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross on 28 January 1943 for his actions.

William is one of 1,234 Australian serviceman buried in El Alamein War Cemetery.

Roderick Charles Mutch

There was no major deployment of Canadian forces in North Africa, as troops were kept in Britain at first in case of possible invasion and then in preparation for the Allied invasion of Northern Europe. However, a number of Royal Canadian Air Force servicemen served as aircrew with RAF and RAAF squadrons deployed to North Africa. Air gunner Roderick Charles Mutch is one of the men who served with the Royal Canadian Air Force. The son of Revd. John M G Mutch and Marjory McCurdy Mutch, he was reported missing after air operations in the Middle East, bombing German transports at the start of Rommel’s retreat from El Alamein.

During eight months of service with the RAF in the Middle East, he had taken part in some 25 raids on Rommel’s columns in Egypt and Libya.

In a letter to his parents, the wing commander of his squadron wrote: “He was on that day taking part in an attack on enemy positions in the Western Desert, where the formation met with intense and accurate anti-aircraft fire. Shortly afterwards, the aircraft in which Sgt. Mutch was flying was seen to crash, and it must be presumed that the machine was seriously damaged by the enemy ground fire.” He added there was evidence that at least one of the crew had escaped by parachute, but urged Roderick’s parents “not to place too much faith in this small reason for hope”.

His three brothers also served during the war. Roderick is one of more than 30 Canadian servicemen buried in El Alamein War Cemetery. A further 212 are commemorated on the Alamein Memorial.

Hector and Tom Chadwick

British forces had been stationed in Egypt since the 19th Century, defending Britain's interests in the Suez Canal which linked Britain to her eastern Empire. The Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet was stationed at Alexandria while a standing garrison of British troops which included the Mobile Division (Egypt), one of only two armoured formations possessed by Britain at the beginning the Second World War, guarded against invasion.

Two members of this armoured force, renamed the 7th Armoured Division in February 1940, were Captains Hector and Tom Chadwick of the 3rd King's Own Hussars, Royal Armoured Corps. Both brothers had been born in Jamaica the sons of a English clergyman Rev. Thomas Lionel Chadwick and his wife Beryl. The family moved to Gloucester, England, and Hector and Tom joined the British Army. 

The two served in North Africa, taking part in both the First and Second Battles of El Alamein. On the afternoon of 25 October Hector was killed by German shelling as his tank was passing through a gap in one of the minefields. The death of his brother affected Tom deeply and two days later, during a lull in the battle, he set out in a scout car to find his brother’s grave and make sure that it was marked with a cross. He was accompanied by his friends Captain Peter Elford, also of the 3^rd Hussars, and Captain Daniel McCarthy, of the Royal Army Medical Corps. But all three were killed when their scout car was hit by German 88mm shell fire.

Hector, Tom and Daniel lay side by side in El Alamein War Cemetery, alongside some 3,480 other British and colonial servicemen of the Second World War. A further 7,100 are commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, including Captain Peter Elford.

Muhammad Umar

There are four Indian Army servicemen of King George V's Own Bengal Sappers and Miners buried at El Alamein who died during the battle, including 23-year-old Lance Niak Muhammad Umar from Kandar, Peshawar, modern day Pakistan.

Indian forces served throughout the North African campaign as well as being transferred to fight in Syria and against Italian forces in East Africa. At the beginning of the Second Battle of El Alamein the Bengal Sappers had the task of clearing the German minefields in front of the 4th Indian Division’s positions.

There are 198 Indian Army servicemen buried in El Alamein War Cemetery, 1,802 commemorated on the Alamein Memorial, and 589 on the Alamein Cremation Memorial.

Alfred Palmerston Cobden

The New Zealand Division served in North Africa taking park in Operation Crusader and the First and Second Battles of El Alamein, as well as the Allied invasions of Libya and Tunisia in 1942.  Gunner Alfred Palmerston Cobden, the son of Alfred Palmerston Cobden and Mabel Cobden, of Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand, is one of 1,107 New Zealand servicemen buried at El Alamein War Cemetery.

He worked as a clerk and was a keen cricketer, playing 1^st class for Canterbury before the war.

In 1940, he married Pauline from Wellington City and the couple moved to Christchurch. Alfred enlisted in 1941, joining the 4^th Field Regiment, New Zealand Artillery, as a driver.

He was killed on 24 October when the ammunition supply truck he was driving ran over a land mine.

Walter ‘Jack’ Webb

Captain Walter ‘Jack’ Webb is one of 495 South African servicemen buried at El Alamein War Cemetery. South African troops began to arrive in North Africa in May 1941. The South African 1^st Infantry Division’s first action in North Africa was during Operation Crusader in November 1941. The division continued to serve in North Africa, including at the Second Battle of El Alamein, until it began to redeploy to South Africa at the start of January 1943.

Jack was shot down over the Alamein front during a tactical recce sortie on enemy positions, landing in a minefield. He died on 4 November 1942 at the age of 23.

He had previously been shot down three times but returned to his squadron unscathed every time. He was promoted to the rank of captain just days before his death and was recommended for an immediate Distinguished Flying Cross.