Monday, March 05, 2007

The NZ Division was in trouble at Sidi Rezegh on the 14th Day

On the 14th day of the Crusader Battle, poor generalship on the British side had left the New Zealanders at Sidi Rezegh in dire straits. What was worse, from Robert Crisp's perspective, was that the 4th Armoured Brigade had been sitting, as they had been left in a covering role, rather than moving towards Sidi Rezegh. By the time the 4th Armoured Brigade was ordered to move quickly to Sidi Rezegh "to assist the withdrawal of the New Zealanders". Robert says that he and his fellow soldiers were surprised at how grave the situation was. The 3rd RTR was stationed on the right, as they drove to Sidi Rezegh. They were already underway, as the sun rose. Soon, Robert and his troop were at the top of the Sidi Rezegh escarpment, looking over the battlefield where they had fought alongside Jock Campbell, eight days before. This is based on the account in Robert Crisp's book, Brazen Chariots.

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