Alamein, described later by the military correspondent of The Times as a masterpiece of British generalship, ranks as one of the decisive battles of the world; it was certainly the decisive battle of the war in Africa. The church bells were rung in England for the first time since 1940 (except for the false alarm of invasion of 7th September of that year).

The Regiment At Alamein

Three battalions of the Regiment fought at Alamein.

The start of the battle saw the 1st Battalion (4th Light Armoured Brigade) commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel C. d' A. P. Consett, D.S.O., M.C., leading the attack in the south. After four days heavy fighting between the first and second minefields and heavy casualties, this attack was abandoned and the Brigade moved up to complete the break-through in the north. The Battalion led the Brigade through the gap in the final advance.

The 2nd Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel W. Heathcoat-Amory, was in the northern attack. Its first action in the battle was a night attack on 26th October against a strong enemy anti-tank gun position. The objective was taken and 100 prisoners and 6 anti-tank guns were captured.

The second operation was also a night attack against the enemy anti-tank gun screen along the El Ramahn track at the feature known as Tel el Aqqaqir. This attack on 2nd November was also successful. The following morning the Battalion repulsed a tank counter-attack and the following day held the ground it had won. This was the point chosen for the break-out by the Eighth Army on the following night.

During this battle the Battalion suffered fairly heavy casualties, especially in officers, but they followed up the pursuit, eventually taking the place of the 1st Battalion in the 4th Light Armoured Brigade (later designated the 4th Armoured Brigade), in which they were destined to remain until the end of the war.

The 11th Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel R. A. T. Eve, fought with the 49th Armoured Brigade of the 10th Armoured Division in the first few days of the battle on the left flank of the northern attack. After heavy fighting on the Meteiriya Ridge their parent armoured brigade suffered such heavy casualties that the whole brigade was withdrawn and eventually moved to Syria for refitting.