The Battle of El Alamein: 23 October - 5 November, 1942
‘’Before Alemein we never had a victory. After Alemein we never had a defeat.” ~~Winston Churchill

As I was reading about Prince Charles and Camilla’s emotional visit to an Egyptian cemetery as reported in the BBC NEWS | UK | Camilla in emotional WWII tribute, I was struck at the bravery of the generation of my parents, and most people’s grandparents and great grandparents. Wonderment it is that their bravery and courage genes did not pass down to the generations of today’s British diaspora.

After the Duchess of Cornwall laid flowers at the graves of her father’s comrades in the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery on Egyptian soil, she said “I’ve got a huge lump in my throat.” Her own father, still living, Major Bruce Shand, had been wounded and captured in the aftermath of that 1942 battle.

I got a huge lump in my own throat when I read further of the 7,367 tombstones and a memorial bearing the names of 11,874 soldiers and airmen whose remains were never found. The twelve day battle that ensued around the desert village of El Alamein claimed 23,500 UK and Commonwealth soldiers’ lives (*note), according to the BBC.

One twelve day battle and 23,500 men killed defending their free lands. No free land would allow that to happen today. No free land values freedom as much as did their forebears. Wonderment it is that desire to preserve freedom has so waned in the passing of the sixty-four years since 1942.

*(note) I noted that the 23,500 number given by the BBC varies with numbers given by other sites. Sad it is that after sixty-four years, history has forgotten the real cost in lives of the battle. Another British Site gives the number of British and Commonwealth casualties as 13,500, and states that during the El Alamein campaign half of the enemy’s 100,000 man army was killed, wounded or taken prisoner. An Australian Military Site gives the 13,500 number as killed, wounded or missing from the 8th Army and it adds that the 9th Australian Division casualties totaled 2,694, including 620 dead, 1944 wounded and 130 taken prisoner. Yet if the graves in the El Alamein cemetery number more than 20,000, as stated in the BBC article, perhaps the BBC figures are closer to the correct number of the slain. Whatever the true number be, Freedom is one precious commodity.

Linked at Don Surber’s “Best of Sunday” and Mudville Gazette’s Open Post.