Desert War: The Battle of Sidi Rezegh

Sidi Rezegh, fought during Operation Crusader in Libya over November and December: 1941, has been described as 'the forgotten battle of the Desert War'. The Eighth Army's objective in Crusader was to retake Cyrenaica, the eastern region of Libya, and ultimately drive the Italians and Germans out of North Africa. The campaign was partially successful, and did achieve the badly needed relief of Tobruk, where Australian and other Allied troops had been trapped. The New Zealand Division played a major role in Crusader, a campaign that was important in ultimately achieving British victory in North Africa. Despite this, it is a battle that has largely been neglected by historians, failing to receive as much attention as Crete. El Alamein or Cassino. Yet more New Zealand soldiers were killed or taken prisoner during Crusader than in any other campaign fought by 'the Div' during the war. Peter Cox, whose father fought at Sidi Rezegh with 27 (Machine Gun) Battalion, draws on his experience of twice visiting the battlefield to tell the story of this complex and costly campaign. He sets the scene for the fighting in Libya, describes the unforgiving and inhospitable desert landscape, follows the stages of the action itself and recounts the often moving and heroic stone: of the soldiers who fought there. Many never returned home. This is both a clearly told and very accessible account of a significant New Zealand contribution to the Second World War and a tribute to the thousands of servicemen who took part in the punishing battle of Sidi Rezegh.