Thursday, July 31, 2008

[Image] 9th Division troops skylark at Alamein


4 Section, D Company, 2/17th Battalion

El Alamein, Egypt, 1942.

This is another of the great images that I received yesterday taken by my Grandfather at Alamein. The men shown are members of 4 section, D Company of the 2/17th Battalion.

If you look closely in the sand you can see the dugouts, or doovers, that the men lived in. Effectively they were a hole in the ground where you could supposedly be safe from enemy fire. Australians would go to great lengths to make their doovers comfortable earning a reputation as amazing scroungers.

The soldier skylarking in the German M35 steel helmet is NX60184 Cpl. Mervyn R. Lee.

image from author's personal collection.

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