Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence Wright was a doctor in the Medical Corps. At Gerawla he helped set up the hospital, but was also sports officer, responsible for making a rugby field as he describes here
Jim Barclay fought with the 27 Machine Gun Battalion all through the North African campaign. Here he recalls going to the pictures at the infamous Shafto's cinema at Maadi Camp.
Eleanor Fraser served in the Women's War Service Auxiliary as a Tui in the New Zealand Forces Club in Cairo. She left for Egypt in September 1941 with 29 other young women with whom she would work in the club, behind one of the counters supplying refreshments to the troops on leave. Here she describes the routine of the club
War is often thought of as constant frontline action, but in reality troops are often out of the lines, training or on leave. And many of those who serve are not in front line units.
New Zealanders were only marginally involved in the initial British operations that threw the Italians out of Egypt late in 1940 and went on to inflict a humiliating defeat on them at Beda Fomm, near the El Agheila gateway.
The New Zealand Division fell back to the Alamein Line, where it took part in the first Battle of Alamein. At Ruweisat on 15 July, and El Mreir a week later, the New Zealanders carried out their part of the attack plans by seizing their objectives in successful night assaults.
Following the break-out from El Alamein the New Zealand Division reached the Libyan border by 10 November. It seized Halfaya Pass before being pulled out of the line. After recuperating near Bardia, it moved forward to the front at El Agheila in December.
Between November 1941 and May 1943 New Zealanders serving with 2 NZEF fought against the Italians and the German expeditionary force across the desert of North Africa.
