With the tanks on war-flats crews boarded two cars labelled 6 chevaux, 20 hommes, one troop in each. We now meet up again with Trooper Gordon Young who had the habit of walking in his sleep. As the cars were open in each side the concern was that he may fall out. SSM Docksey came up with the solution. Young would sleep in a corner, being penned in by the SSM at his side with someone else at his foot. The SSM, as the reader may remember, being rather portly, expressed the hope that he wouldn't roll over in his sleep to perhaps crush Young "to his death."

After a stop and go journey, three days later we arrived at Phillipeville (now Skikda). There the tanks were loaded on transporters, destined for El Kef (now al Käf), to join up with Major Rew as part of a defence force should the Germans capture Thala and then advance northwards. The photograph is one of 'A' Squadrons Mark IIIs on her way.

Fortunately the break-through did not occur, so, after enduring a couple of day's dive bombing, we harboured in a nearby cork forest. While there an American water truck pulled in right next to our tank. In exchange for directions to Constantine, (now Qacantina), Algeria, the driver gave us a couple of the much coveted enamel-lined jerricans, which we placed on the tank's rear deck to substantially increase our water carrying capacity.

Two days later, in the early evening, the order came to make haste to Beja, (now Bäjah), some 150 kilometres to the north-east, to face an imminent enemy attack. After an extremely difficult journey over hilly and winding roads, made more so by heavy rainfall, seven tanks, on their tracks, managed to reach Beja, just after dawn, to join up with several of 'A' Squadron's which had arrived from the north a few hours earlier. These tanks went into immediate action, 'A' Squadron's Captain (then Lt) Hern's Churchill being the very first tank to knock out a German Tiger PzKw VI. 'A' Squadron's Capt. Bowring wanted to recover the Tiger however, much to his agitation, the C.O. refused his request. Sadly, 'A' Squadron's OC, Major Ketchell (who was seriously wounded and did not return to the Regiment) had his tank knocked out killing both the operator, Sgt Walters and the gunner Trooper Nursey. On receiving this news shockwaves hit us all - no longer were we playing War Games!

The powers-that-be back home were so impressed, on learning that our tanks had marched eighty miles or so to then go into immediate action, that posters, recognising the feat, were displayed in RTR Training Regiments, Churchill Regiments and other military installations throughout the UK. The poster showed a picture of a Churchill tank, under the heading, "We call this maintenance," together with an account as to why the accolade was justified. Our CO, Lt Colonel David Dawnay, received many messages of congratulation from theatre commanders and authorities in the UK.

Next morning, as the rain had stopped, the rest of us had a much easier daylight journey on transporters. Nearing Beja, we were met by Major Rew who ordered us to prepare for immediate action as the German Army was attempting another break-through, up a the valley Hunt's Gap, so named by Lt. Colonel Hunt of the Royal Artillery who had reconnoitred the area the previous month. Off the transporters came the tanks, then the precious tins of fruit and kitbags containing our personal gear were unloaded alongside the road. We were told would be collected by a lorry from the 'B' Echelon, however, before this was accomplished the local inhabitants had made off with virtually everything.

We now meet up again with Trooper Bill Wheatley who had joined the Regiment in July of the previous year. Bill, some weeks before our departure from England, had all his teeth removed. Just before setting sail he was provided with a set of false ones being admonished to let his gums harden before attempting to wear them. Wouldn't you know some Arab "inherited" them! For the rest of us, whenever the need arose, any request to our amiable SQMS Burke (from Rhodesia), when accompanied with the statement "I lost it at Beja", was always met. However, the SQMS could do nothing for Bill Wheatley he had to wait until war's end!