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War Correspondent R T Miller continues.
On the way to support the British near Tobruk the New Zealand formation
reached a place called Bir El Chleta a few miles south of Gambut.
It was a supply depot captured by other NZ troops some days later. Bir
El Chleta was the scene of the first serious engagement by the force
that Robert Miller was travelling with. It was a clash with the retiring
rear-guard of the Africa Korps Headquarters.
After a short sharp battle a general surrender began. Clusters of
Germans, no longer fearless no longer super men, came forward with cries
for mercy. 100 prisoners were taken, including a high Italian officer who
said he had been bewildered in the way they had been attacked.
The NZ formation pressed on towards its objective. On reaching an
escarpment in the Belhamed - Sidi Rezegh area a battle began the moment
their vehicles' wheels stopped turning. It raged for more than a week
and it was the fiercest and most bitter ever fought in Libya.
On the sixth day Robert Miller wrote in his diary "12 miles in 6 days.
The phrase War of Movement, becomes almost mythical on this field of
bitter battle. It has taken our troops all the courage, determination
and skill in the world to cross these hell swept ridges and plateaus".
DAT283 Tk03
CDR - Listening copy of UCDR283/1.