Chapter 19

When they returned to the Oasis Ted informed the men of the impending patrols knowing they would start preparing the trucks.

The four officers joined him in the operations tent and went over the large-scale map. Based on the current position of the forward troops they began to subdivide likely positions to reconnoitre with each being given a section of the road.

Three days later they set off.

Tim and Bill’s trucks dropped out to cover the stretch between Mersa Matruh and Sidi Barrani. Bobby and Shaun carried on until Bobby dropped out to cover Buq Buq and Sidi Barrani. Shaun had selected the stretch between Buq Buq and Sollum. In between this distance was the Halfaya Pass were the Germans had inflicted a terrible price on British tanks, the area littered with their burnt out remains.

The road climbed steeply upwards to reach the top of the escarpment. A natural choke point Shaun realised, no wonder the men who fought here had called it Hellfire Pass. The Allies had bypassed it leaving the German and Italian defenders isolated.

Shaun told Titch to turn round and head back to Buq Buq, “Not much point in going any further until Halfaya is taken. We’ll see if Bobby has come up with anything.”

They found Bobby’s truck pulled off the road, the men making a brew. With cries of good on yer mate, Titch and Proff dug out their mugs.

Bobby’s driver handed Shaun a mug of tea which he thanked him for.

He explained about Halfaya still being held by the enemy, adding “What about you? Found anything?”

Bobby shook his head, “This is flat coastal plain, a few sand mounds, but the main problem is the escarpment. It’s nearly 200 feet straight up. If we attack here we would be bottled up by the escarpment with nowhere to retreat. We’ve driven along it to see if there’s any natural path up it but nothing that could take a truck.”

“Okay Bobby, we’ll go and see if Tim or Bill has found anything.”

As it was getting late they decided to camp there for the night.

The next morning they slipped in behind a convoy making its way back to Alex or Cairo as trucks going to the front passed in the other lane. It must be a logistical nightmare trying to keep Crusader supplied, Shaun thought. He wiped the sand goggles with the Shernaghs scarf tied across his face, the dust from the convoy and exhaust fumes making it uncomfortable.

After four hours the convoy slowed as it started to climb up from the coastal plain, zigzagging round the bends that took the road up to the plateau. At the top Shaun pulled off the road and Bobby joined him.

“This would make a good ambush point,” he murmured to Bobby. Bobby nodded agreeing.

They consulted the maps, “If we head due south after an attack, there’s the outcrop we could hole up in.” He referred to the hills that rose over 500 feet from the desert plain. “It’s about 200 miles from the attack point, but well away from any of the camel routes.”

Prof checked the sun compass and made a note off the milometer before giving Titch the heading to follow with the tank compass. They made good time since the terrain was mainly flat with sparse vegetation here and there. They crossed the railway line and headed further south. After four hours they could see the hills in the distance, shrouded by a heat haze