Len Moore fought with the 2nd Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps 2/KRRC across the deserts of North Africa during WW2 from 1941 to 1943. After the second Battle of El Alamein his unit were involved in the pursuit of Rommel's Africa Korps Panzerarmee across Libya.

Len Moore 2nd Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps

El Alamein to the Tunisian Frontier

On 11th November the 1st Battalion KRRC, still in the van of the army, captured Halfaya Pass. Through Tobruk, Gazala, Benghazi and Agedabia the pursuit continued. At El Agheila the enemy and the 1st Battalion halted. By this time the 1st B KRRC was weak in numbers and equipped with every sort of vehicles taken from the enemy.

The 2nd Battalion KRRC (Len Moore's unit), having been thwarted along with the rest of 7th Motor Brigade in the drive to cut the coast road near Matruh, was reining up from the long hunt. The Battalion had been heavily committed in the break-out battle at Alamein and had earned the chance to reorganize and train.

On 13 November, 1942 the chase was called off, and the Battalion stopped to reorganize. The remnants of A and C Companies had been amalgamated after the battle under Capt R. C. Gibbs, M.C., and now B Company reformed having been brought up to strength. C Company was reformed from reinforcements under Mai J. R. V. Robinson who was relieved in H.Q. Company by Capt R. H. Willis-Fleming.

British Troops attack running past a knocked-out German Panzer MkIII tank

On the 19th the Battalion moved to Martuba where it was given the task of protecting the airfields located in that area from rumoured parachute attacks. A Company (Capt J. H. P. Curtis) was detailed for garrison duties in Derna where they lived a life of considerable luxury in the almost undamaged Italian barracks. As the now distant pursuit continued further to the west, training was started and preparations were made for spending Christmas in comparative comfort and peace.

On 14 December any hopes of a peaceful Christmas had come abruptly to an end for the 2nd Battalion, with the receipt of orders to relieve the 1st Battalion in 4th Light Armoured Brigade, which was steadily pushing back the retreating Germans. The Battalion was made up to full strength in vehicles and equipment from the rest of the Brigade and on the 17th it set off on a 500-mile drive to catch up the battle.

Arriving on the 23rd, it relieved 1 K.R.R.C. on the 24th. The Brigade was now just east of Sirte, which was occupied by the Royals on Christmas Day. Its sign was the black jerboa or desert rat (the same as that of 7th Armoured Division except that theirs was red) and was to remain the Battalion's parent formation for operations for the rest of the war.

Its role was to keep up steady pressure on the enemy by pushing back minor resistances until each successive main position was reached. The infantry divisions and heavy armoured brigades would then be brought up to launch a major assault, after which the pursuit would continue with the armoured cars and motor battalion to the fore.

On the 26th December 1942 the advance continued and on the next day was held by a strong rear guard position on the west edge of Wadi El Chebir. This withdrew during the night and on the 29th Dec the 2nd KRRC came up against the main position which ran from the sea north of Buerat, south along the line of Wadi Zemzem. With the battalion acting as a firm base, the Brigade had the task of keeping observation and contact with the enemy along the whole front. During this pause, supplies were built up, landing grounds built and more troops brought forward.

There was little enemy activity, although his airforce once more appeared in some strength, as the R.A.F. was still operating from bases well to the rear and so could not provide more than spasmodic air cover. On the 30th during one particularly heavy raid, Lt The Hon R. F. Wood was severely wounded, losing both legs, two riflemen were killed, and four others wounded. Four 15-cwt and five 3-ton trucks and one ambulance were destroyed.

British Troops in the desert under artillery bombardment

Our patrols were active in feeling out the enemy positions. On the 30th a squadron of Royals and the two motor platoons of C Company under Capt R. Nixon seized the desert fort of Bu Ngem some thirty miles to the south, from some not entirely uncooperative Italians who were clearly conscious of their isolated position.

A less fortunate patrol from A Company ended in disaster. Sent out to get what information it could, it spent the day in observation and at night had covered nearly five miles along the front of the enemy positions, when two of the riflemen were seriously injured by a mine which exploded under their feet. The patrol commander, Lt J. S. Hallam, picked up one while the other was supported by the remaining riflemen. Almost at once there was another explosion, and Lt Hallam was killed instantly. The remainder of the patrol managed to get back, but the two wounded riflemen also died.

On 15 January 1943 the advance to Tripoli began. 51 Highland Division attacked on the coast road with 2 New Zealand Division on its left. 4 Light Armoured Brigade (which included the 2nd Battalion KRRC) was given its traditional station on the open left flank. It was planned to carry out the dvance without any replenishment, and so all vehicles carried rations and water for ten days and suffcient petrol for 200 miles. The first objective was Beni Ulid and the route straight across broken desert. The going was atrocious and progress was slow. The heavily-laden vehicles were continually sticking in soft sand on the bottom of the numerous wadis.

It was not until the 17th that the Royals made contact with a small flank guard to the south and east of Beni Ulid which 8 Armoured Brigade with a less difficult route was beginning to outflank from the north-east. At last light, the Battalion was ordered to cut the Misurata-BeniUlid road along which the enemy were retreating. C Company (Maj Robinson) were in the lead. As they approached the road, there was the sound of heavy traffic, including tanks, moving west.

Almost at once, three C Company trucks went up on mines, but they were now in a position from which M.M.G.s and anti-tank guns could engage the fleeing enemy. It was quite dark and there was considerable confusion. The 25-pounders of 3 R.H.A. were firing over open sights by the light of flares and burning trucks. Maj Robinson was killed at this moment by a mine, but C Company was firmly established astride the track and by 2200 hours the battle was over.

British 8th Army Troops in the desert

The Battalion lost, in addition to Maj Robinson, Lt D. R. Grier and one rifleman killed; twelve riflemen were wounded. Two German Mk Ill and one Italian MIS tanks were destroyed in addition to over twenty other vehicles and twenty prisoners taken. When Beni Ulid was occupied the next morning, a further thirteen M13 tanks were found damaged or abandoned in addition to many other vehicles, and a considerable number of prisoners were taken. It is now clear that Rommel thought that this desert thrust was the main one and that it was its progress which caused him to give orders for the abandonment of Tripoli and to put the D.A.K. on that flank.

On the 20th January 1943 the King's Dragoon Guards KDG found a way down the precipitous escarpment west of Tarhuna and whilst the Royals carried on to Garian, the rest of the Brigade slipped and slithered down it on to a sea of soft sand on the coastal plain. On the 21st January 1943 the Garian-Azizia road was reached and the 2nd Battalion KRRC was directed north to Azizia. By 1300 hours A Company in the lead ran into considerable opposition from the village and was unable to make any headway.

At 1600 hours twenty-nine tanks were reported moving south of Azizia, and clouds of dust were seen rising from the area. The 2nd Battalion KRRC therefore took up defensive positions and awaited events. The next morning, the New Zealanders passed through the battalion positions and attacked, but without success. The village was not cleared until the morning after, the 23rd January 1943. The 2nd Battalion went on in the van of the Eighth Army with the Light Armoured Brigade, was the first to enter Tripoli on 23rd January.

On the 28th January 1943 the advance continued but the going was still very bad. The German Air Force was much in evidence. Stukas and Me 109s based on the airfields south of Tripoli kept up almost continuous attacks on the slow-moving columns, and some casualties in both men and vehicles were suffered. The 2nd Brigade was now directed on to Garian, which is at the top of the escarpment overlooking the coastal plain some forty miles south of Tripoli, and on to Azizia twenty miles to the north of Garian around which the main enemy airfields were grouped.

The Brigade had advanced 200 miles in nine days against considerable opposition, and across what would normally be considered impassable country for vehicles. A pause was now essential for supplies to catch up and much needed maintenance and re-organization. A platoon of A Company under Lt L. Asquith relieved the Royals in Garian, where they established themselves in considerable comfort in an Italian hotel; the rest of the 2nd Battalion, less B Company, which was patrolling forward under remained in open leaguer south of command of the Royals, Azizia. Capt R. C. Gibbs, M.C., re-formed and took over command of C Company and the 2nd Battalion was visited by General Erskine, late 60th, who had taken over command of 7th Armoured Division.