If you know anything about Egypt, you’ll know that it has a long and rich history going back thousands of years. While its pharaonic history is the most well-known around the globe, we should also remember its most recent past, particularly early 20th century; a time when the entire world was in conflict. In the article, we trace the effect of WWII in Egypt, specifically in the Alamein region along the North Coast, and how the entire world’s focus lied there at one point in time.
World War II (1939 -1945) is known for the deadly conflicts between the Allied Forces and the Axis armies around Europe and Asia, but did you know that one of the most deadly battles in the war took place in Egypt?
Egypt has made sure that the events of the war are remembered and honored accordingly through the Commonwealth War Cemetery and the El Alamein Military Museum.
Commonwealth War Cemetery
The Commonwealth War Cemetery, located in Alamein along the North Coast and around 130 Km west of Alexandria, bears the memory of the tragic deaths caused by this battle. In the cemetery, more than 7000 tombstones can be found with the names, ages, nationalities and military positions of the deceased.
The Battle of Alamein took place between October and November 1942. As you enter the gates of the cemetery, you’ll find a passageway with these words inscribed on top: “WITHIN THIS CLOISTER ARE INSCRIBED THE NAMES OF SOLDIERS AND AIRMEN OF THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AND EMPIRE WHO DIED FIGHTING ON LAND OR IN THE AIR WHERE TWO CONTINENTS MEET AND TO WHOM THE FORTUNE OF WAR DENIED A KNOWN AND HONOURED GRAVE.”
As you enter the passage, you will indeed find the names of the fallen soldiers inscribed on the walls to honor their sacrifices. The Land Forces panels commemorate more than 8,500 soldiers of the Commonwealth who died in the campaigns in Egypt and Libya, and in the operations of the Eighth Army in Tunisia up to 19 February 1943, who have no known grave. It also commemorates those who served and died in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Persia.
The Air Forces panels commemorate more than 3,000 airmen of the Commonwealth who died in the campaigns in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Greece, Crete, and the Aegean, Ethiopia, Eritrea and the Somalilands, Sudan, East Africa, Aden, and Madagascar, who have no known grave. Also among the commemorated soldiers are those who served with the Rhodesian and South African Air Training Scheme and have no known grave.
On the ground, beneath the passage, you’ll also find this memorial plaque: “to the glory of God and to the undying memory of the Eighth Army 23rd October – 4th November 1942”.
As you exit the passage, you’ll find the numerous graves on either side, with every tombstone inscribed with a unique quote or dedication from the army or the deceased soldier’s family.
Of the 7,240 Commonwealth burials in the cemetery, 815 are unidentified. There are also 102 war graves of other nationalities and 600 men whose remains were cremated in Egypt and Libya during the war, in accordance with their faith.
History
The campaign in the Egyptian Western Desert was fought between the Commonwealth forces (later joined by two brigades of Free French as well as Polish and Greek troops), and the Axis forces (German and Italian) based in Libya.
The battlefield spanned the 1,000 km of desert between Alexandria in Egypt and Benghazi in Libya. The objective of the campaign was to control the Mediterranean, the link with the east through the Suez Canal, the Middle East oil supplies and the supply route to Russia through Persia.
Two important battles were fought in El Alamein. During the First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July 1942), the advance of Axis troops on Alexandria was halted by the Allied troops.
At the Second Battle of El Alamein (October 23 – November 4, 1942), Allied forces broke the Axis line and forced them all the way back to Tunisia. Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister at the time, who also visited Egypt at one point, said of this victory: “Now this is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” After the war, he wrote: “Before Alamein, we never had a victory. After Alamein, we never had a defeat.”
The Commonwealth War Cemetery in Alamein contains the graves of men who died at all stages of the Western Desert campaigns, but especially those who died in the Second Battle of El Alamein at the end of October 1942.
The Alamein Cremation Memorial was also erected in the south-eastern part of the cemetery, commemorating more than 600 men whose remains were cremated in Egypt and Libya during the war, in accordance with their faith.
The cemetery was designed by Sir J. Hubert Worthington and unveiled by Viscount Montgomery of Alamein on 24 October 1954.
Alamein Military Museum
Around 1km further than the cemetery you’ll find the Alamein Military Museum, which is dedicated to tracing the history of WWII in Egypt and displayed artifacts left behind by the forces involved in the war; particularly the UK, Italy, Germany, and Egypt. The museum has separate halls for each country and a fifth hall for the memorabilia, uniforms, photos, and maps. Outside, you can also find a range of tanks and artillery from the battlefield.
The Museum provides a complete illustration of the story of WWII in North Africa, along with photos, clothes and personal belongings left behind by the soldiers involved in the battles.
The Egyptian Hall:
The Egyptian Hall explains how Egyptian forces helped the allies during the war, along with statues representing Egyptian soldiers and a bust of King Farouk, who was the ruler of Egypt at the time.
The hall also contains portraits depicting El Alamein Battle and illustrations of how the Egyptian forces aided the allies.
The British Hall:
This hall illustrates how the British Troops defeated the Italians and Germans in North Africa, along with displays of British uniforms from the time. The hall also explains the strategies adopted by the British forces in the war through different maps and weaponry. It also contains information about the Australian troops and their efforts during different battles.
The Italian Hall:
Also containing statues of Italian soldiers decked out in full military garb, the Italian Hall also displays pictures illustrating how Italian troops suffered as a result of their defeat in the war.
The German Hall:
Not only does this hall showcase the role of the German army during the battle of Alamein, it also explains their role in other battles across North Africa, along with pictures of Erwin Rommel and Hitler.
General Hall:
This main hall shows items from all the different armies involved in the war. It showcases the battles that took place between the British and the Italian forces, as well as those between the British and Germans. It also dedicates a section for each country, explaining why they got involved in the war, along with real photographs from the battlegrounds. A section also contained a plaque titled “War without Hate” where stories of soldiers from either side of the war saving each other are told.
The museum is fascinating to walk through due to the large collection of displays, each with its own story. It would even be hard to go through them in a mere one or two-hour trip and inaugurated on December 16, 1965.
The museum was re-opened on the 50th anniversary of its development on 21st October 1992.
If you plan on visiting, then mind the opening hours as they differ according to the season. In the Summer, the museum is open from 08:00 to 20:00, while in the Winter, it is open from 08:00 to 17:00.
The displays in the museum contain detailed descriptions in Arabic and English.
German War Memorial in El Alamein
Just like the war memorial dedicated to the Commonwealth soldiers who gave their lives during World War II, the Germans also have their own war memorial 7km west of El Alamein. The building was established in 1959, overlooking the sea. It contains the bodies of 4,280 German soldiers and its design symbolizes fierce German pride as it resembles a medieval fortress.
The courtyard is shaped like an octagon and in each side, there’s an alcove that represents a different German province with inscriptions of the names of the soldiers from each region.
In the center of the courtyard, there’s an obelisk surrounded by falcons, which represents German heritage and a way of honoring the dead.
Italian War Memorial in El Alamein
Like the commonwealth cemetery, the Italian war memorial contains an arched entrance to the grounds. A long path leads to a marble tower. It also begins with an entry cloister containing a chapel, mosque, and hall of remembrances as well a museum. An inscription inside the chapel reads: “To 4,800 Italian soldiers, sailors and airmen. The desert and the sea did not give back 38,000 who are missing.”
Like the German War Memorial, it overlooks the sea. Since Italy had conquered Libya at the time, there are also Libyan comrades buried at the grounds, separated from the Italians due to the difference in burial methods depending on their faiths.
Taking a tour of these locations will definitely give you chills, because of the extraordinary and heartbreaking history behind them. If you’re a history buff or you feel the need to know more about what took place during World War II, then you should consider visiting the El Alamein Military Museum and the aforementioned memorials to full grasp the long history of such a treasured location that lies along the coast of the Mediterranean.
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