Desert Rat 1940-43: British and Commonwealth troops in North Africa (Warrior) [ペーパーバック]

This short book makes a modest but poignant contribution to the history of the desert war. Much will be familiar to those already well-versed in the desert war of 1940-1943. But, as such a reader, I gained some new insights too. The early Desert Rats of Seventh Armored Division and Fourth Indian Division exemplified prewar professionalism. But the force was soon diluted, as large numbers of less experienced recruits and conscripts joined the fighting. While superior to the Italians, British forces came out second best against the small but highly trained, well-led German forces of Rommel's Afrika Korps. Some of the material covered on training, tactics and doctrine can also be found in Paddy Griffith's World War II Desert Tactics and Mr. Moreman's other Osprey title on the Eighth Army.

Where this account excels, however, is in the short but discerning section on the soldiers' beliefs and sense of belonging. The Desert Rats were a diverse lot, with troops from India, South Africa, Australia, the British Isles and elsewhere. Yet they shared a sense of pride built up from O'Connor's early victories over the Italians. Language differences caused problems, but also built a unique jargon with terms from beyond the English-speaking world, such as sangar, an Urdu term for a hastily-built rock fort. There is an informative write-up on the problems of moving and fighting in the desert. Did you know that most combat took place during the morning and late afternoon, because heat haze made it difficult to see targets at midday?

The write-up ends with two brief stories from the desert fighting, the Battle of the Omars during the Crusader offensive and the stand by 150th Brigade at Gazala. Both accounts integrate well the tactical realities of desert combat, emphasizing the ordeal of ordinary foot soldiers. These concise and fascinating accounts are marred only by the lack of maps of either action.

The account of British tactics at First Alamein balances nicely a battle that has yielded much controversy. As Tim Moreman points out, Auchinleck's creative tactical rethinking may have saved the day in that crucial battle, yet the radical changes he proposed also caused confusion. It was Montgomery who really stamped his personality on Eighth Army, building a myth that counter-acted the Desert Rats' loss of self-confidence in face of Rommel.

The illustrations are extremely good. They include several original paintings that convey Desert Rat infantrymen with pathos and honesty, a quality that is enhanced by informative captions. All in all this is a brief but informative account of ordinary soldiers' life and trials as they fought a tough enemy in one of Earth's harshest environments.

The Contents are -
P04: Introduction
P05: Chronology
P07: Recruiting the Desert Rat
P13: Fighting Methods, Doctrine and Training
P23: Belief and Belonging
P027: Appearance and Equipment
.Uniforms and Equipment; Weaponry; Tanks
P037: Life on Campaign in the Western Desert
P45: Experience of Battle
.The battle of Omars, November 1941; The 150th Infantry brigade at Gazala, May 1942
P58: Aftermath
P62: Museums and Collections
P63: Select Bibliography
P64: Index

The Colour Plates -
A: The Australian `Digger'. This shows a full figure holding a rifle, with various items of kit shown in close-up illustrations, plus `variant' and optional items of kit.
B: The Land Mine. This is a plate showing two Royal Engineers demonstrating the `Polish' mine detector - the circular plate at the end of a long handle - with 4 Sikh soldiers receiving instruction.
C: The Attack. Two  page diagrammatic illustrations showing: 1. a formal attack on a defensive position; 2. an in-depth defensive position.
D: The Desert Rat. This plate shows a figure, leaning on a Bren gun and smoking, with several items shown separately in close up, along with variant items of kit.
E: Weaponry. This plate shows a selection of rifles and machine guns, along with a pistol, mortar, grenade and bayonet.
F: A Brew Up. Not a tank, but 3 figures gathered around a `Benghazi cooker' - a British infantryman, a tank crewman, and a Gurkha rifleman - chatting while waiting for their tea to boil. In the background is a Bren carrier with a pile of equipment and stores.
G: The Infantry Attack. This plate shows infantry advancing, alongside tanks, with explosions and smoke in the background.
H: Advanced Dressing Station. This plate shows several figures, from both sides, sitting or lying on stretchers being attended to by medical staff, with an ambulance being loaded in the background, alongside some tents.

The colour plates build up through the various stages of the book, showing the men, equipment, organisation and training, leading eventually to the battle and its aftermath. The quality of the paintings is exceptional; the artist has captured the quality of the desert light. The monochrome photographs are also of excellent quality and support the text, which is clear, informative and well-written.