The diary’s and accounts of Lt Karsten, WO2 JA Dyer and Cpl Frank Wallbank.

Very busy today getting tanks ready for away by 4 pm. Artillery forces have been at it for about an hour in the north and our bombers have been over several times and so far haven’t lost a single plane. By 6 pm all our tanks were moving up, travelling 8 miles in all to a spot on the Northern Sector some 5 miles behind the Alamein Box. There we intend to stay quiet, making final preparations for the big attack. We are to begin on Sunday night.

On the 31st Oct the Regiment was organised as follows:

‘A’ Squadron ​(Capt Heseltine): Two 6-pounder Crusaders and four 2-pounder Crusaders
‘B’ Squadron ​(Capt Eveleigh): Seven Sherman’s, three Grants and one 6-pounder Crusader
‘C’ Squadron​ (Maj Dawes): Seven Sherman’s, seven Grants and one 6-pounder Crusader

It was with this layout that the Regiment went into action on the 1st of November.

The intervening day was spent with maintenance on the tanks and general refitting and reorganisation which was necessary with the many changes in ‘A’ and ‘B’ Squadrons.

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