In May 1943, the war in North Africa came to an end in Tunisia with the defeat of the Axis powers by a combined Allied force.
The campaign began on 8 November 1942, when Commonwealth and American troops made a series of landings in Algeria and Morocco. The Germans responded immediately by sending a force from Sicily to northern Tunisia, which checked the Allied advance east in early December. In the south, the Axis forces defeated at El Alamein withdrew into Tunisia along the coast through Libya, pursued by the Allied Eighth Army. By mid April 1943, the combined Axis force was hemmed into a small corner of north-eastern Tunisia and the Allies were grouped for their final offensive.
Medjez-el-Bab was at the limit of the Allied advance in December 1942 and remained on the front line until the decisive Allied advances of April and May 1943.
The MEDJEZ-EL-BAB MEMORIAL commemorates almost 2,000 men of the First Army who died during the operations in Algeria and Tunisia between 8 November 1942 and 19 February 1943, and those of the First and Eighth Armies who died in operations in the same areas between 20 February 1943 and 13 May 1943, and who have no known graves.
The memorial stands within MEDJEZ-EL-BAB WAR CEMETERY where 2,903 Commonwealth servicemen of the Second World War are buried or commemorated. 385 of the burials are unidentified. Special memorials commemorate three soldiers buried in Tunis (Borgel) Cemetery and one in Youks-les-Bains Cemetery, whose graves are now lost.
The five First World War burials in Medjez-el-Bab War Cemetery were brought in from Tunis (Belvedere) Cemetery or in Carthage (Basilica Karita) Cemetery in 1950.
The MEMORIAL and CEMETERY were designed by Sir J. Hubert Worthington.
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SURNAME
Harvey
FORENAME
Reginald
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Private
NUMBER
5826853
DATE OF DEATH
28th February 1943
AGE
25
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 16
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Suffolk Regiment
born Suffolk
son of Walter and Ada...
-
SURNAME
Baynes
FORENAME
John William
UNIT
3 Bn
RANK
Sergeant
NUMBER
4387613
DATE OF DEATH
17th August 1943
AGE
29
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 34
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Yorkshire
husband of Mary Baynes,Carlisle
former Green Howards (Yorkshire...
-
SURNAME
Wood
FORENAME
Ernest
UNIT
3 Bn
RANK
Private
NUMBER
5435818
DATE OF DEATH
6th January 1943
AGE
29
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 36
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Birmingham
resided Warwickshire
son of William and Jessie Wood,Birmingham
husband of Lucy...
-
SURNAME
Elton-Tuckett
FORENAME
Jack Helton
UNIT
3 Bn
RANK
Lieutenant
NUMBER
193751
DATE OF DEATH
6th January 1943
AGE
20
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 33
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born India
resided Sudan (Anglo-Egyptian)
son of J.H. and Cynthia E...
-
SURNAME
Hetherington
FORENAME
John Parker
UNIT
3 Bn
RANK
Sergeant
NUMBER
3452476
DATE OF DEATH
20th December 1942
AGE
23
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 34
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Sunderland,Co.Durham
son of Frederick M. and Elizabeth...
-
SURNAME
Adams
FORENAME
Ivor
UNIT
2 Bn
RANK
Private
NUMBER
3962130
DATE OF DEATH
29th March 1943
AGE
21
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 35
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Glamorgan
resided Glamorgan
former Welch Regiment
died North Africa
-
SURNAME
Douglas
FORENAME
Samuel
UNIT
2 Bn
RANK
Private
NUMBER
2765542
DATE OF DEATH
3rd February 1943
AGE
20
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 35
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Glasgow
son of George and Mary Millar Douglas,Glasgow
died North Africa
-
SURNAME
Murdoch
FORENAME
David Black
UNIT
2 Bn
RANK
Lance Corporal
NUMBER
2991875
DATE OF DEATH
30th November 1942
AGE
20
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 35
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Ayrshire
son of James and Mary Murdoch,Kilmarnock,Ayrshire
educated...
-
SURNAME
Macfarlane
FORENAME
William
UNIT
2 Bn
RANK
Sergeant
NUMBER
3053379
DATE OF DEATH
30th November 1942
AGE
29
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 34
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Glasgow
resided Glasgow
son of David Lindsay and Jessie Fraser Macfarlane
1941...
-
SURNAME
Hughes
FORENAME
Sidney Arthur
UNIT
2 Bn
RANK
Private
NUMBER
1797700
DATE OF DEATH
30th November 1942
AGE
21
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 36
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Middlesex
son of Harry and Florence Hughes,East Molesey,Surrey
KIA North Africa
-
SURNAME
Diamond
FORENAME
James Barrie
UNIT
2 Bn
RANK
Lance Corporal
NUMBER
3184752
DATE OF DEATH
30th November 1942
AGE
34
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 34
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Wigtownshire
resided Wigtownshire
son of Maggie Diamond,Stirling
KIA...
-
SURNAME
Ashcroft
FORENAME
Norman
UNIT
2 Bn
RANK
Lance Corporal
NUMBER
3523175
DATE OF DEATH
30th November 1942
AGE
33
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial, Tunisia Face 34
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Wigan, Lancashire
son of James and Alice Ashcroft
husband of May Ashcroft...
-
SURNAME
Herstell
FORENAME
Ernest Maxwell
UNIT
2 SAS
RANK
Gunner
NUMBER
14317992
DATE OF DEATH
29th May 1943
AGE
27
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 7
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Artillery
born Manchester
son of Frank and Florence Herstell
husband...
-
SURNAME
Blinman
FORENAME
Harold Trevor
UNIT
6 Commando
RANK
Lance Corporal
NUMBER
3384304
DATE OF DEATH
30th November 1942
AGE
29
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 20
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit East Lancashire Regiment
born Glamorgan
resided Glamorgan...
-
SURNAME
Baxter
FORENAME
Christopher
UNIT
1 Bn
RANK
Sergeant
NUMBER
6205676
DATE OF DEATH
28th March 1943
AGE
23
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 34
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born London EC
resided London N
son of Christopher and Nellie Gertrude Baxter,South...
-
SURNAME
Hewett
FORENAME
Ernest Norman
UNIT
1 Bn (Royal Army Medical Corps,attached)
RANK
Private
NUMBER
7522533
DATE OF DEATH
17th March 1943
AGE
26
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 37
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Norwich,Norfolk
son of Ernest William and...
-
SURNAME
Worrod
FORENAME
Dennis Harris
UNIT
1 Bn
RANK
Corporal
NUMBER
5053065
DATE OF DEATH
5th February 1943
AGE
27
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 34
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Coventry
son of Charles Harris and Rose Worrod
husband of Edith Elizabeth...
-
SURNAME
Miller
FORENAME
Thomas Moir
UNIT
1 Bn
RANK
Lance Corporal
NUMBER
2879839
DATE OF DEATH
5th February 1943
AGE
23
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 34
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Glasgow
son of Robert and Mary Campbell Miller,Glasgow
died North Africa
-
SURNAME
Fisher
FORENAME
Harold Restarick
UNIT
1 Bn (HQ Troop,S Company)
RANK
Lance Corporal
NUMBER
3774869
DATE OF DEATH
5th February 1943
AGE
23
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 34
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Essex
resided Cheshire
enlisted 1939
8 (Irish)...
-
SURNAME
Colechin
FORENAME
Philip Mark
UNIT
1 Bn (R Company)
RANK
Private
NUMBER
6017441
DATE OF DEATH
3rd-5th February 1943
AGE
21
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 35
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born London E
resided London E
son of Mark and Mary...