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
Ripley
FORENAME
Henry
UNIT
6 Commando
RANK
Lance Corporal
NUMBER
5389386
DATE OF DEATH
6th January 1943
AGE
22
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 24
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
born Kent
son of...
-
SURNAME
Phillips
FORENAME
Wilfrid Harold
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Private
NUMBER
4105154
DATE OF DEATH
1st-6th December 1942
AGE
22
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 27
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit King's Shropshire Light Infantry
former Herefordshire...
-
SURNAME
Phelan
FORENAME
Francis Edward
UNIT
2 Commando
RANK
Private
NUMBER
6351455
DATE OF DEATH
5th May 1943
AGE
22
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 26
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment
born Surrey
resided Middlesex...
-
SURNAME
Nettleton
FORENAME
Harold
UNIT
6 Commando
RANK
Lance Bombardier
NUMBER
857486
DATE OF DEATH
26th February 1943
AGE
23
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 6
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Artillery
born Bradford,Yorkshire
son of Henry and Maud...
-
SURNAME
Morgan
FORENAME
Harold Rees
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Captain
NUMBER
88079
DATE OF DEATH
1st December 1942
AGE
26
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 23
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Welch Regiment
born Carmarthenshire
son of William Thomas and Margaret...
-
SURNAME
Metcalfe
FORENAME
Walter
UNIT
6 Commando (5 Troop)
RANK
Private
NUMBER
3864601
DATE OF DEATH
6th January 1943
AGE
23
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 25
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire)
born Lancashire
resided...
-
SURNAME
Meehan
FORENAME
Hugh
UNIT
6 Commando
RANK
Corporal
NUMBER
5989347
DATE OF DEATH
30th November 1942
AGE
27
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 17
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment
born Yorkshire
son of Hugh and...
-
SURNAME
MacPherson
FORENAME
John Brown
UNIT
6 Commando
RANK
Signalman
NUMBER
2326886
DATE OF DEATH
13th December 1942
AGE
24
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 11
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Corps of Signals
born Dunfermline,Fife
resided Perth
son...
-
SURNAME
Lord
FORENAME
Robert Stephen
UNIT
6 Commando
RANK
Fusilier
NUMBER
4206066
DATE OF DEATH
30th November 1942
AGE
21
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 19
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Welch Fusiliers
born Lancashire
son of Robert and Lily...
-
SURNAME
Lewis
FORENAME
Frank
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Lance Sergeant
NUMBER
3960926
DATE OF DEATH
6th December 1942
AGE
23
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 23
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Welch Regiment
born Merthyr Tydfil,Glamorgan
son of John and...
-
SURNAME
Jenkins
FORENAME
Edward
UNIT
6 Commando (6 Troop)
RANK
Private
NUMBER
5336785
DATE OF DEATH
30th November 1942
AGE
21
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 25
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Berkshire Regiment
born London E
resided London E
son...
-
SURNAME
Humphreys
FORENAME
James
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Private
NUMBER
3958742
DATE OF DEATH
28th February 1943
AGE
28
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 23
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Welch Regiment
born Swansea,Glamorgan
husband of Dorothy...
-
SURNAME
Horgan
FORENAME
James John
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Lance Sergeant
NUMBER
5048951
DATE OF DEATH
6th December 1942
AGE
33
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 19
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit South Wales Borderers and 2 Bn Monmouthshire Regiment
born...
-
SURNAME
Herstell
FORENAME
Ernest Maxwell
UNIT
former 6 Commando and 62 Commando (Small Scale Raiding Force)
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...
-
SURNAME
Hamilton
FORENAME
James
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Sapper
NUMBER
2983344
DATE OF DEATH
17th March 1943
AGE
22
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 10
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Engineers
former Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
born Glasgow
son...
-
SURNAME
Haley
FORENAME
Frederick Leslie
UNIT
6 Commando
RANK
Sergeant
NUMBER
950483
DATE OF DEATH
26th February 1943
AGE
25
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab War Cemetery,Tunisia 16.B.16
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Artillery
born Bradford,Yorkshire
son of Fred and...
-
SURNAME
Groves
FORENAME
Fernley William Thomas
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Private
NUMBER
4038826
DATE OF DEATH
1st-6th December 1942
AGE
28
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 27
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit King's Shropshire Light infantry
born Shropshire
son...
-
SURNAME
Green
FORENAME
Joseph Wilfred Francis
UNIT
6 Commando
RANK
Lance Corporal
NUMBER
6983562
DATE OF DEATH
6th January 1943
AGE
22
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 19
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
born...
-
SURNAME
George
FORENAME
Herbert Alexander
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Private
NUMBER
3964607
DATE OF DEATH
6th December 1942
AGE
24
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 23
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Welch Regiment
born Cardiff
son of Micheale and Sarah George...
-
SURNAME
Ellis
FORENAME
Richard Paul
UNIT
6 Commando
RANK
Fusilier
NUMBER
4279057
DATE OF DEATH
30th November 1942
AGE
20
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 15
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
born Sunderland
resided Sunderland...