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
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 Burton-on-Trent...
-
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...
-
SURNAME
Eaton
FORENAME
George Oliver
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Private
NUMBER
3777516
DATE OF DEATH
6th December 1942
AGE
27
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 16
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit King's Regiment (Liverpool)
born Liverpool
son of John and Emily...
-
SURNAME
Duffy
FORENAME
William
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Private
NUMBER
3778082
DATE OF DEATH
2nd December 1942
AGE
27
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 16
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit King's Regiment (Liverpool)
born Liverpool
husband of Nora...
-
SURNAME
Driscoll
FORENAME
Leonard Henry Pritchard
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Lance Corporal
NUMBER
3964051
DATE OF DEATH
2nd December 1942
AGE
24
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 23
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Welch Regiment
born Glamorgan
husband of...
-
SURNAME
Davies
FORENAME
Verdun George
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Private
NUMBER
4080355
DATE OF DEATH
6th December 1942
AGE
25
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 19
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit South Wales Borderers
born Glamorgan
resided Glamorgan
son of...
-
SURNAME
Davies
FORENAME
Thomas Alfred
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Private
NUMBER
4033757
DATE OF DEATH
4th March 1943
AGE
23
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 27
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit King's Shropshire Light Infantry
born Shropshire
resided Shropshire...
-
SURNAME
Craig
FORENAME
Samuel
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Fusilier
NUMBER
1500685
DATE OF DEATH
3rd-6th December 1942
AGE
24
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 19
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Welch Fusiliers (former Royal Artillery)
born Glasgow
resided...
-
SURNAME
Coates
FORENAME
William John Lewis
UNIT
6 Commando
RANK
Private
NUMBER
5051813
DATE OF DEATH
30th November 1942
AGE
25
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 28
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit North Staffordshire Regiment
born Staffordshire
son of D...
-
SURNAME
Camblin
FORENAME
Cecil
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Lance Sergeant
NUMBER
6977897
DATE OF DEATH
6th December 1942
AGE
26
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 31
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Irish Fusiliers
born Co.Armagh,Northern Ireland
resided...
-
SURNAME
Burns
FORENAME
Vincent Joseph
UNIT
6 Commando (5 Troop)
RANK
Lance Corporal
NUMBER
4128376
DATE OF DEATH
26th February 1943
AGE
22
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 19
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Cheshire Regiment
born Birkenhead,Cheshire...
-
SURNAME
Bradford
FORENAME
John Meller
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Captain
NUMBER
70669
DATE OF DEATH
2nd December 1942
AGE
28
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 19
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit 2 Bn Monmouthshire Regiment
born Swansea
resided Swansea
son of...
-
SURNAME
Barter
FORENAME
George
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Gunner
NUMBER
943492
DATE OF DEATH
17th March 1943
AGE
24
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 6
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Artillery
born London N
son of Llewellyn and Mabel...
-
SURNAME
Ball
FORENAME
Sydney Alonso
UNIT
1 Commando
RANK
Gunner
NUMBER
917356
DATE OF DEATH
6th December 1942
AGE
32
GRAVESITE
Medjez-el-Bab Memorial,Tunisia Face 6
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
parent unit Royal Artillery
born Bedford
son of Ernest and Alice Ball
husband of...