With Bushmills (2) in the lead, Churchills advance towards Djebel-el-Ahmera
(Photo courtesy Imperial War Museum)

Significant Action:
Despite the extreme difficulty of bringing bow mounted 3 in. Howitzers to bear on the enemy, Bushmills, with Major Gordon Russell in command, successfully destroyed a 50 mm A/T gun.

Notation in War Diary:
10/4/43
"All available tanks sent for from BEJA. By first light A & B Sqns in position East of White House on Pt.667. Plan – 38th Irish Bde, supported by one troop of C Sqn, to seize DJEBEL OUM GUERINAT; NIH less C Sqn, to engage tanks in the valley. Small force including tanks, A/Tk 17pdrs and REs left under command Major the Lord O'Neill to form a base on Northern side of defile crossing OUED EL DJEB. 0700 – CO and Major Strickland made recce on foot; enemy tpt seen moving NE in DOCTOR BED valley. A Sqn ordered to advance to Pt.361 – feature reported clear. B Sqn moved NW to occupy Pt.391. then decided to try and reach DJEBEL RMEL and thus help 38 Bde. A Sqn held up by mines but B Sqn made quick progress to high ground West of DJEBEL RMEL. RHQ followed B Sqn centre line and B Sqn occupied RMEL after engaging retreating enemy infantry with Besa fire. Meantime A Sqn had negotiated minefield and moved to position SE of farm DER RMEL.
Enemy were seen to leave EL GUERINAT and nearby features when tanks occupied RMEL, the task of 38th Irish Bde thereby being much simplified. Unable to get 17pdrs up to engage two enemy tanks in farm East of RMEL. Persistent air attacks by enemy; one Me 110 shot down by Besa fire from tanks. 1700 – Enemy brought forward 50mm A/Tk gun when enemy position attacked; knocked out one B Sqn tank. This gun was then knocked out and several POW taken. A Sqn worked forward to try and engage the two enemy tanks but could not do so. Tanks ordered to hold positions until relieved by infantry. Were eventually relieved by Black Watch at approx midnight."

Notation in Battle Reports:
"At about 1700 hours the enemy brought forward an anti-tank gun into a Wog hut at the northern end of the Rmel. In dealing with this B squadron had one tank in Lieut. Brown's troop penetrated by a 50 mm. shell and the forward gunner was killed. The anti-tank gun was knocked out by Major Russell's 3 in. Howitzer and several prisoners were taken."

Sources:
NIH War Diaries.
NIH Battle Reports.
Copyright photograph courtesy Imperial War Museum, not to be reproduced without permission

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