Breakout: Minqar Qaim
North Africa, 1942
Reviewed by Barnaby Perkins
Mid 1942 - and the war was going badly for the allies on all fronts. The Japanese had attacked the Americans at Pearl Harbour six months earlier. Singapore, Burma and Malaya had fallen. Axis forces were victorious in both Europe and North Africa. For the New Zealanders fighting in North Africa it must have been a time of great concern, not only on the battlefield but, with the Japanese forces rapidly heading south, for the situation at home.
In Britain, Churchill was under political pressure because of the apparent failure in the general direction of the war. Tobruk fell in June 1942 and a victory of some sort was badly needed.
In Churchill’s own words this ‘new glory’ was provided in timely fashion by the New Zealand forces.
In the early hours of the morning on June the 28th 1942 some 10,000 men of the New Zealand Division broke out through Rommel’s surrounding Panzer units to escape captivity. Their attack was carried out under cover of darkness and it took the Germans by complete surprise. A bloody battle ensued where New Zealand soldiers overcame superior forces in a violent and valiant ‘do or die’ effort.
The action at Minqar Qaim has subsequently been described by some military historians as a victory in heroic style and by others as a brutal atrocity of war.
New Zealanders were accused of bayoneting wounded and surrendering Germans, including medical staff and ambulance personnel. According to the Germans they were also guilty ‘of filling themselves full of brandy and fighting like Bolsheviks.’
This latter accusation was strongly refuted by many, including Harold Paton, the official NZEF photographer, who took part in the action. It certainly seems highly unlikely that the victory could have been gained, as described, by soldiers who were boozed to the eyeballs.
In addressing this controversy, Colin Cameron has demonstrated the skills of a true historian.
He has enquired deeply and impartially into all sources of information - from both sides.
The information has been clarified and presented in a narrative form which is interesting, readable, and, devoid of any unnecessarily emotional or judgemental content.
This is no simple attempt to whitewash the actions of New Zealand fighting troops.
A proper effort is made to set the full historical context for the behaviour of soldiers whose conduct, under the intense stress of battle, may be regarded as either outstandingly heroic or violently murderous. As Cameron himself point out: ‘in war, no one is lily white.’
In evaluating all of the circumstances he states: ‘One would be wise to excuse certain over-enthusiastic actions in the heat of battle, on both sides.’
This book deserves to be accorded an important place in the records of New Zealand Military
history.
Copyright - Barnaby Perkins.
August 2006
