June 25, 2005

In Alexandria we were met by a guide and drove about 100 km. west to the monuments of the El Alamein battle of World War II. This was a decisive victory by the Allies that prevented Rommel from holding North Africa and taking the Suez Canal. There were over 38,000 casualties in the battle.

We visited the Commonwealth, German, and Italian Memorials. The Commonwealth memorial was a simple cemetery of rows and rows of gravestones. Each was inscribed with the name, age, and company of the soldier, and many had an epitaph from family. There were also many graves marked as unknown soldiers. It was a very sobering and moving experience to see these tombstones and even try to understand the magnitude of the loss of life.

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Thousands of graves at the Commonwealth Memorial.
A particularly moving epitaph.