Over the following week, Pienaar was first ordered to hold position at Taieb El Esem and later to move north to relieve the encircled 2nd New Zealand Division of XIII Corps. Instead, Pienaar defied his superiors; his brigade withdrew from Taieb El Esem and was then slow to move north to relieve the 2nd New Zealand Division, who were then partly overrun and forced to retreat.
Over the following week, Pienaar was initially ordered to hold his position at Taieb El Esem and later directed to move north to relieve the encircled 2nd New Zealand Division of XIII Corps. However, he disobeyed orders and withdrew his brigade from Taieb El Esem before moving slowly to relieve the 2nd New Zealand Division, who were then partially overrun and forced to retreat.