Lucas Majozi Middle East, members of the Native Military Corps were used as batmen, loaders, and guards and the more skilled ones were used as drivers, cooks, carpenters and telephone operators. Upon their discharge, black soldiers received a cash allowance of two pounds, a civilian suit and a gratuity for length of service. Majozi became famous during the Second Battle of El Alamein which commenced on 23 October 1942 when the British 8th Army under the command of General Bernard Montgomery, attacked the German/Italian forces under the command of Field Marshal Erwin Rammel. Throughout the night of 23 October, stretch-bearers worked under
Battle of Mersa Matruh flooded sections of the Nile Delta, prepared to demolish infrastructure and built up defensive positions at Alexandria and the Suez canal. A scorched earth policy was discussed but decided against. Mellenthin said of this: "Rommel may have been lucky, but Mersa Matruh was certainly a brilliant German victory and gave us great hopes of 'bouncing' 8th Army out of the Alamein line." This was not to be. In the event Auchinleck solidified 8th Army and in a month's worth of fighting checked the German advance at the First Battle of El Alamein. After it was over both sides were exhausted,