After the British defeat at the Battle of Gazala in June 1942, General Sir Claude Auchinleck decided to take over personal command of the Eighth Army as it fell back to Mersa Matruh. Taking Major-General Dorman-Smith with him, he relieved General Ritchie of his command on 25 June and withdrew to El Alamein.

From 1 to 27 July, the Eighth Army held back the forces of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, stopping him from reaching Alexandria or Cairo, and thus preventing Egypt from falling into Axis hands.

In this exciting talk, Christopher Dorman-O’Gowan highlights the importance of the First Battle of El Alamein, offering an insight into its events and aftermath.

Christopher Dorman-O’Gowan is the son of Major-General Dorman-Smith. Born and educated in Ireland, he was commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in 1969. He went on to serve in Hong Kong, Cyprus, Germany, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar.

On leaving the Army, he retrained as a lawyer and practised at the Bar on the North Eastern Circuit as well as in Ireland.

The First Battle of El Alamein