The training camp at TARHUNA in North Africa was a desert barracks built by Mussolini in the 1930s to house his new empire forces. In the second world War it changed hands frequently and at the time of these exercises was in use by British Regiments when they used the Libyan desert for training.

Colonel BOSHELLS Comments

After handing over the command of the Battalion to Major GIBSON, Col BOSHELL said 'This was the first Battalion exercise they had been able to undertake for nine months and was the first in which some of the younger soldiers had taken part, One naturally expected a number of mistakes, and of course there were, but there was nothing very ghastly, They were the sort of mistakes which had we been in Libya for two months would have been eliminated.

Two aspects that please are :-

1. It confirmed what I already knew that the Battalion is extremely fit, and

2. Because of the high spirit among all ranks, I deliberately made the exercises severe, however good one may seem in training, tactics and general if one is not fit and determined in war the position becomes useless.

"Besides if you are going to walk dressed up like a Christmas tree carrying heavy loads and trudging 15 or even 20 miles across rough country, undertake flanking movements, put in attacks and still come up smiling when told to do another 15 miles, it requires guts and confidence. From every point of view I have no worry. I think the soldiers did extremely well."

In conclusion Col BOSHELL paid this tribute to his officers and men :-

"If we had to go into action tomorrow, I would not mind leading this Battalion"

Praise indeed from an officer who whilst serving as a Company Commander with the 1st Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment in the Burma Campaign during the Second World War, was awarded a Distinguished Service Order whilst relieving the garrison at KOHIMA, wounded during the same campaign and Mentioned in dispatches twice.