William Farrell

William Farrell was killed during the brutal opening hours of the Second Battle of El Alamein in Egypt. Farrell was one of 21 Sherwood Rangers who lost their lives on 24 October 1942. This was the day immediately following the mass artillery barrage of Operation Lightfoot, as the regiment's tanks pushed into the Axis minefields and faced heavy anti-tank fire.

In October 1942, the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry (Sherwood Rangers), serving as an armoured regiment within the Royal Armoured Corps, fought at the front lines of the historic Second Battle of El Alamein in the North African desert.
Equipped with a mix of Crusader, Grant, and Sherman tanks, the regiment was under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Edward “Flash” Kellett as part of the 8th Armoured Brigade (attached to the 10th Armoured Division).
Operational Timeline: October 1942

• 6 October 1942: While stationed at Tel el Kebir, Egypt, the regiment held an awards ceremony. Major General Alexander Gatehouse presented medals—including a Military Cross and Military Medal—to men of the Sherwood Rangers for their bravery during the preceding Battle of Alam el Halfa.

• Mid-October 1942: General Bernard Montgomery personally visited the Sherwood Rangers in the desert to review the troops and inspect their armor just days before the grand offensive.

• 23–24 October 1942 (Operation Lightfoot): At 21:40 on 23 October, a massive 1,000-gun Allied artillery barrage signaled the start of the Second Battle of El Alamein. In the early hours of 24 October, the Nottinghamshire Yeomanry headed the main armoured assault, pushing directly through cleared gaps in the Axis minefields. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel later noted that the Sherwood Rangers were the only unit to successfully breach his forward defences within the first 24 hours of the battle.

• 24–25 October 1942: Pushing past the Miteiriya Ridge, the regiment engaged in intense, brutal tank-on-tank attrition. They suffered severe machinery and human casualties to German anti-tank screens, including losses like Lance Sergeant Norman Best, Lieutenant Ronald Hill, and Corporal Henry Hudson, who now rest at the Alamein War Cemetery.
The heavy sacrifice made by the regiment in late October laid the groundwork for Operation Supercharge in early November, which ultimately broke the Axis lines and secured a vital Allied victory in Egypt.