John Edward Lemon

John Cotterill has researched 5th battalion's campaign in Tunisia. He writes: On Christmas Day 1942 the 2/5th Foresters sailed in convoy from Liverpool on the SS Derbyshire. After 2 ½ years home defence duties and training in UK since the Dunkirk evacuation, they were off to war again. The Battalion had been formed in 1938 by splitting 5th Foresters, a Derbyshire Territorial Battalion, into two units; 1/5th and 2/5th. Both had fought in France in 1940 and the 1/5th had since been lost in Singapore in February 1942. 2/5th was now on their way to reinforce the Anglo-American landings in Algeria and Morocco (Operation TORCH) that had begun on 8 November 1942. These landings had been intended to get behind Rommel’s Afrika Korps, now withdrawing west after its defeat at El Alamein. However the Germans had reacted rapidly with a parachute landing to seize the strategically important airfields and ports of Tunisia. On 3 January 1943 the SS Derbyshire berthed in Algiers and the Foresters joined 1st Army. They marched ten miles to a brick factory, where they were based until they moved east towards Tunisia ten days later. Their move by rail and road culminated with them relieving 6th Royal West Kents on the front line on 18 January. This unit and the remainder of 36 Brigade had tried to breakthrough to the port of Bizerte on 5 January but been stopped by German positions on two features called Green Hill and Baldy east of the mining town of Sedjenane and 40 miles SW of Bizerte. The 2/5th Foresters occupied trenches below Green Hill with a strength of 780. They were part of 139 Brigade of 46 Division and were supported by field, medium, anti-aircraft and anti tank guns of the Royal Artillery. On 29 January they suffered their first battle casualties in North Africa when one Forester was killed and 15 wounded in a Luftwaffe raid. On 14 February 1943 German counter-attacks were launched in Tunisia resulting in the defeat of US forces at the Kasserine Pass well south of the 46 Division positions. The Kasserine Pass counter-attack was followed on 2 March by Operation OCHSENKOPF, a counter-attack designed to drive 46 Division out of their defence positions and thus buy more time for the German’s to prepare their defences in Tunisia. The previous day, 1 March, with the official recognition of the destruction of 1/5 Foresters in Singapore, 2/5 Foresters officially became 5th Foresters. The force that struck 46 Division from the east on 2 March was part of Division von Manteuffel, an ad hoc formation made up of whatever German forces were in Tunisia at the time and not busy facing 8th Army further south. The specific units that attacked 5th Foresters were Battlegroup Jefna from the NE and Regiment Barenthin from the SE. The former were a re-purposed unit of reinforcements who had just arrived in Tunisia but the latter were a unit of 2500 Luftwaffe Paratroops and probably the best German unit in Africa. 5th Foresters forward positions, comprising the Carrier Platoon and 2 pdr anti tank guns, were attacked at 1330 hrs and over-run by 1530 hrs on 2 March. The Foresters companies were dug in amongst cork forest and cactus scrub and were not mutually supporting. One by one, during the remainder of the day, the 5th Forester companies were surrounded and finally over-run. As they ran out of ammunition, scattered sub units withdrew to the west. The infiltrating German infantry were supported by light armoured vehicles from 10 Panzer Division advancing down the road that ran through the British positions. Two were knocked out by Forester 2 pdrs, two by Royal Artillery 25 pdrs and one by a Bofors AA gun. As the gunners were over-run they destroyed their guns. The Foresters Commanding Officer, Lt Col Stott, went forward to see what was happening and was soon pinned down in a trench with no communications. A dispatch rider was sent back to 139 Brigade to tell them what was happening and the reply came that the Foresters should withdraw to Sedjenane. The last elements of the battalion fought on till last light and then withdrew. The next day 2nd Coldstream Guards arrived to cover their withdrawal and reorganisation in woods 2 miles W of Sedjenane. When the roll was called it was found that the fighting on 2 March 1942 had cost 5th Foresters 346 men. It later emerged that over 300 of these had been captured, many of them wounded. 15 men from 5th Foresters were killed in action that day. One of them was John Edward Lemon, who was originally posted missing.

Tabaraka Ras Rajael War Cemetery, Tunisia, Grave Reference: 1 E 8 Nottingham Evening Post 2/9/1943: 'Private John Edward lemon, Sherwood Foresters, who was previously reported missing, is now known to have been killed.'