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The Duchess of Cornwall marks the 65th anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein

24th October 2007

The Duchess of Cornwall today marked the 65th anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein by meeting Desert Rats in Thetford Forest, Norfolk.

Her Royal Highness, who is Patron of the Desert Rats 7th Armoured Division Thetford Forest Memorial Association, arrived at the memorial in the forest in a car that belonged to Field Marshal Montgomery - the army officer who led Allied forces to victory at the Battle of El Alamein in Egypt.

The Duchess’s father Major Bruce Shand, who passed away in June 2006, served in the Battle of El Alamein.

Major Shand joined the Army as a Second Lieutenant in the 12th Royal Lancers and within a short time of the outbreak of war in 1939, had earned two Military Crosses - Military Cross and Bar.

He was shot and captured immediately after El Alamein, which was the battle that changed the course of the war in North Africa.

In March 2006 Her Royal Highness laid a wreath on her father’s behalf at the graves of two of his fallen comrades at the El Alamein war cemetery during an overseas tour to Egypt.

Today Her Royal Highness laid a wreath of poppies at the tank memorial and bowed her head in memory of the fallen soldiers of the battle, before meeting many of the veterans.

Robert Curson, 88, a staff sergeant in the battle, said The Duchess told him about her father.

Mr Curson, from Mattishall, Norfolk, said: "She told how he had been captured and shot but that he came out of it OK.”

Another veteran Len Burritt, 89, from Bracknell, Berkshire, chatted to The Duchess.

The former sergeant major said: "I met her father and I told her that. She was very interested and said she was very pleased to see us all. It's nice that she came."

Her Royal Highness also inspected a display of army vehicles, stopping to pat a Sherman tank as she passed.

The Duchess then joined a gathering of around 100 veterans and their families over cups of tea in a tent.

Later, Her Royal Highness viewed exhibits of the conflict in a nearby museum.

Click here to read about Their Royal Highnesses visit to El Alamein in Egypt.

Click here to read more about The Duchess’s role with the Armed Services.