George Frame

A ‘Desert Rat’ Story George Frame

Tripoli, Tobruk, Alam al Halfa and Al Alamein are burned into military history with blood.

The moment Benito Mussolini sent his 10th Army into Egypt in September 1940, the course of world history changed forever. Thousands would die in some of the most brutal battles of World War II as two renowned military commanders, Generalleutnant Erwin Rommel and Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery, played a deadly game of chess in an unforgiving, barren desert landscape.

That moment also altered the course of destiny for George Frame. At the age of twenty four, he volunteered to join the Southern Rhodesia Regiment to serve the Empire in its fight against Nazi Germany. When the regiment left Salisbury train station they draped a sign from a carriage saying 'Get going Hitler, here we come. The Rhodesians are on their way.'

Complemented with a collection of previously unpublished photographs this is his story of a Desert Rat. A story of his personal experiences in the 8th Army to survive so that he could return and marry his sweetheart whom he met weeks before embarking from Durban by ship to Egypt.

"Chaos fused with fear often occurred when the bullets started flying in a battle. Generally it occurred sporadically, often weeks apart. Then occasionally it was daily. But whenever it happened it was frightening and one did whatever was necessary to stay alive."