From the top of Table Mountain’, shore leave, Cape Town, South Africa, 1941 (b/w photo)

From the top of Table Mountain’, shore leave, Cape Town, South Africa, 1941. Photograph by Major Wilfred Herbert James Sale (1913-1995), MC, 3rd County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), World War Two (1939-1945), 1941. According to the Sharpshooters’ war diary, 40 officers and 603 other ranks of the 3rd County of London Yeomanry embarked on the Orion at Avonmouth on 14 August 1941. The troopship sailed for Egypt the next day. British forces travelling to Egypt avoided the Mediterranean Sea because of the threat from German and Italian forces. The Orion’s route included Freetown in Sierra Leone, Cape Town in South Africa, Aden and up to Egypt via the Suez Canal. The Orion arrived at Cape Town on 11 September 1941. Over the next two days route marches were organised with shore leave granted from 13.00 to 23.59 hours. The ship left Cape Town on the 14 September 1941. From an album containing 229 group photographs compiled by Major W H J Sale, MC, 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry (Sharpshooters), 1941.