El Alamein - Definition and Overview

El Alamein is a town in northern Egypt on the Mediterranean Sea coast. It is located 106 km (66 miles) west of Alexandria and 240 km (150 miles) northwest of Cairo.

It is mostly a port facility for shipping oil but it played a major role in the outcome of World War II. Two extended battles were fought in that area:

• At the First Battle of El Alamein (July 1 – July 27 1942) the advance of Axis troops on Alexandria was blunted by the Allies.

• At the Second Battle of El Alamein (October 23 – November 4, 1942) Allied forces broke the Axis line and forced them in a retreat that took them all the way back to Tunisia.

There is a local war museum with collectibles from The Battle of El Alamein and other North African Battles. Visitors can also go to the Italian and German Military Cemetery on Tell el-Eisa Hill just outside the town. There is also a Commonwealth war cemetery with graves of soldiers from various countries who fought on the British side.

An Australian army base in South Australia near Port Augusta is named after the battle of El Alamein.