Mersa Matruh
During the Battle of Gazala in June Briggs narrowly avoided capture when his tactical HQ was overrun. His division took heavy casualties in the unsuccessful "Operation Aberdeen" and was forced to withdraw from Knightsbridge and El Adem to Sollum on the Egypt - Libyan border to reform. The division was at Mersa Matruh involved in the delaying action as Eighth Army withdrew to El Alamein and again was severely mauled. The division's 29th Infantry Brigade was overrun and destroyed at Fuka, east of Mersa Matruh, but the two remaining depleted brigades were able to make it back to Alamein.