Harold Maffey was in charge of an anti-tank gun of the 7th AT Regiment in North Africa and took part in Operation Crusader, an attempt to relieve the besieged port of Tobruk. His death is reported in the Official History of thje 2nd NZ Division Artillery:
The I (infantry support) tanks went some way beyond their objectives to overcome machine-gun fire directed at the leading infantry and in so doing struck trouble from anti-tank guns. A Troop of 31 Anti-Tank Battery had been committed to support the tanks and continued to advance when they withdrew a short distance. Lieutenant Harding rode on the portée (truck mounted) A1 and got within 100 yards of a strongpoint before trying to engage it. The enemy, however, struck first. A 50-millimetre anti-tank gun hidden in the tufted desert fired three shots which could not miss and destroyed the gun, killing the No. 1, Sergeant Maffey and badly wounding the layer, Bombardier Sim. Harding and the rest of the gun crew managed to get Sim back through 500 yards of enemy fire to a place of comparative safety, covered skilfully by Bren-gun fire from Gunner Hutchins. The other three guns of A Troop meanwhile carried on the contest and knocked out the offending 50-millimetre gun and possibly another. In so doing the gun A4 was also hit and Sergeant Harper wounded. Half an hour later an I tank returned and finished off several other enemy guns in this area.
ROLL OF HONOUR
MAFFEY, Sergeant H. G. (Jack). — Killed in action, Overseas, November 25, loved elder son of Mr and Mrs. H. Maffey, Silverstream, Wellington and dearly-loved friend of Ethel. -NZ Herald, 13/12/1941.
Harold Maffey's name appears on the Alamein Memorial at the El Alamein War Cemetery, Egypt. He has no known grave.
Northern Cemetery, Dunedin.
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