First Army. Thanksgiving Service for the Victory granted to the Allies in North Africa.

The rarest of all the major Services of Thanksgiving throughout the British Army in WWII, this humble document is considerably harder to find than its Second or Eighth Army counterparts. Anderson's First Army was formed in November 1942 as the spearhead of the land forces of TORCH, the Allied landings is Algeria and Morocco. Taking its final shape as Eastern Task Force in January 1943, it eventually comprised American II Corps, British V and IX Corps, and French XIX Corps. Following the landings First Army attempted to secure the Tunisian shoreline, but time was against it and the campaign became principally one of long-distance logistics. After the success of Eighth Army at Alamein, First Army carried eastwards the main thrust of 18 Army Group's offensive that resulted in the final defeat of the Axis in North Africa in mid-1943 (a victory often compared strategically with Stalingrad). Its job done, First Army was disbanded later in the year and its units reallocated. Rare in any condition.