6 - Operation Exporter

Summary

Berryman's transfer to the 7th Division heralded both a coveted promotion and a sea change in climate and atmosphere. Not only was he departing the Western Desert for the familiar training grounds of Palestine but also he was moving to a formation that was socially and politically very different. For Berryman, headquarters 7th Division was a more harmonious and cooperative environment than the 6th had been. The higher proportion of Staff Corps officers in the 7th meant that Berryman was able to socialise with junior and senior officers with whom he had already established agreeable long-term relationships. The most important of these was with the 7th Division's commander, Major-General Lavarack.

In the 7th Division Berryman did not feel compelled to play the role of the ‘hard man’ or take the ‘new broom’ approach as he had in the 6th Division. As Commander Royal Artillery (CRA) he was a brigadier, he had his own headquarters staff, and his rank and significance placed him in a position equal, if not senior, to the infantry brigadiers. Berryman's status was immeasurably enhanced by the fact that when he arrived at the division he was the only senior officer who had seen active service in the 2nd AIF. He was also responsible for the 2/4th, 2/5th and 2/6th Field Regiments along with the 2/2nd Anti-Tank Regiment and a small headquarters staff; the Brigade Major Royal Artillery (BMRA) was his principal staff officer.