 After their escape from Crete , the 28th ( Māori ) Battalion was evacuated to Egypt where they were re @-@ issued with summer uniforms and began to receive reinforcements . In June they carried out a ceremonial parade for King George VI and the Queen , and the commander of the 2nd New Zealand Division , Lieutenant General Bernard Freyberg . Throughout July , the battalion undertook desert familiarisation training and sports parades before moving to Kabrit where they concentrated with the rest of the 5th Infantry Brigade for a three @-@ week combined operations exercise . Later , in August , they moved to a position 20 miles ( 32 km ) west of El Alamein , known as the " Kaponga Box " where throughout September and into October they undertook the unfamiliar task of road construction . In October , the brigade received orders to link up with the rest of the division in preparation for their commitment to the battle along the frontier . 
