ya ▁near ▁Tob ru k ▁when ▁they ▁lost ▁around ▁ 5 0 0 ▁officers ▁and ▁men ▁captured ▁or ▁killed ▁during ▁a ▁general ▁retre at . ▁The ▁batt alion ▁found ▁itself ▁cut ▁off ▁when ▁the ▁German ▁forces ▁out fl ank ed ▁them , ▁the ▁Command ing ▁Officer , ▁L t . ▁Col . ▁F . R . G . ▁Matt he ws , ▁decided ▁to ▁attempt ▁to ▁escape ▁around ▁the ▁enemy ▁and ▁break ▁through ▁to ▁British ▁lines . ▁It ▁turned ▁into ▁a ▁dis aster ▁with ▁only ▁four ▁officers ▁and ▁around ▁one ▁hundred ▁men ▁reaching ▁S oll um . ▁To ▁the ▁surprise ▁of ▁the ▁surv iv ors ▁the ▁batt alion ▁was ▁ordered ▁to ▁dis band ▁in ▁Cy pr us ▁and ▁the ▁rem n ants ▁of ▁the ▁batt alion ▁were ▁transferred , ▁with ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁a ▁small ▁cadre ▁that ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Battalion ▁of ▁the ▁King ' s ▁O wn ▁Royal ▁Regiment ▁( L anc aster ). ▁A ▁few ▁months ▁later ▁the ▁batt alion ▁was ▁re - formed ▁from ▁the ▁cadre ▁and ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁Battalion , ▁Mon mouth shire ▁Regiment . ▁▁ 2 nd ▁Battalion ▁ ▁Upon ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁Battalion ▁was ▁serving ▁in ▁Der ry , ▁Northern ▁Ireland , ▁under ▁command ▁of ▁Northern ▁Ireland ▁District , ▁having ▁been ▁there ▁since ▁December ▁ 1 9 3 6 . ▁In ▁December ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁the ▁batt alion