26 September 1941
During World War II, the Western Desert Force was upgraded with the addition of two complete corps: the XIII and XXX. General Sir Alan Cunningham was given overall command of the newly created Eighth Army. Troops included South African, Australian, New Zealand, Indian, Free French, and Polish soldiers. World War II started in the early hours of 1 September 1939 when Germany attacked Poland.
References

Body-Evans A. ‘This Day in African History: 26 September’, from About African History Guide, [online], available at https://africanhistory.about.com(Accessed: 30 August 2012)|

Anne Frank Guide,‘The Begining of the Second World War’, [online], available at www.annefrankguide.net(Accessed: 30 August 2012)