Following Alam El Halfa 4th CLY remained in the desert fighting through the whole campaign and it was in this phase that he was awarded an immediate Distinguished Service Order for his determined leadership at the Battle of Wadi Akarit in Tunisia.
The 4th CLY remained in North Africa to the very end but Sandy was selected by General Montgomery to be CO of the 3rd CLY who had just lost their CO at the Battle of Primosole Bridge in Sicily, so he was flown there to take command.
After Sicily the 3rd CLY invaded Italy and fought their way up the Adriatic coast in a series of hotly contested river crossings in appalling weather. It was for his leadership at the Battle of Termoli that he was awarded an immediate bar to his DSO.