Jammed Gear Stick
I was detailed to go at six thirty one morning to North Camp on
the outskirts of Moascar, to collect Mauritians for Escort duties,"
take the
T C V" I was told, now I hadn't driven one at all, only sat in
one for photograph's, not to let myself look silly, I jumped in as thou
I was an old hand at driving one. It had a lovely feel to it, as I made
my way to ferry point; It a kind of whine to it, and was higher in the
air, a lot different than a three tonner, and a nice bouncy feeling
on uneven ground, I made my was through Ismailia, along a dangerous
stretch known as Sten Gun alley, to North Camp Moascar, and thought,
here I am fetching escorts and they sent me on my own. I got to the
Mauritian Camp and told a sergeant I had come to collect the men for
escort duties. "They won't be long, their At breakfast, would you
like a curry" "no" I replied pointing at my stomach,
I had heard how hot they made it, in fact It was strange food to me,
"I'll sit in the lorry" I said. I noticed It had two gear
sticks and started to fiddle with them. The men came and piled in the
back, a Mauritian sergeant sat in the passenger seat and I, started
to drive off, I realised something was wrong it would only go about
twenty five miles an hour, I tried to change gear and couldn't, the
Mauritian sergeant tried I thought he was going to bend the gear stick,
It took us a good while to get back, Sten Gun Alley seemed twice as
far; we were met with a wild applause, I made a quick report and nothing
was said, the sergeant was only to pleased to get the lorries moving.
Bob Marriott 38 coy r a s c
Moascar Parade
I decided to come back through Moascar after
delivering Diesel, on approaching the Mall, I came to an abrupt halt,
when a sergeant of the Lancashire Fusiliers held his hand up, and said,
“driver You’ll have to stop, a parade is about to start,”
The Lancashire Fusiliers was each side of the Mall, spaced apart; they
looked very smart in their K-D, and cockades in their berets. Then I
heard in the distance the sound of drums, and music getting nearer,
then they came in view, first was a drum major, throwing his marching
stick high into the air, and catching it with great accuracy, then the
leopard skin covered drums, the sound was deafening, specially the bugles,
what followed amazed me, a Land Rover was being pulled by sergeants
with white ropes, and who stood up in the Land Rover, no other than
General Erskine waving his hand. I have often thought what I must have
looked like with a dirty tanker lorry stood there, in that lovely spectacle.
I was told later on I must have been a very brave man, to enter that
parade, with reputation of Kitna Price R. S. M, but I new nothing of
the R. S. M.
Ismailia Riots
There was an air of excitement around the camp; we had breakfast,
and were told to gather on the lorry park; we could here some gunfire
coming from the direction of Ismailia, we were only about a mile away,
you could see the buildings.
We where told, we where going to Timsa Leave Camp to evacuate personal;
but under no circumstance not to leave our Lorries. We were all excited
to see some action.
The convoy of about twelve Lorries made our way to Ferry Point; we nearly
got there, when the convoy stopped; a dispatch rider went and checked
what was going on, the gunfire was getting more intense, the dispatch
rider came and waved us on.
The convoy stopped again, just before you crossed the wooden bridge
to enter the camp. The driver in front of me, called Skinner jumped
out of his lorry and ran in between some trees to see what was going
on, a sergeant saw him; and he was soon back in his lorry, at this point
I saw a wounded Egyptian Officer in Land Rover with some Military Police.
We crossed the bridge which I had been over before delivering supplies.
The noise of the gunfire was deafening, we were told to lye down with
our rifles in case we were attacked, you could here bullets in the trees
above our heads, and there were some massive explosions.
We were ordered to start loading the people and their belongings, I
remember a woman passing me a wine bottle with a long neck, a driver
and I had a contest to see how far we could hold the bottle away and
drink it. When they were loaded we took them the long way round to North
Camp.
Some time later, I saw the Carocol and it was riddled with bullet holes
Tyre Shot Out
Travelling back up the Treaty Road after delivering Diesel to Tel- El-
Kebir Garrison, I was behind an Egyptian lorry; I was content at his
speed, as not to overtake him. On the other side of Sweet Water Canal,
I noticed a large crate in a small village, on the crate was stencilled,
Ruston Bucyrus Lincoln, I felt closer to home, no doubt it had been
pinched. Lincoln was only hours run from where I lived. I kept tailing
this lorry for quite away, then noticed a convoy further up the road,
getting closer I could see they where British ten tonners, they where
travelling a lot slower than us, it was along convoy. The Egyptian lorry
started overtake, and I followed, weaving in and out as other vehicles
where coming from the opposite way, in one manoeuvre the Egyptian lorry
went to get between two of them, and crunched the offside mud guard,
I noticed they where of 56 coy lorries, I was level with this lorries
cab, when an escort popped up out of the observation hole in the cab,
aimed his rifle and shot the back tyre off, and he went off the road
in a cloud of dust, it seemed funny at the time.
North Camp
I returned to the Canal Zone after fifty four years, which I said at
the time I never want to see the place again. Then I saw an advert,
asking people, who had served their national service there to apply
if interested. My thoughts was mixed with curiosity, and nostalgia,
so I decided to go, with lots of planning, the time arrived and flew
with Egyptian air from Heathrow. With information we received, I new
we would be visiting Moascar military cemetery North Camp, were a mucker
of mine of mine was buried, it was a good chance to visit is grave which
in my wildest of dreams I thought was impossible. I had got a photo
of his grave, from the previous year’s visit, which Alf Avison
who organises these trips kindly said he would get me one.
I had all the roads pictured in my head, and camps, the treaty road
was a duel carriage way, and the camps had gone.
We visited four cemeteries, Fayed , Ismailia, Tek and Moa scar in North
Camp, I found my mates grave, they had got his age wrong on the headstone,
they had put him down as nineteen years old, I believe he was twenty
three, much older than me.
Staring at that grave I remember having my last meal with him, I was
on detachment at Tek, me and another driver had called in our camp for
our wages on the way back to the garrison with two loads of diesel,
I went and sat with Norman Evans in the canteen, it was the only time
I had seen him with his shirt off, he was pigeon chested. He was happy
getting his lorry ready for its last inspection. He was due to go home
in two weeks.
In the book Brown knees White knees, its quoted he was killed by terrorist
activity, that’s not true
WATERMELONS
I was travelling back up the Treaty Road after filling up with diesel,
with my Artillery escort, and then I saw in the distance one of our
platoon tankers which must have broken down, as the driver and his escort
was waving frantically for me to stop. I stopped, and asked “what
was the matter”, “have you got a tow rope”, he enquired,
“no” I replied “the only thing I can do his to tow you
with my static chains”.
Our static chains were only about three feet long, I had a u/bolt in
my tool box and fastened one of the chains to his lorry, so you can
tell how close we where. I said “I know of a watermelon field,
we’ll stop and get a couple, but when I wave, break slowly, to
slow me down so as not to break the chains; we agreed. When getting
near the field, I saw some workers well in the field, and said to my
escort, “ we get two, and be away”, I gave the signal and
stopped, we jumped out, ran down abit of a bank and got a couple. Then
all hell broke loose we where spotted, we jumped back in the wagons,
I stalled my lorry the two loads were too much, it was to hot, it wouldn’t
start with the starter. The workers came running waving large cutting
knifes, we had to jump out with our stems, when they got near we had
to pull the bolts back, to stop them coming nearer, it was stalemate,
to cool the situation we through the melons back in the field, they
still kept shouting, the to our relief a large air force lorry came
along, we waved him down, told them the our plight, and they put a tow
rope on my wagon and towed us both away. That was another talking point
in the billet that night.
Broken Spring
Everything seemed fine, I had a full load of Diesel, I was on my
way to Tel-E l Kebir, when to my horror my accelerator peddle collapsed
under my foot, I new immediately what had happened, the lorry sped off
at breakneck speed. I reached a speed of sixty miles an hour, I was
fortunate the road was quiet of traffic. My mind was racing, what I
should do; I kept dipping the clutch in to try to reduce the speed,
only to be deafened by the engine, rusty water was coming out of the
radiator. Quassassin was about four miles away what should I do, If
I switched the engine off and stopped, what then. I must have travelled
ten miles. Then a motorcyclist came alongside, I blew my horn and waved,
he beckoned me to stop, it was a sergeant from my company on the way
to Tek, taking some documents.” I could tell you were in some difficulty”
he said.
He lifted the bonnet up, then went to the motorcycle, got something
out of his bags, jumped up on the wing, put his hand in the engine and
pulled it out sharply; he must have burnt his fingers. The engine soon
went quiet, he told me,” the accelerator return spring had broken.
Fred
Fred was a driver come store man; then back driving, when I used
to be on guard on the lorry park I used to have a bit of fun with Fred,
he was in charge of the tool shed, it was quite a large shed and he
had a small room inside with a bed in it, the room was at the side of
the shed, the shed was made of tin sheeting. Now Fred liked his Stella
beer when he could afford it. Late at night I used to rattle the tin
to put the wind up him, but he must have had second thoughts about looking
out, playing it safe. I don’t know if he used to ask who was on
guard those nights. But one night I bit more than I could chew. One
night I had to do guard duty, it must have been midnight, I was on third
stag, when I had a strong smell, and in fact it stank, I was going in
the direction of the smell and noticed Fred’s door undone, being
nosey I peeped inside, he was under the influence and cooking some meet
on primas stove, I made a silly remark about the meat which he had bought
in Ismailia, he reached for his sten gun which was at the side of him
pulled the bolt back, which was loaded and pointed it at me, “
I’ve got you this time you bastard” I asked him to be sensible,
he was deranged, I daren’t make a sudden move in case he pulled
the trigger when he looked at the meat I was out there like a scolded
cockerel.
Months later he was back on the road, in fact Fred and I went Port Said
on a month’s detachment. One Saturday he said lets have a walk
on the docks, on a gate leading onto the dock was an Egyptian policeman
with a rifle, we walked past he never said nothing, going along the
quay we saw a open barge full of cut in half sten guns, Fred said, “
keep your eye out I want one” he jumped in the barge and took a
barrel off. I said,” what do you want one for” “ to make
a gun when I go home” he used to talk a lot about shooting as a
past time in civvies street. A few months earlier I didn’t witness
it, I was told by those who was there he was with some wagons, on the
way to Port Said and a Egyptian lorry wouldn’t stop for
Some reason and fired at it, with the bullets going through a Scots
guard Lorries canopy, no one was hurt.
Egg
I was detailed to report to the veterinary core in Moascar at 7.30
one Sunday morning, on arriving the first thing I saw was a horse being
shot, I asked why, it looked healthy, and was told, it was meat for
the dogs. I was introduced to a sergeant who I recognised straightaway,
I had seen him many times as I travelled around Moa scar doing all kind
of work, and this was when I was on three tonners, prior to going on
tankers, “ have you had any breakfast” he said “ no”
I replied, but I had, I had some before I left El-Kirsh “ come
in I’ll cook you some eggs”, after we had eaten, he said,
“ I want you to fasten that trailer of manure to the back of your
lorry. I fastened it and said; “I’ll show you the way”
We set off, and went to-wards Nefiesha I didn’t know the way I
hadn’t been out here many weeks. We went to a village amongst some
Palms “stop here” I wondered if he was on the fiddle. The
men of the village came running up, and emptied the trailer, scrawny
chickens were running all over the place, kids sat on the sand with
flies covering their faces, women where peeping around mud huts holding
their veils up so not see their faces. When the trailer was emptied,
I got several hand shakes off the headman of the village, the sergeant
was given some eggs, which he put in his cap, travelling back he nursed
them on his lap as not to break them, I said, “ I don’t know
how the hell you can eat them” he said “ that’s what
you ate this morning” I could have been sick.
Military Prison
I was told to report to the Military Prison, which was in North
Camp, at Moa scar; on doing so I found it full of Egyptian Terrorist,
of all age groups, some only looked about twelve. Then I was detailed
to go to the bakery in Moascar and fetch a load of bread. When I came
back the inmates unloaded the bread; when bits of bread fell on the
ground they dived for it like chickens, only to be told off by the staff,
the staff hadpeak caps and no badges. The inmates looked a load of villains,
the staff looked even worse. I couldn’t wait to get unloaded to
get out of there, I was just about to go, then was told they had another
job for me. They brought an Egyptian with a very swollen face, and said
“I want you to go to the Dentist in Moascar,” I remember it
was on the left hand side, down a road half way down the Mall. A military
Policeman came and jumped in the back of the lorry with the prisoner,
with his revolver pointing at him. They went in the dentist, when they
came out, I noticed he had blood running down his chin; he looked more
pleased to get out of there than Military Camp,
Caracol
After breakfast we went to the lorry park and waited for the escorts
to arrive; when they turned up they where of the Artillery, from El-Ballah,
so they said. We set off, my detail for the day meant I had to go through
Ismailia. I said to my escort, “have you been through Ismailia”
he said “no” I said “I’ll take through to show you
a part we are supposed to avoid if we can.
I went past Timsah Leave camp, then you suddenly come to a bridge which
we called Suez bridge; which was manned by the Military Police; they
took my particulars, and I proceeded giving my escort a running commentary
of the points of interest. When I got level with the Carocol my engine
stopped, of all places.
The police outside of the Carocol looked agitated; the inmates sat in
the windows, legs dangling out screaming obscenities’ at us.
My escort jumped out, lifted the bonnet, took off the air filter, and
as I tried to start the engine; sucked up the petrol with the palm of
his hand, we jumped and jerked about a hundred yards before it started.
“What a relief.
Further up the road, was a herd of goats, I had to stop, I kept sounding
the horn, but they were stubborn and wouldn’t move, I was stuck;
Then up came a well dressed Arab in western clothes and a red fezz on
his head; flattened his nose on my driving door window, gave an hideous
smile, showing a mouthful of gold teeth, then put his finger across
his throat. To my relief the goats split up, and quickly got out of
it.
I arrived at the other end at the Military Police check point. “Where
have you been we where about to come and look for you”.
A Sten gun
“A sten gun can be a very accurate on single shot, as I found
out, but not by the basic training I got when I enlisted.” “In
fact in my records book, it stated, that I was proficient, with the
weapon.” “The truth is, I had never handled or fired one at
all.”
“I did fire a few rounds out of a 3.03 Lea Enfield.”
“My father had a Sten gun in the house when he was in the Home
guard, plus fifty rounds of ammunition, all it had for a front site
was a blob of weld”.
“The ones we had in Egypt, had a rifle sites on the front and back,”
“We had been in Egypt fourteen months, then suddenly, we were told,
we were going to fire the Sten gun. We were taken to a bit of spare
ground and fired a magazine at forty gallon drum.”
But I had done my target practice on the open road, many times; I got
a buzz out of knocking Navigation lights out on the canal proper, looking
back it was a stupid thing to do. “Then I would undo the water
drainage tap on the engine block, and let the hot water run through
barrel, and clean it with a pull through, before handing it back to
the armourer, making sure not to fire more than three or four rounds
out of each magazine.” Then out of the blue a notice was put up
outside of the company office, warning the culprits about damage being
done to the navigation lights on the canal, and more or less in not
to many a word what would happen if caught. So that put an end to that.
Missing Driver
When I used to go to Tel-El-Kebir with a load of Diesel to get to
the Garrison I had to cross a rail line, three Egyptians looked after
the crossing, to put a chain across to stop traffic. Many times they
would see me coming when no other vehicles were about, they would deliberately
put the chain across, one would jump on the passenger running board
to block my view in the mirror, one would jump on my side to block the
view. “Have you any petrol Jonnie”, then I would hear a clunk
and I new both my Fire Extinguishers had been nicked. This happened
on more than once, It was reported but nothing was done, I told a Major
about it, all he said “ the next time they do it, have your sten
across your knees and fire through the door and they would have had
it”, easy said than done, I would have stood no chance.
One night we where lazing on our beds when a sergeant came into the
billet. “ I want some volunteer’s” he said “ one
of the tanker drivers hasn’t reported back, we don’t know
where he is, he should have been back hours ago, its now 9 o’clock”.
About six of us volunteered, and was told to draw stens from the armoury.
We jumped onto a wagon, and drove into the night, into the unknown.
We followed the rout he should have come back, We went on the road Nefeisha,
then on to Quassassin, then on to Tek, On approaching the road which
led to the crossing, I was telling the lads what I had, had happened
to me. In the headlights we saw them come out of a shack which was lit
up with a paraffin light, and sure enough they put the chain across,
they got a lot of shouting and swearing of us to lift the chain, they
didn’t expect us to be in the back it was pitch dark, they probably
thought there where two in the cab, one was very defiant, I reckon he
was fed up of living. He tried to jump up with a knife he produced to
stab at us, the bolts went back, and one quickly moved the chain, and
we went to the Garrison and asked about the driver, no one had seen
him, things looked bad. Coming back over the crossing we had no trouble.
It was 1 o’clock in the morning when we got back to El-Kirsh. But
the good news was he had broken down and had been towed in a camp at
Quassassin we heard the next day.
Port Said
Thing what happened to me at Port Said, I suddenly felt quite ill,
and soon developed a high fever, I felt as though I got the flu, one
of the drivers heated up some lemonade hoping the lemon in it would
help me.
I lay on my bed and thought I was dying. I was taken to the medical
officer; he took my temperature and told his orderly my temperature
was
Hundred and four; I was given salt water and it made me vomit; he ordered
an ambulance, and I was taken to El-Ballad Hospital and laid on a bed;
I was given a glass of ice cold Orange drink, I had never tasted any
thing like it. I was given a mosquito net; and in the night I could
hear them buzzing, the next day my arms where covered in bites; after
a couple of days I was well enough to go back my company
I was waiting on the dock for the Landing craft to return, to take
a load of Diesel over to Port Fuad, I sat watching black clad women,
sat in two rows sorting onions out. The I noticed a lad about twelve
years old getting nearer, I kept an eye on him to see what he was up
to, “Jonnie” he said, “want to buy a ring, stolen in
Cairo before the war, real Diamond,” “how much,” “Five
hundred Piaster’s,” “Yalla,” I said, He jumped up
and scratched my windscreen with the ring, I made one move for the door,
he then ran away.
“ Do you want a game of football to make aside up,” 38
coy is playing the Scots Guards, and the Guards are short of a man,”
I don’t mind,” we went to a grass pitch, I put the kit on.
And was told I would have to play in my army boot, because they had
none to fit me.
When on detachment at Port Said we had to do guards, but not at
Tel-El-Kebab. We had a rifle, a torch, a whistle, Very pistol, the best
thing we had no proper guard mounting, so we didn’t have to bull
up.
We were invited to some free beer, at the ice house, on the dock
a tall building on the quayside, one weekend. The bar was at the top,
the beer was flowing freely, and the lads was enjoying themselves, On
the outside was a balcony with a rail around it, a few of us went on
the balcony to get some fresh air, a tall chap put his backside on it,
he was a little worse the drink, tippled over and fell forty feet into
the water just missing the dockside, one chap who was more sober jumped
in to save him, we ran down the stairs and helped them out of the water,
he was lucky not have been killed.
Going home
I had been counting the days down for weeks, to-morrow I would
be leaving this place, as I can only describe as dump; to me it was
like a prison sentence, the filth, the stench, the flies, and the heat,
the constant driving in a sweat box, with all the dangers to go with
it, not to mention the guard duties, plus the manky food. When I read
how the others spent their time in the zone dressed in civvies, doing
all kinds of sport they were on a different planet to us Royal Army
Service Corps drivers.
With the excitement, and a restless night’s sleep, I was up early
the next morning, packing my kit bag, going to the cook house for the
last time, with five other drivers we handed our bedding into the stores,
going back to the billet, shaking hands with the lads before we left.
The Lorries here, someone said, we ran out of the billet and piled into
the back, as we went through Main gate, leaving a behind a swirling
cloud of dust I felt a mixture of sadness and elation, I felt free at
last, and looking for the boat trip home.
The lorry took us to the railway siding in Moascar which I new very
well, the train came, the carriages no more than cattle trucks, on top
of some of the trucks were machine gunners behind sandbags, the train
pulled away, in five minuets we were passing our camp a short distance
away, we shouted at the guard on the main gate, he would be to far away
to hear us.
The train soon got to Port Said, this part of the town I hadn’t
seen before, yet I had been here several times on detachment, we used
to come here a month at a time, other times to Tel- El- Kebir, I have
took many loads of diesel across to Port Fuad to the air force camp,
we had to go across on a landing barge, one time the port was full of
Portuguese Man o War jelly fish, you could almost have walked on them.
We were taken to the dockside, the ship was anchored a short way out,
its name was the Lancashire, we were told to a go portable shed, my
name was called out and I was given Thirty Brand new ten shilling notes,
I had never had so much. We were ferried out to the Troopship, going
up the steps
In front of me was a massive chap he had two chaps carrying his kit,
I learned later he was the largest man in the army, he had to sleep
on deck on a big box were they kept the life belts, he was a sergeant
in the pay core. WE saw a sign Walls ice cream, after two days, one
ten shilling note was almost spent. Me and a mate of mine used to go
round the ship to pass the big man, when he was laid out on the lifebelt
box, you could stand near his feet and not see his head for his stomach,
they said his army belt was made up of three army belts, on the trip
home he ran the Housey-Housey, also guess how many miles the ship had
travelled in twenty four hours four a small money prize which we had
chipped in.
I and and a few others were detailed to report every morning to the
Hospital which was situated at the bottom of the ship, to do chores.
On the second Friday we were told there would be a ships inspection,
and fire drill, we ran the fire hoses out the full length the passageway,
it was
Connected to the hydrant, and we waited, a voice said there coming,
I looked and saw the officers coming down the stairs some in white uniforms,
some idiot said turn it on, and the order was past from man to man and
chap who had his hands on the wheel turned it on, the fool, in seconds
the corridor was awash, all of us ran up flights of stairs to make our
escape and mingle with the crowds on deck, its good job they didn’t
know who we were, I worried if they found out we might be put on a charge.
On a lighter note we were smoking on deck and saw a sign which said
don’t throw cigarettes ends over the side, “ it don’t
make sense” I said, “ with all that water” I flipped
my tab end over the side and watched it fall only to be sucked in a
air duct, I kept hoping nothing would happen.
First Lorry
We arrived at E- Kirsh To find that Camp in the desert two miles
from the nearest town which was Ismailia, to put in billets built by
Germans, with pigeons in the roof for company. We were replacement drivers
to replaced Egyptian drivers who left weeks before the troubles had
began. The Lorries had been stood on the Vehicle park and neglected
to the elements, we where days getting some fit for the road, charging
batteries, checking tyres, cleaning plugs, and all the rest of it. Finally
I got one, I couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel and get onto
the road. My very first job was to fetch a load of bread from El-Ballah
mobile bakery, a Geordie chap was told to go with me as escort, he hadn’t
been assigned to one, we where told which way to go, then it was up
to us to find it we were in strange territory. We finally found the
bakery, loaded up with this lovely smelling bread, and made our way
back along the Canal Road, Geordie kept saying let me drive, no I said,
time and again, the smell of the bread was to much, so I pulled up got
two, tore inside and ate the crust, it was lovely, it would have been
nice with some best butter, Geordie gave me a fag so I let him drive,
you could only see about a quarter a mile up the road, the road was
quivering with the heat, it was very odd, then suddenly a great dark
shape began to form, it was huge, the nearer we got the smaller it got,
until we could see it was a camel with a great load of grass on its
back, and a Egyptian on top of the load tapping the camel to keep it
going, then Geordie started to laugh, and said, “watch this”
and drifted to-wards the camel, I shouted “no” he hit the
straw with such a clout, I looked back, the camel was still on his feet
with chap on top waving his stick, you could hardly see out of the window
for grass. Up the road I said “stop you Idiot let see what you’ve
done to the wagon. On inspection the side light was missing, I got back
into the driving, and told him off, It would be me who would have to
say how it got damaged.
Ex-PRISONER
I awakened itching in the early hours of the morning, it was a hot
night, I was covered with just a thin sheet. The light was suddenly
switched on, the chap who switched it on, was a stranger who had moved
in that day, I new nothing about him at all. He said “we have a
plague of bugs”, the beds where covered, and on the faces, and
arms, of those asleep, we were killing some with our finger nails, they
were full of blood, one or two others awakened, when they heard us talking,
there were literally millions, you thought someone had sprinkled loose
tea all over the place.
I started to ask him things, like, our long he had been out there, where
had come from, he told me he had just come out of prison, for selling
tyres to the Egyptians, he went on to had, about Pierpoint the Hangman
came and hung two soldiers while he was there. One of the convicted,
who made light of the sentence, was singing the night before, a pop
song was on the go then, with the words in it,( Ill swing along with
you), the other soldier was crying. The men’s names are well documented,
for killing an Egyptian in Cairo. We had never had seen bugs till this
night, the next day all of the blankets was taken outside sprinkled
with D.D.T, the billet sealed up and fumigated. I blamed the pigeons
which lived in the roof cavity; we had holes in the ceiling, and sometimes
thy got into the living
Quarters.
El-kirsh
Our camp was just north of Ismailia. It was a large camp; it catered
for the R.E.M.E, Military Police Dog Section, the Mauritians Pioneer
Corps, Rhodesian Rifles, and three transports companies. It covered
a large area; most of it taken up by the biggest reserved depot in the
Middle East; there where about twenty massive sheds like aircraft hangers;
spread out into the desert; inside was every thing you could think of,
one shed alone catered for the NAFFI supplies. The Mauritian’s
labourers I had to take most mornings to these sheds to do all the labouring,
and fetch them back at night; the Egyptian labourers had withheld their
labour, these sheds was spread out of a large area of desert.
WE drivers had to take it in turns to be duty driver at night, we had
to take the war dogs and their handlers to these sheds, and they would
in be let loose in the compounds till the next morning, the dogs where
Alsatians and Labradors they were that nasty when I collected them;
I daren’t get out of the cab, the handlers would chain them to
the super structure, as duty drivers we had to take the Orderly Officer
round to check up on the guards at night.
After months we started to get the local labour back, and then Blue
Caps took on the role of security, searching the Arabs as the left work;
I have seen some caught with tins hidden in their clothing, there would
be an Arab with Effendi written on his galabiere; stood with the blue
caps. They were given immediate punishment with a bull whip, screaming,
doubled up on the sand.
We had no swimming pool like some of the camps. We had a rest room,
with a snooker table, but we could not play on it; as the cloth had
a great big rip down the centre.
Duel in the sun
The Guard was dismounted; I rushed to the cook house for breakfast,
knowing full well the rest of the tanker platoon would be leaving the
vehicle park, to go to Feneisha petrol station, to collect their indents,
prior to loading up with diesel at Fanara. I rushed my breakfast; and
went to the billet to change in my overalls, and then dashed to the
vehicle park, all the Lorries had left. I jumped in the lorry, signed
out at the gate, soon as I got out of the back gate, I put my foot down
to try an catch up; I could see for miles but no sign of any of them;
they all have the same idea to get to Nefeisha to get the best deliveries;
such as Moa scar, El-Ballah, and any of the numerous of filtration plants
north of Fayed; not many liked the long trips to Tel-El-Kebir, to dangerous
on your own. I got to Nefeisha; the diesel tankers had got their indents
and left, except the few petrol tankers which filled up at the depot.
I went to the window to the corporal, just what I thought, “Load
for Tek,” I went like the clappers, foot to the floor boards. I
headed down the treaty road to-wards Fayed; in front of me was a large
Egyptian lorry going fairly slow, I kept trying to pass, but sand on
the road stopped me, this went on for miles; then I saw the sand flatten
out, hit looked fairly solid; then I made my move and passed him; in
my temper; I deliberately pulled in sharp and caught his mudguard. I
checked my mirror, I started to leave him well behind; when I looked
again he was up my backend; then the fun and games started, he kept
trying to past one side, then the other. This must have gone on for
eight miles; I was doing sixty miles an hour; if he had got past he
would have rolled me over. Then to my relief I could see Fayed airfield
in the distance; then he started to drop back. That was another talking
point in the billet that night.
Kidnapped
It had been a boring uneventful long two hours on guard, and was
pleased to be relieved, and get back into the guard room to get my head
down. I had just got in the guard room and had handed in my weapon when
I heard running steps, in burst an officer who I had seen around the
camp but did not know his name, “ give him a sten sergeant”,
“ and you guard, come with me, quick, I snatched the sten off the
sergeant an ran after the officer, and jumped in the staff car which
parked outside. As I got in I noticed a lady in the back seat who was
crying, we flew through the main gate and had no idea what was happening,
or where we where going, not a word was spoken, only the muffled sobs
of the lady in the back seat. We headed for Ismailia, this was 2oclock
in the morning, going through Ferry Point to-wards Timsa Leave camp
it was like a forest, the car headlights made eerie shadows in the trees;
it kept going through my mind we could be ambushed, what could I do.
Finally we pulled up in some square, it was almost pitch black but for
the stars. The officer got out and went into a Military Police Station;
I stood outside with my sten, and asked the lady what she crying about?
She told me she had been shopping in Ismailia and left her little boy
in her car, while she went in a shop, when she came out the car had
gone
also the boy. Then all at once loud hailing started it echoed all around
the square the locals were being called to prayer, people were crossing
the square with candles in jam jars, it was a most eerie place to be,
a few weeks ago I was in blighty, now this. Finally the officer came
out, jumped in and flew back to camp, and dropped me off at the guardroom,
wasn’t I pleased to get back. I heard the next day the Special
Investigation branch had found the lad wandering round one of the streets
but no sign of the car
Barbwire
I was detailed to report to the Rhodesian rifles, their camp was
at the rear of our camp. I took my wagon; a corporal, and another driver
as escort. When I arrived I saw a group at the side of the road poking
a stick into some rolls of wire, laughing wildly; I went to investigate,
it was a locust, I went boo they ran away laughing hysterically. We
were told to go to Tel-El-Kebir to pick up a load of wire; three African
labourers came as well. We arrived at Tek and loaded up with barbwire;
coming back I realised we had loaded most of the weight at the front,
When I got to Suez bridge I couldn’t turn the steering wheel to
get over the bridge; the corporal who was in the passenger seat, who
was a rather overweight, got hold of the wheel and we both turned together,
I thought we would break the steering column. I finally arrived at the
Rhodesian camp and unloaded. Then we got an unexpected invitation to
go into the officers mess for a meal, by a white officer; we where in
abit of a shock, there was along table with white linen, the table was
filled with oranges and bananas, and all sorts of food; each one of
us had a servant all in white who stood behind us, and gave us what
we asked, even the officers served us; these officers where proper gentlemen.
Cheese and Paraffin
Six drivers and a Corporal where put on guard duty, but not at our
camp, we where told we would be going a beach along by Gabel Maryham.
We went to the cook house and collected a large container of tea, and
cheese sandwiches.
We got to the beach, there was nothing there only a large tent, and
two jetties. I was told it was no-bodies particular beach to guard,
but different camps took their turn, it was a pleasure beach, but there
next to it was an Ordinance Depot, Driver Henderson and I were on last
stag, Ten till Twelve.
We had tea and sanwiches, then got our heads, we were suddenly shaken,
it was our turn to patrol the beach, what a creepy place, it was rather
dark, we walked the beach, went along the jetties peering underneath
to make sure no one had swam underneath. Very lights of the depot were
shot up into the air, and shots fired, a very long two hours. We exchanged
guards, went and got our heads down.
It seamed only minuets, we were awakened again, for the last stag, and
I saw Henderson standing near the table, which was lit up with a paraffin
lamp, with the remaining cheese sandwiches, he said, “let’s
take these with us, they will only waste,” We started to nibble
at them, I said “they taste abit queer”, I thought hit was
the cheese going off. I suddenly realised it was paraffin, we started
belching, Henderson was sick several times he had eaten more than me,
someone must have filled the lamp up and spilled some on the sandwiches,
that two hours seemed a lot longer than the first one.
Jammed Gear Stick
I was detailed to go at six thirty one morning to North Camp on
the outskirts of Moascar, to collect Mauritians for Escort duties,”
take the
T C V” I was told, now I hadn’t driven one at all, only sat
in one for photograph’s, not to let myself look silly, I jumped
in as thou I was an old hand at driving one. It had a lovely feel to
it, as I made my way to ferry point; It a kind of whine to it, and was
higher in the air, a lot different than a three tonner, and a nice bouncy
feeling on uneven ground, I made my was through Ismailia, Moa scar,
and thought, here I am fetching escorts and they sent me on my own.
I got to the Mauritian Camp and told a sergeant I had come to collect
the men for escort duties. “They won’t be long, their At breakfast,
would you like a curry” “no” I replied pointing at my
stomach, I had heard how hot they made it, in fact It was strange food
to me, “I’ll sit in the lorry” I said. I noticed It had
two gear sticks and started to fiddle with them. The men came and piled
in the back, a Mauritian sergeant sat in the passenger seat and I, started
to drive off, I realised something was wrong it would only go about
twenty five miles an hour, I tried to change gear and couldn’t,
the Mauritian sergeant tried I thought he was going to bend the gear
stick, It took us a good while to get back, we were met with a wild
applause, I made a quick report and nothing was said, the sergeant was
only to pleased to get the lorries moving.
Lorry Park
The sand started to build up on the lorry park, I was told to go
and pick up some South African labourers, who had a camp of their own,
but was attached to our main camp; I collected them and brought them
back, each one had a shovel. I explained in sign language what to do,
yes, “bwana,”
I dropped the tail gate, and they started to shovel it on, but they
worked very slow, so I stopped them, each one must have been six- foot-
six; I grabbed a shovel, and went through a routine of how to fill the
shovel, one two, three up, one two, three up, they stood to attention,
“yes sir, Bwana.” After a while I started to speed up, sand
was flying all over the place, they were soaked in sweat, the springs
on the lorry started to creek, when I thought the lorry wouldn’t
take anymore, I stopped them. We went out of the camp and the unloaded
the sand in the desert, this we did several times.
Two of us tanker drivers, were told to go to Ferry Point to fill our
tankers up with water, then empty the water on the lorry park to settle
the dust. There were a lot of frogs, young frogs, hopping about; we
put dozen’s in the tanks. When we went to the lorry park, we undid
the off loading cocks, and then drove round in circles to settle the
dust, with frogs was all over the lorry park.
Road Block
I was making my way back to camp after another long day on the road,
and decided to come back through Ismailia, a shorter route but more
interesting instead of the featureless Treaty Road, along Sten gun alley,
past Timsah Leave Camp at Ferry Point, where a few weeks previous I
took part in the evacuation of personal, when the Egyptian police rioted.
In the distance I could see what appeared like a road block, which it
was, with forty gallon drums staggered, so you had to slow right down,
these were painted white which was the normal thing. As I approached
I saw three lorries coming from the opposite direction, an officer waved
me to go through, but at the same time the three had the same Idea,
to my horror they were full of heavily armed Egyptian Troops, the front
lorry had a machine gun resting on top of its cab, the soldier had it
pointing straight at my face, it was similar to a bren on three legs,
I put up my split windscreen and pointed my sten gun at his face, the
officer kept waving his arms for them to reverse back, It was stalemate,
nobody wanted to lose face, In a way the Egyptians were in a no win
situation because the infantry were well dug in. Finally after a very
long five minutes they reversed back, to everybody’s relief.
Vampire
Two of us driver where detailed to go to Fayed Airfield, to collect
vegetables off an Aircraft. We arrived and reported at the guard room,
and where told to go to the end of the runway where we would find a
plane parked on the runway. We made are way down at the side of the
runway, the track was rather rough going, I was bouncing in my seat,
we went on the runway and was told to back up to the door. While we
loaded,” I said what sort of plane is this” an air force chap
said, “It’s a Valletta”
“Where’s the Veg from” I asked, “It’s from
Cypress” I was told. Both Lorries were loaded up, and we drove
away. The side of the runway was that rough I thought we would break
the springs, I beckoned the driver behind me to go on the runway it
was a lot smoother. Going down the runway I could see two dark shapes
in the distance, getting bigger by the second, then suddenly realised
they were aircraft, we both shot off the runway, just in time to see
two Vampires taking off side by side, one of the pilots could be seen
shaking his fist at us. I thought have we been seen from the control
and raced to get out of the main gate. I was well in front of the other
lorry, and was waved through by the guards on the gate. I checked my
mirror, and saw no sign of the other driver, and waited up the road
for him. When he finally arrived, he said he had got a right old bollocking
off the guards on the gate, someone must have Telephoned them.
It was rather late getting, and decided not to risk going back on the
Treaty Road, We didn’t want to risk it. We pulled in a camp and
asked to stop the night. We got something to eat, but nowhere to sleep,
I said, “we can sleep on the Veg”, there was a just room to
squeeze in between canopy and the nets of vegetables. In the night when
we shifted to get comfortable they made a noise, and we felt very damp.
In the morning as it was getting light, I looked across at the other
driver, he wasn’t there, I felt for my sten gun, It had gone, I
panicked, what had gone wrong. I looked out of the back, and saw the
other driver, he laughed and said,” that put the wind up you.
These stories have been sent in by
Bob Marriott 38 coy R A S C
This was sent in by Bob on the
2nd July 2011
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Return to the Canal Zone
2010
I returned to the Canal Zone once again, for the simple reason
the hotel this time would be in Ismailia, and not Fayed.
The last group I went with had called there on the previous visit;
the Hotel is named Le Mercure, the hotel beach is on the side
of Timsah Lake - The blue Lagoon, as we new it all those years
ago.
My hotel window looked down where once stood Timsah leave camp,
all the trees had gone, I used to sit on the balcony early morning,
and watch the odd Egyptian lorry, or car, going down the road,
in my imagination I wanted to see army vehicles. I was reliving
the past again. In my thoughts, I imagined the gun fire again,
when the police started to riot. That morning our convoy left
El-Kirsh at seven in the morning to evacuate army personnel, and
families, from the leave camp, a mile up the road was our camp;
it's not there any more it's been built on, to my disappointment;
as I wanted to see it again.
A group of us walked round Ismailia, we past what used to be the
Caracol, its more of a Modern building to-day, its still a police
station, we went through French Square, where I had a photo taken
all those years ago, near some low railings, the railings are
still there, I was amazed as you would expect. We passed the YMCA
Bridge; we walked passed the Bureau Sanitaire, where the Lancashire
Fusiliers Routed the well dug in Egyptian Police, with loss of
life on both sides. The Blue Kettle is still there, it is now
a bank.
One of our excursions took us over to the Sinai desert via the
new bridge, built by the Japanese, it's called Peace Bridge. We
also went to the Israeli forward command post; at Tabet el Shagara
it was there from the 1974 war, it is now a museum, with all types
weaponry, and some captured Israeli tanks.
Another day we had a trip to Port Said, and had a look at the
airfield where the paras landed in 1956. We had a packed lunch
which we ate at the base of De lesseps statue; then went across
the Ferry to Port Fouad, I have took many loads of diesel to the
air force camp when I used to go on detachment.
One of the highlights of the trip; was to travel down the old
road to Tel-el-Kebir, it's the only road that is recognisable,
a road that brought back many memories, the rest of the roads
have been made into duel carriageways.
Bob Marriott 38 coy rasc
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