Moascar

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

	A	B	C	D
1	"C" Coy at trooping the colour	Cody bulling for guard duty		Soccer match between L.Fs and ? played at the Moascar stadium
2	Fus H (Jim) Eastham	Cody outside MT Office	Fus H (Jim) Eastham (not yet L/Cpl.)	Cody and all that sand