The Suez Canal Zone Veterans Web Site By John Marrs & Richard Woolley

In 1951 The Egyptian Government abrogated the 1936 Anglo-Egyptian Treaty, which agreed to the British retaining a Military base in the Suez Canal Zone until mid 1956, and threatened to 'take over' the Canal.  As Britain still had about £100m worth of equipment stored in the Zone from the end of the war, and nearly 10,000 troops to oversee the protection and maintenance of the equipment, the British Government refused to accept the abrogation.  This resulted in the Egyptian Government ordering its troops and police to harass British troops in the Zone.  Very quickly this harassment escalated and many civilians plus members of the Fedayeen, were taking part.  A 'Suez Emergency' was declared by Britain and an extra 6,000 men, 170 tons of stores and 330 vehicles were air dispatched to the Zone in a matter of ten days, the swiftest build-up ever achieved by the British Army in peacetime.

At it's peak this Military Campaign involved about 80,000 Servicemen and women, made up of a large Army contingent, Royal Air Force Units, the Royal Marine Commandos and a Naval Squadron which constantly patrolled the Suez Canal. It was the largest Military Force to be engaged in any one military theatre since the end of World War Two.  Not only was the campaign fought to protect British personnel and property in the Zone but it was also the time of the 'Cold War' and a Russian threat to the Middle East oilfields, which supplied Western Europe's oil, made the protection of the Canal supreme as it was considered vital to Britain's
strategic interests, was Britain's lifeline to Australasia, the Far East and the African Colonies and was essential for trade between Europe and the Far East.

During this emergency many servicemen, (about 600), who were classed as being on 'Active Service', died due to actions of terrorists and ill health brought on by the unhygienic conditions prevalent in the Canal Zone at that time.  No medal was awarded for the Active Service in this theatre of operation where the normal tour of duty was between eighteen months and three years.

For the last five years this website has been dedicated to bringing recognition of this service to Crown and Country by the award of a General Service Medal, (something that has recently been achieved,) and also to bring to the attention of the British public the hardships and difficult conditions faced daily by these servicemen and women, these conditions included the constant threat of death at the hands of terrorists by any means, ambush, shootings, bombing, knife attacks, deliberate hit and run 'accidents', abductions, torture and mutilation for anyone unfortunate enough to be captured by these Fedayeen forces or members of the
local Police force and Auxiliary Police. Many of the incidents that took place in the Canal Zone at that time were never reported in the National newspapers.

It is to those who served in the Canal Zone during the 1951-1954 Emergency, especially those who lost their lives and are buried in the sand at the British Military Cemeteries in Egypt, that this website is dedicated.  God bless them all.

We hope you find the contents of this web site interesting, many of the articles have been written by those who have first hand knowledge of the events and actions that took place out there, the Suez Veterans themselves.

John (Jock) Marrs, Richard (Dick) Woolley, and Veterans of the Suez Canal Zone.
August 2003.