OCT 16th 1951.
07.00 HRS.   Mob collects.   Natives demonstrate after reports that the Government of Egypt had passed a bill submitted by Nahas Pasha stating abrogation of the 1936 Treaty between Britain and Egypt.   The demonstration consisted of slapping the British wives waiting at the NAAFI just before it was to be opened followed by burning
down the NAAFI and looting.   Continued by smashing shop windows in Rue Farouk Street (Old Negrelli St) irrespective of owners being either Egyptians, Greeks, French
or otherwise,   In Arishia, flats (British families) were broken in to, furniture and belongings were removed to the street and burned, a few British wives assaulted (not sexually), cars (British owners) overturned and set on fire.
09.15 HRS:-  The British Army take action ( soldiers of the 71st Heavy AA Regt RA from Fayid) due to the incompetence of the Egyptian Police.   It is timely reported that
in some cases of the looting (NAAFI for instance) the police themselves were part and partial of the looters, police that were supposed to be guarding the NAAFI.   To prevent further looting it was necessary to fire on the natives to bring order.   In no length of time the British Army had things under control, a number of Egyptians were killed and some wounded were reported.   As for the exact numbers, conflicting rumours necessitates my reason for not writing down specific numbers.   It should be noted that one Egyptian report stated that the British burned and looted their own NAAFI (which was of course untrue).  Also another Egyptian report stated that the Egyptians were showing their joy and elated spirits on hearing that the above mentioned bill had been passed and that the British fired on them so, the British retaliated
by burning the NAAFI. Also untrue.  Sent kids off to catch the school transport - they came back to say there was no school.   Shortly I heard the noise of shouting from
rioters.  They came up past where the kids had been waiting for the transport. Started packing but very nervous, wandered around flat, I tried to sew, impossible.  Glad
when I saw Jimmy (thats what I called Ron at the time) come home about four o'clock.

NOV 2nd 1951:- Announced, if refused service from shops in Ismailia to fetch first S.P. or M.P.

NOV 5th 1951:- Today reported in B.E.F. news last night (Sunday Nov 4th) a British soldier was attacked by a crowd of Egyptians, he fired and shot one dead, the others got away.   Troops have to be careful of their rifles being taken from them.   A curfew is put on us to be in by six.   The landlord blocked up the window leading into the street. Jimmy came with me to the NAAFI for bread, it was packed.

NOV 6th 1951:- W.O soldier from the flat next door was attacked while he was meeting his two children from the French school.   One of the attackers was his once servant's boy friend who knew just when and where he would be at the school.   Luckily he was able to save his rifle but lost the ammunition.  Same morning, there was
a large crowd of blokes went past the flat shouting out.

NOV 7th 1951:-  Went to the NAAFI in the morning- very busy.   When I went along Negrelli, there were no British to be seen.   I felt a bit panicky.   Soldier next door was attacked to get his gun.   He managed to keep it but lost his ammunition.   One of the attackers was his servant (who had gone), it was her boyfriend.

NOV 8th 1951:- Went to the NAAFI with Mrs Corton.   Stopped S.P. jeep to ask if it was alright to go.   NAAFI packed.   On way back walked through shopping centre.   Most of the shops were closed.  Everything was very quiet.

NOV 9th 1951;-  Had a walk down to the shopping centre.   Managed to buy some nylons and motors for the kids. Also bought some nightdresses for Brenda.   An Egyptian with a .22 (gun) held up an RAF Cpl and demanded his rifle.  The Cpl fired in the air.  The Egyptian ran when he saw British troops arriving and police (Egyptian), police were trying to hold the Cpl so that the Egyptian could get away, anyway some Army bods followed the native into a flat and scared him out.   He was shot but
only wounded.

NOV 10th 1951:- Went to the NAAFI today at 7.30 am.   Arrived back around noon.   The crowd at the NAAFI was terrific.   Queued for meat, bread, etc.   No beer on sale.   Airlift for families going back started today.   Went around shops in the afternoon with Mrs Corton, we were back later than Jimmy had told me to be and he was anxious. He told me we had been allotted a M. (Married) Quarter in Abyad.   Ever so pleased.   Later on heard of shooting in the street, thought it was just a bit of sniping but it got worse.   The Egyptian Police shooting at our men.   One Major killed.   We put the lights out and hoped for the best.

NOV 11th 1951;- Stayed in flat all day.   News gave out, Saturday three soldiers had wandered into Arab Quarters. They had been attacked, one was found lying bleeding.   They had their boots taken off and their feet jumped on. At Fanara the projector of the cinema had been stolen and notices left in the cinema warning
Egyptians who went on working for the British, also advising British families to get out.   Numerous road incidents happening. About 1600 hrs shooting started again; to
me it was horrific and put me in a very nervous state.   The children were very good.   Brenda went to sleep in my arms.   Jimmy and David sat in the corner.   The bullets
were whipping against the wall.   When our armour came in the street and started shooting, the natives ran up past the flat to Arab town.   They sounded queer running
with some being bare-footed.  One soldier, four officers, as well as quite a few Egyptians were killed.  Sniping went on most of the night when the main shooting had been
got under control.

NOV 12th 1951:- Went to NAAFI. Managed to get meat and some beer.   Landlady got us some potatoes.   Jimmy came in around 1800 hrs.   He repaired the doors, or should I say he reinforced them just to be on the safe side.

NOV 13th 1951:- Today is the day demonstrations are expected.   Some husbands allowed to stay in their flats. Given extra rounds of ammunition in case of trouble.   I fastened up the doors and started a day of hibernating. Jimmy will be back at 1400 hrs.   Marina House NAAFI girls hostel went on fire through the cooker, the natives all thought that there was another chance to loot and came up in crowds.   Luckily the police and soldiers had everything under control.

NOV 14th 1951:- Still keeping to flat, passing not too bad.

NOV 15th 1951:- Things are quiet except for minor incidents.   Families flying home.   Arishia being cleared first.  My food stocks getting low, hope to get to NAAFI soon.   Landlady getting me potatoes.

NOV 16th 1951:- Went to NAAFI with Mrs Corton in afternoon.  The crowds were terrible in the NAAFI queuing up for meat and veg.

NOV 18th 1951:- Jimmy went into work.   I was nervous for him going along to catch the transport.   We stopped in all day.   Jimmy came back at five and told us we were moving next day.   We rushed to get on with the packing – kids excited.

NOV 19th 1951:- We waited all day for transport coming for us.   Though dangerous, Jimmy had been down to French Square five times, he saw the officer in charge and
he promised to send the transport for us at 1600 hrs which he did.  From there we went to Ismailia RAF Station.   Jimmy acted as an armed guard on the truck.   From Ish we had transport to Abyad, and so ended our stay at 96 Rue Farouk.   The new quarter is just lovely; we are all ever so pleased. The kids at the moment are sand happy.

NOV 20th 1951:- Getting settled in, unpacking.   Evacuation of families is still going on.

NOV 21st 1951:- Two soldiers reported killed coming from Port Said.   Another soldier has been found dead in the Sweet Water Canal, he had been badly beaten up before being thrown in.

RAF Sgt Smith, Mrs Smith and their family stayed in the Canal Zone and were not evacuated home.  From her accounts of what happened during those turbulent days
she is one of those very brave ladies who suffered the distress during  that period.   God bless her.  

The following is an account by her son David of his recollections as a child when stationed with his parents in the Suez Canal Zone.


In those days the airports were nowhere as large or as busy as today.   At Rome my brother and I set out in the dark from the terminal building, walking across the airfield to have a look at the runway lights.   Luckily we were spotted and an Italian vehicle intercepted us and took us back to our mother and little sister.  After many more hours
of flying we landed at Cairo and boarded a bus for Ismailia.   I was sitting over the rear wheel when the bus tyre punctured with a loud bang, which really frightened me at
the time.   Finally we arrived at our destination and we were met by a bunch of suntanned servicemen, one of whom was my father, whom I did not recognise straight away
because of his new brown moustache.

We started our new life in April 1951, staying at a flat in "Lemonila House", Ismailia.   My young sister nearly started a riot when she threw a bread knife off the balcony
from three floors up.   Whilst there, our Egyptian cleaner let her boyfriend into the flat and he stole some personal items.   Every day, my brother Jimmy and I had to walk
to a pick-up point, and from there we were ferried to school in a single deck bus with a lorry escort in front containing armed soldiers.   One morning we were ambushed
on the way to the bus stop by a group of Egyptian boys throwing stones and rocks at us.  Somehow we managed to escape un-injured and doubled back to our flat, where our Egyptian caretaker named Mohamed chased off the attackers and escorted us to the bus stop.   Later on in May, we moved into a basement flat at 96 Rue Farouk Street, on the Egyptian part of town, where we were living when all the trouble broke out in Suez.   Our flat was isolated from Arashiya where most of the British Forces
lived.  I remember driving my Dinky-toy cars around the outside garden of the flat.   Unfortunately I left some too close to the iron railing and they were stolen rather quickly by local Egyptian children.   Huge Cockroaches often frequented our flat.  My sister Brenda was often heard screaming when she saw them.    Our landlord, who also was the Italian Consulate, came and cemented up some holes to prevent the insects getting in to the flat.   Sometimes late at night, my father switched on the lights to see how many cockroaches there were.   If there were a lot, the next day he would set off a DDT spray bomb while we all vacated the flat for a couple of hours.

The main trouble started on October 1951.   One day the trouble in Ish really flared up and whilst we slept in our beds that night, some Egyptians went into the Convent opposite us and murdered a nun.   The Landlord once again came and bricked up the basement window to the street, to prevent Arabs from chucking a bomb through it.   As the trouble got worse later in November 1951, all the airmen were sent home from work with whatever items they could use to secure their homes.  My father arrived home with some iron bars and secured them to the inside of the door.   We sat against the wall in the corner all night whilst my father sat facing the door with his Sten
gun on his knee and the table in front of him.   We remember him saying, "the first bastard through that door gets it."   All night long we heard the noises of Arabs running
up and down the street rioting, burning, and looting.   Every now and then a tank would rumble down the street firing its gun over the heads of the rioters, and cause our basement flat to shake and rattle.   Finally the next day, the transport turned up to collect us and took us and most of our belongings to the RAF station Abyad where we moved into one of the empty quarters. From then on life was a bit better, protected by a barbed wire fence and armed guards.  We only attended school in the mornings
as it was too hot in the afternoons.

David, on the right, with his brother Jimmy outside Abyad School.

David, Brenda and Jimmy outside the Sergeants Club, Fayid.

We often used to go on the bus to town to shop or to the Bitter lakes to swim.   The women would always have to sit facing away from the Sweet Water Canal as the Egyptian men bathing at the water-side, had the habit of flashing their private parts or baring their bottoms at the bus.   We, as young lads looked and found this amusing.  My brother and I remember looking into the Sweet Water Canal and seeing all the floating rubbish there, especially the odd bloated carcass of a dog or a donkey, with thousands of flies crawling on them.   We were always told that if we fell in the Sweet Water Canal we would need as many as 15 inoculations to preserve our health.
At the Bitter Lakes the beach was split into "Officers Club", "Warrant Officers and SNCO's", and then "Other Ranks".   Our Beach, the middle one, was nick-named the
"WO's and JO's Club".   My brother and I used to swim around the dividing fence to recover pop bottles from the Officers Beach and claim money back on them.
I remember playing around in an old aircraft drop-tank, which we used as a boat and paddled out towards the ships that were moored close to the shore.   There was also
some sort of platform out from the shore which you could swim to and climb on.   We used to listen every week to the forces radio transmission from England.  Records
were played every week for the children and service personnel out there in the Suez Canal Zone, especially if it were your birthday.