Air OP Spotters  - The Unsung Heroes

This story was forwarded to us by SCZ Veteran and Ex RSM Charles Golder, MBE. , giving a detailed account of the part played by the crew of an Auster Air Operations Spotter plane during the battle against the police irregulars at the Police Headquarters in Ismailia.  Had this aircraft and crew not been used the casualties sustained by the Lancashire Fusiliers during that clash would have been much higher.  Phil May relates the story of this incident which is recorded in the Wireless logs of the 1st Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers 25th of January 1952.  Lt. May (now retired and living in the UK) tells his story.

The following notes are the result of a request from Charles Golder for me to write down some of my recollections in the Suez Canal Zone in 1952.  At the time I was serving as a Flying Officer with 62 Rifle Squadron RAF Regiment.   The Regiment was stationed RAF El Hamra.  Our duties were mainly concerned with the security of vulnerable points, which included a flight detachment providing a permanent guard for the C in C Middle East Air Force  (Air Vice Marshal Sir John Baker) on his houseboat on the edge of lake Timsah near Ismailia.

In December of 1951, I was detached with my flight to Command this guard.   The Flight was based at Air HQ, Middle East, RAF Ismailia.   The Airmen were housed in barrack blocks and I lived in the Officers Mess, which made a pleasant change after being under canvas in the desert.   During this time I became friendly with a young Army Lieutenant, Lt. A.N.P. Heron, Royal Artillery Pilot.  He was also attached to the station with an Auster Air OP Spotter Aircraft.  Because of this friendship an incident occurred which became the highlight of my Middle East tour. By January 1952 the situation in Ismailia was becoming quite serious with large numbers of armed Egyptian Police Auxiliaries and terrorists moving into the town from Cairo.  Tony Heron told me he had been briefed for an operation which was planned for the following day, 25th Jan 1952, to disarm hostile forces assembling in Ismailia.  This was to be carried out by a Battalion of the Lancashire Fusiliers, the Parachute Regiment supported by Armoured cars of the Royal Dragoons and some tanks from the 4th Royal Tank Regiment.    He explained that he would be operating as an Air OP to cover the operation.  As I had flown with him previously he asked me if I would like to accompany him and assist in observing.  The next morning I briefed my 2 I/C of the flight P/O Sean McDonnell I would be away and had an early breakfast and took off from RAF Ismailia with Lt Tony Heron at first light.  I had a type 62 radio set in the Auster on net with Bn HQ and also Brigade.  We commenced circling the town and could see the Paras taking up positions on an outer ring and the Lancashire Fusiliers were closing in and forming a cordon nearer the police Headquarters, and some appeared to be dug in on the Bank near the Sweet Water Canal.

The Egyptian Police and Auxiliaries were located mostly in the Police HQ Buildings, Caracol, and Bureau Sanitaire (multi-storey flat roof buildings).  As we flew over the area we saw an armoured car from the Royals being fired on from the roof of the Bureau Sanitaire, it returned fire (tracer) but couldn't get sufficient elevation for results.  It then moved to a side street.  We could clearly see men firing from positions on the roof at our troops and continued to circle reporting movements on the ground.  We noted a considerable increase in the number of armed police on the roof of the BS, who were dragging up boxes of ammunition. We were asked to report on the number on the roof and we both had difficulty in doing a head count estimate and agreed a figure of about 20-30.  By this time the enemy were now directing some of their fire from the BS at our aircraft.  As we were quite low Lt Heron took evasive action and dived to the East.  We circled the town again and flew back towards the BS Buildings and could see what appeared to be 2" Mortar Bombs landing on the roof, which had a dramatic effect in clearing the flat roof area, and only a few snipers remained and what appeared to be some casualties lying on the roof.  We continued circling the town and then flew over the Arab Town.  I recall returning to the airfield at Ismailia briefly and seeing Paratroopers in the cemetery area as we came into land.

Later we continued to fly over the area and observed support weapons firing into the buildings occupied by the enemy, and later the infantry assault covered by a tank of the 4th Tank Regiment giving extremely close support.  The Paras now seemed to be involved in clearing up the outskirts of town and we returned to RAF Ismailia in time for lunch.   After this action bombings and shooting incidents continued to occur in the Zone, but on a smaller scale.   This included the killing of Sister Anthony, a Catholic Nun who was shot in Ismailia while caring for children.  An extra-ordinary twist in the tale of these memoirs is that fifty years ago a
transcript of a wireless log made by the Lancashire Fusiliers has now come to light recording the events as they occurred in Ismailia on the 25th of January 1952, including the observations made by the Air-Op.  It is signed by the Observer, Phil May.  The Pilot, Lt Tony Heron passed away in 1963.

Our thanks to Phil May and Charles Golder for this piece of historical information.

Editors notes:
1/  These men acting as our ‘Eyes in the Sky’ were flying so low and close to the action that their Spotter Plane was fired on by the Egyptian Auxiliaries positioned on the roofs of the Caracol and Bureau Sanitaire. They put themselves in danger and in doing so saved the lives of many of those Fusiliers involved in that action as they fought from building to building.  To date no medal has been awarded either to the pilot or the observer for bravery under fire, or for the part they played in this action.  On knowing about this unarmed, wood and metal framed, fabric covered plane and reading the technical details, one realises how vulnerable these men
were to the danger of fire from the ground.

3/   Auster Technical Details:
Wing Span = 36 ft.   Length = 22 ft.   Height = 8 ft.
Engine = One Lycoming 130 hp, four-cylinder, air-cooled.
Maximum Speed = 130 mph.  Cruising speed = 112 mph.
Unladen weight = 1,050 lbs
Construction = Fabric covered wood and metal framework.
 

Aye, Jock Marrs and Richard (Dick) Woolley.