Incident Information – Some Statistics and a Sitrep
Statistics concerning incidents during part of the Suez Emergency – October 1951 to July 1954

Some incidents did happen in the Suez Canal Zone before October 1951, and it was the abrogation of the 1936 Treaty that led to the Emergency being declared. Research of Government documents made by certain Suez Veteran groups show there were about the same number of incidents, around 40, each month for the three months following the abrogation, including the ‘Big One’ on 25th January 1952.  They then tailed off gradually to just about 30 incidents a month until the agreement was signed in 1954 where all British troops were to be withdrawn from the Zone by June 1956.  However, terrorists and criminals do not attach the same importance to bits of signed agreement or treaty papers that bureaucrats do and British servicemen were still being killed right up to the time the last of the troops left the Canal Zone in 1956.

The following letter, from the British Middle East Office, GHQ, MELF 17, to the African Dept, Foreign Office, London, is from files in the Public Record Office and now available to the general public.  We at this website feel that it is classed as ‘Public Domain’ and can be published here for your interest.  The letter reads:

British Middle East Office
Political Division
G.H.Q.  MELF 17

2nd January 1952

Dear Department

The Civil Affairs Branch of HQ British Troops in Egypt, (HQ BTE) has supplied us with the following table of incidents in the Canal Zone since the date of ‘Abrogation’ which you may find interesting.  The figures quoted are ‘Minima’.  In certain cases the figures may be HIGHER, but Civil Affairs have found it hard to eliminate duplications and doubtful cases arising from alternative and inaccurate spellings of Arabic names and rather INCOMPLETE REPORTS in the earlier stages.  THE FIGURES QUOTED ARE, HOWEVER, FIGURES FOR CASES ABOUT WHICH THERE IS NO DOUBT.  (Capital letters inserted by us.)
 

I am sending a copy of this letter to the Eastern Department and to the Chancery of the Embassy in Cairo.
Signed by:  G F. ???  (The rest of the signature is illegible.)
African Department
Foreign Office
London SW1
Letter ends.

Since the second column relates to incidents that took place during the Christmas week of that year, the lads must have had a great Christmas.

1. 14/3.  Armed attack, Fayid. Two British Officers walking in Fayid at 19.00 Hrs were fired on by a party of Egyptians with Sten Machine carbines. The shots missed and the Egyptians made off.
2. 15/3.  Abduction of two British Soldiers, Abu Sultan. Two signallers ???? from filtration plant to Abu Sultan Wharf at 09.00 Hrs took a short cut by an Egyptian village instead of keeping to the road as ordered. They have not been seen since and may possibly have been murdered. One of the men was armed with a Sten gun. Armed attack, Gebel Maryam. A party of five, two airmen and three soldiers were returning at 21.15 Hrs by boat from Gebel Maryam to the filtration plant. They were armed with three rifles and one Sten. The party were fired at from the range of a few feet by five Egyptians using a machine carbine and an ???? or automatic rifle. Four of the boat party were hit, fire was returned and one Egyptian is known to have been wounded. The casualties resulting from this incident were: two killed and one seriously wounded and one slightly wounded.
3. 16/3.  Attack on an Airman at Fayid. An airman cycling on the Canal road at 17.30 Hrs alone near Fayid was knocked off his bicycle by some Egyptians and beaten up. He has a lacerated head but is not seriously wounded. Incident at Abu Gamus. A party of Egyptians obstructed an RMP vehicle in Abu Gamus and fired a few shots from a Sten machine carbine. The shots were not aimed and there were no casualties. Armed attack Olympia Stadium Tennis Court at Fayid. At 21.30 Hrs four soldiers approaching the level crossing at the Stadium tennis courts were fired at by an Egyptian with a Sten machine carbine. Three of the soldiers were wounded, one seriously.

1. 18/3.  Egyptian arrested at T.E.K. trying to enter perimeter.
2. 19/3.  Shots fired at searchlight at T.E.K. Break in at No. 9 ????  Three Egyptians escaping through perimeter wire fired on. One Egyptian was hit  but escaped with others across the Sweetwater canal. Shots fired at Abu Sultan. Two Egyptians arrested at Fanara in possession of crowbars, wire cutters and a large knife.
3. 20/3.  Cable patrol fired on at Abu Sultan. Attempted theft at Nefisha Bridge Post. Egyptians swimming back across the canal fired at by sentry. Army Postal vehicle in Ismailia approached by men armed with pistol accompanied another Egyptian ????, Officers unit ???? Guard cocked his weapon. Egyptians made off. Cable patrol two mile south of Nefisha Bridge Post on Treaty road fired on from direction of village west of road.  Minor damage to one vehicle.  Troop ????  ???? to village.  Egyptian police co-operated and searched the village but nothing found.
4. 21/3.  Sentry at Moascar Power station stoned by Egyptian from train. Shots at searchlight at T.E.K. Shops in Port Said given written notice by Egyptian Officer forbidding them to sell to British troops in uniform or mufti. Egyptian stealing cable at El Ballah shot by patrol. He died later. Egyptians caught stealing at T.E.K. fired on by patrol. All escaped but two believed wounded.
5. 22/3.  Sentry at Moascar Power station again stoned by train passengers. Egyptian arrested while climbing through perimeter wire at Fayid. Two Egyptians captured in ???? attempting to cross perimeter. BORs fired at by air gun in Port Tewfiq.
6. 23/3.  Shots fired from across Sweet Water Canal at a ???? camp. Guard at Fanara Wharf fired on. Shots fired at WD vehicle travelling between El Cap and El Kantara. Seven Egyptian youths attempting entry into Suez power station perimeter wire. Motive thought to be theft not sabotage. WD vehicle near Abu Sueir fired upon by Egyptian with rifle. Two armed Egyptians fired at near Gebel Maryam perimeter.
7. 24/3.  WD petrol tankers fired on near El Kirsh. Side screen of drivers cab perforated. Two WD vehicles fired on near Abu Sultan by Egyptians in taxi. Four Egyptians arrested while stealing in Port Said marshalling yard. Handed over to Civilian police.
8. 25/3.  Sentry at Deversoir fired at Egyptian climbing perimeter fence. RAF Ismailia arrested three Egyptians suspected of cable cutting. Subsequently found to be ???? ???? ????  and handed over to Civilian police. Shots fired at WD vehicle near Kantara village.
9. 26/3.  One shot fired into El Kirsh Depot.

A few of these happenings are minor compared to others, but an incident is an incident and any of these could have had a different ending with a result more serious. Did the British Government and the MoD know of every incident that happened?  It is doubtful. No wonder some people believe that very little happened in the Canal Zone during the ‘Emergency’.  If there was, as we believe, an average of about 30 a month, that adds up to over a thousand incidents that took place in that period.  Most of them were not publicised generally and were kept way from the sight of the British public.   It is good fortune that we have Suez veterans who are
prepared to sift through records and others who have kept a number of ‘souvenirs’ that have been useful to the campaign.  They deserve our thanks.

Aye, Jock Marrs and Richard (Dick) Woolley.

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