Keeping the lines open
by Selwyn Harris
Tel el Kebir, or ‘TeK’ as it is more commonly known, is situated on the rocky plateau 30 miles west of Ismailia and 90 miles east of Cairo. It was a huge depot for both
weaponry and vehicles, within this Garrison was a compound which housed the troops who manned the watch towers and patrolled the 25 mile perimeter with armed
Jeeps at night plus a small troop of 24 signals staff. This troop was made of one officer, a sergeant and two corporals (the only regular soldiers,) 4 drivers, 2 motor
mechanics, 4 linemen, 1 line mechanic, 3 switchboard operators, 2 teleprinter operators, 1 tele-cipher mechanic, 2 radio operators and 1 radio mechanic. However, in
1952 we were joined by 7 signalmen from the Mauritius and Seychelles Regiment which increased our numbers.
On the question of relaxation or ‘off duty’ time, we were not allowed off the base except in the line of duty, hence there was no shortage of volunteers to do escort duty.
The opportunity for a change of scenery or to see new faces was not to be missed. Regulars who had served 12 months on base were authorised two weeks leave in
Cyprus. Our officer i/c during my stay had been a 2nd Lieutenant, a Lieutenant and a Captain, they served 3 month periods in turn. Because we had no bull parades, inspections, kit or otherwise, no one was ever on a charge, we had no guard room cells etc. We were there just to do our job which was to keep open the lines of
communication.
Twice a week a driver and armed escort in a covered Tilley vehicle would set off for Ismailia to deliver official mail and collect mail, pay and replacements. There was only one metalled road which the vehicles travelled at regular times it was easy for members of the Muslim Brotherhood organisation to set up vehicle traps and ambushes.
We lost four drivers in four months during 1951 as a result of these incidents. One of these drivers was shot sitting outside a bank in Ismailia waiting for the officer who
was inside. A convoy travelling to TeK was ambushed and in the leading Jeep the officer and driver were killed. From that point on, all journeys were made through the
desert taking any route at random.
Our main line of communication with Moascar and Fayid was via a cable laid alongside the road. It had long been the practice for a criminal element to cut the cable in
two places then pull it out and sell it for scrap. We in turn would send out our linemen team to replace it, but with the increasing tension things turned nasty, the cable
was cut and an ambush set up where a machine gun would wait for the linemen team to arrive. It was during two separate incidents a lineman was commended for
bravery, on another occasion a lineman was charged with cowardice in the face of the enemy. With the cable out of service we had to fall back on two radio 64 sets to
maintain contact. It was during one of these periods a component failed in one set putting it out of action, within hours of continuous use a valve failed in the other set
and contact was lost. That night six men in a vehicle went out and broke into a store containing signals equipment and liberated certain radio parts, by 2 o’clock in the
morning we were back on the air with the excuse a sandstorm interrupted transmission. Weeks later 10 sets arrived which enabled transmission via dishes mounted on
the top of metal towers, but as these required lining up by eye to the next tower at El Quassin 13 miles away, the mechanic carrying out this duty was uncomfortably
aware he made a good target for snipers.
Selwyn in those days. |
One of the towers with a mounted dish. |
Selwyn as he is today. |
This
huge depot crammed with all manner of attractive items had always been a
target for a criminal element, batteries and tyres etc. could easily be sold
in the markets
of Cairo. In 1951 the targets became small arms and ammunition and raids became bigger and more organised. The shooting into the camp was a nightly event, often it
was thought the purpose was to draw off the mobile patrols so squads could enter the unprotected sections. A signal was received that all troops were now on active duty and we were issued with arms and ammunition which were kept permanently at our sides. As Signals staff we were told we were soldiers first, tradesmen second and
from then on we were on permanent duty, i.e. you did a 12 hour shift then you went on to do guard or escort duty. All guards and escorts were doubled up, meals were
grabbed when able and you slept in uniform. To this was added a weekly ambush duty, which meant wearing denims, no brasses, woollen caps comforter and blacked
up faces. Two of us armed with a rifle, Bren gun and Verey pistol made up a pair who were taken out at dusk on a patrol Jeep, dropped outside the perimeter wire and
minefields, there to wait events until the following dawn when you would be picked up. It was on such an occasion when I and radio operator, Plum Appleby, were lying
out on a Saturday night when the sound of a number of tanks were heard approaching on our left, though out of sight they crossed our front to continue away to our right
towards Cairo, this was 2 o’clock in the morning. It was several days later we were to hear that Colonel Neguib had brought up tanks and troops to affect a coup in Cairo
to depose King Farouk.
The shootings had become a nightly event but the last straw seemed to be when a 25 pounder gun was manhandled to a position to fire into the depot, fortunately it would not fire, at this point a battalion of Grenadier Guards arrived. They not only provided a welcome backup but they went on to surround the village of Tel el Kebir to search
and destroy weapons and to deny a base for terrorists to attack us. We were gutted when the overseas papers arrived claiming British troops had terrorised women and
children and been generally heavy handed.
Conditions living and working at TeK were extreme, the heat during the day and the dramatic fall of temperature at night, some early mornings there was a frost. One
of the hardest things to get used to was the glare, with no trees or shade the suns rays reflecting from the sand was very intense so the practice of wearing unofficial
headgear was universal. One signalman was returned home with sand blindness. Mosquitoes and scorpions were a nightmare, four lads arriving with the 10 sets from
Abbadan decided to sleep under their vehicle for that night, the following morning their faces were swollen so much they were temporary blinded. Scorpions would seek
out dark places such as boots or bedding, I was stung twice on the leg one night when getting into bed. Who remembers the term ‘Dutch Widows’, the practice at night
of lying under a mosquito net on a bed with a pillow between the knees to reduce the irritation of prickly heat between the thighs and athletes foot when night time
temperatures are in the 80’s? No fresh food or fruit, a diet of curries, porridge, and powdered potatoes. Tedium and boredom caused at least one signalman to go loopy
locking himself in a shelter and firing his weapon through the door at anyone who approached. It was with great sadness I performed one duty where I was required to go
to Fayid cemetery to photograph the graves of members of our troop to be sent home to relatives.
September 1952 was my demob date, however the due date arrived and passed; in spite of daily request for orders to move, nothing was forthcoming. Two weeks passed and we were still at TeK, then one morning we were given a choice, a) wait until orders arrived or, b) make our own way back. There were two of us, Appleby and myself, we saluted, about turned and rushed back to our billets handed in weapons and tin hats, packed kitbags and what was left handed into stores and accepted chits in return. Raced to the MT compound and climbed aboard the 10 o’clock vehicle to Ismailia. Arrived at Moascar Garrison, found a bed for the night and got ready to leave for
Port Said the next morning. It was during the evening we were approached by another lad named Goulding who came from Windsor, he asked if he could come with us
as he was the same demob group. Next morning there were three passengers for Port Said, when we arrived we found a bed for the night and the next three days were spent looking for a boat going to the UK. We had no luck so our next move was to make our way to Fayid and there hopefully catch a plane for home. Two weeks went
by until a York transport aircraft flew the three of us to Malta and the next morning we flew on to the UK landing at Blackbush, London. Finding a local TA centre a
transport officer issued travel warrants to Newton Abbot, Devon which was the Signals demob centre. Catching the Saturday early morning train from Paddington we took
in turns to use the toilet to wash and shave. It brought a wry smile when I overheard a lady say to her companion “soldiers of today are so scruffy”. We arrived at the camp mid afternoon, as it was Saturday there was more than the usual confusion what to do with the three of us, it was quickly solved, “put them in the cells.” Monday morning we were released, given beds and clean up jobs to do around the camp. Seeing a group of lads recently returned from Korea without their kit, we decided to join
them. As they received their jabs so did we, as they were reissued with their kit so were we. All went well until standing outside the Squadron Office a sergeant called out names to collect travel warrants to go on leave, having finished his list he looked up and saw three men still standing . “Who the B****y hell are you?” Our pay books
were collected and we were sent back to previous duties. A further week passed whilst no doubt signals were dispatched to TeK to confirm who we were and that we had
been officially released. I had completed four additional weeks to my two years National Service but my delight after being demobbed was to receive a cheque for £170
outstanding pay and credits - which I blew on a brand new motor bike!
© Selwyn Harris. October 2006.
Selwyn Harris was an A/Lcpl, (telegraph/cipher, grade A2,) and served in the Canal Zone with the Royal Signals, 3 L of C, from June 1951 to October 1952. He was at
Moascar for just 2 weeks and for the rest of his tour was stationed at Tel el Kebir. He recently sent this brief account of his time there and we are pleased to include it
in the site’s ‘History and Recollections’ section.
Richard Woolley.
October 2006.
of Cairo. In 1951 the targets became small arms and ammunition and raids became bigger and more organised. The shooting into the camp was a nightly event, often it
was thought the purpose was to draw off the mobile patrols so squads could enter the unprotected sections. A signal was received that all troops were now on active duty and we were issued with arms and ammunition which were kept permanently at our sides. As Signals staff we were told we were soldiers first, tradesmen second and
from then on we were on permanent duty, i.e. you did a 12 hour shift then you went on to do guard or escort duty. All guards and escorts were doubled up, meals were
grabbed when able and you slept in uniform. To this was added a weekly ambush duty, which meant wearing denims, no brasses, woollen caps comforter and blacked
up faces. Two of us armed with a rifle, Bren gun and Verey pistol made up a pair who were taken out at dusk on a patrol Jeep, dropped outside the perimeter wire and
minefields, there to wait events until the following dawn when you would be picked up. It was on such an occasion when I and radio operator, Plum Appleby, were lying
out on a Saturday night when the sound of a number of tanks were heard approaching on our left, though out of sight they crossed our front to continue away to our right
towards Cairo, this was 2 o’clock in the morning. It was several days later we were to hear that Colonel Neguib had brought up tanks and troops to affect a coup in Cairo
to depose King Farouk.
The shootings had become a nightly event but the last straw seemed to be when a 25 pounder gun was manhandled to a position to fire into the depot, fortunately it would not fire, at this point a battalion of Grenadier Guards arrived. They not only provided a welcome backup but they went on to surround the village of Tel el Kebir to search
and destroy weapons and to deny a base for terrorists to attack us. We were gutted when the overseas papers arrived claiming British troops had terrorised women and
children and been generally heavy handed.
Conditions living and working at TeK were extreme, the heat during the day and the dramatic fall of temperature at night, some early mornings there was a frost. One
of the hardest things to get used to was the glare, with no trees or shade the suns rays reflecting from the sand was very intense so the practice of wearing unofficial
headgear was universal. One signalman was returned home with sand blindness. Mosquitoes and scorpions were a nightmare, four lads arriving with the 10 sets from
Abbadan decided to sleep under their vehicle for that night, the following morning their faces were swollen so much they were temporary blinded. Scorpions would seek
out dark places such as boots or bedding, I was stung twice on the leg one night when getting into bed. Who remembers the term ‘Dutch Widows’, the practice at night
of lying under a mosquito net on a bed with a pillow between the knees to reduce the irritation of prickly heat between the thighs and athletes foot when night time
temperatures are in the 80’s? No fresh food or fruit, a diet of curries, porridge, and powdered potatoes. Tedium and boredom caused at least one signalman to go loopy
locking himself in a shelter and firing his weapon through the door at anyone who approached. It was with great sadness I performed one duty where I was required to go
to Fayid cemetery to photograph the graves of members of our troop to be sent home to relatives.
September 1952 was my demob date, however the due date arrived and passed; in spite of daily request for orders to move, nothing was forthcoming. Two weeks passed and we were still at TeK, then one morning we were given a choice, a) wait until orders arrived or, b) make our own way back. There were two of us, Appleby and myself, we saluted, about turned and rushed back to our billets handed in weapons and tin hats, packed kitbags and what was left handed into stores and accepted chits in return. Raced to the MT compound and climbed aboard the 10 o’clock vehicle to Ismailia. Arrived at Moascar Garrison, found a bed for the night and got ready to leave for
Port Said the next morning. It was during the evening we were approached by another lad named Goulding who came from Windsor, he asked if he could come with us
as he was the same demob group. Next morning there were three passengers for Port Said, when we arrived we found a bed for the night and the next three days were spent looking for a boat going to the UK. We had no luck so our next move was to make our way to Fayid and there hopefully catch a plane for home. Two weeks went
by until a York transport aircraft flew the three of us to Malta and the next morning we flew on to the UK landing at Blackbush, London. Finding a local TA centre a
transport officer issued travel warrants to Newton Abbot, Devon which was the Signals demob centre. Catching the Saturday early morning train from Paddington we took
in turns to use the toilet to wash and shave. It brought a wry smile when I overheard a lady say to her companion “soldiers of today are so scruffy”. We arrived at the camp mid afternoon, as it was Saturday there was more than the usual confusion what to do with the three of us, it was quickly solved, “put them in the cells.” Monday morning we were released, given beds and clean up jobs to do around the camp. Seeing a group of lads recently returned from Korea without their kit, we decided to join
them. As they received their jabs so did we, as they were reissued with their kit so were we. All went well until standing outside the Squadron Office a sergeant called out names to collect travel warrants to go on leave, having finished his list he looked up and saw three men still standing . “Who the B****y hell are you?” Our pay books
were collected and we were sent back to previous duties. A further week passed whilst no doubt signals were dispatched to TeK to confirm who we were and that we had
been officially released. I had completed four additional weeks to my two years National Service but my delight after being demobbed was to receive a cheque for £170
outstanding pay and credits - which I blew on a brand new motor bike!
© Selwyn Harris. October 2006.
Selwyn Harris was an A/Lcpl, (telegraph/cipher, grade A2,) and served in the Canal Zone with the Royal Signals, 3 L of C, from June 1951 to October 1952. He was at
Moascar for just 2 weeks and for the rest of his tour was stationed at Tel el Kebir. He recently sent this brief account of his time there and we are pleased to include it
in the site’s ‘History and Recollections’ section.
Richard Woolley.
October 2006.
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