Overwhelming Public Support for a Medal

Public support for all those who served in the Suez Canal Zone during the "Emergency" of 1951-1954, has escalated beyond our wildest dreams. Huge numbers of British Newspapers, National, Regional and Local ones, (as well as a number of magazines) have published articles on our Medal issue, as well as "Letters to the Editor", very very few have ignored our request to do so, and most of these few, when contacted by veterans, have complied and published a letter at a later date. This website is indebted to all those who submitted copies of letters cut out from the many newspapers listed below. Here are those newspapers and magazines. These come to us from SCZ Veterans: Mike Hardy, Richard Woolley, Harold Heath, Tom Radford, Cyril Blackburn, John Dodd (Australian Returned Veterans Association), Roy Wilson and Peter Newton.

01: The Times. Quentin Letts: "The Army's Pariahs"
02: Ashbourne News Telegraph. "Suez Veterans first chance to march past the Cenotaph". Richard Woolley's attendance at the 2001 Remembrance Parade in London and mention of the medal campaign.
03: Gallery News. Robert Gibson.
04: Burton Daily Mail. Mark Bryant and Richard Woolley: "Why can't we be given a medal?"
05: Daily Mail. Article about John Spellars personal dressing habits.
06: Medal News. Many articles over the past two or three years re "The Missing Medal" by Suez Canal Zone Veteran Cyril Blackburn
07: Soldier Magazine. This fine magazine has over many years published full page articles and many, many Editorial letters, especially by Ray Routledge, re the plight of the Suez Veterans and their continuing fight for a medal.
08: Daily Mail. Letter by John Bennet.
09: Western Daily Press. Norman Baldwin: "Suez Vets on Remembrance Day."
10: Western Morning News. "Vets of Suez call for recognition."
11: Express and Echo. Rob Sims: "Vets of Suez meet for first time in 45 years".
12: Express and Echo. Chris Mills: "Medal hope boosted for Suez campaign Vets".
13: Mirror. P Routledge: "Time to honour Suez Vets".
14: Derby Evening Telegraph. Letter by Richard Woolley.
15: Leicester Mercury. Two letters by Richard Woolley.
16: Sheffield Star. Letter by Richard Woolley.
17: The Guernsey Press. Letter by Mike Hardy.
18: Cambridge Newspapers. Letter by Mike Hardy.
19: Anglian Newspapers. Letter by Mike Hardy.
20: Eastern Counties Newspapers. Letter by Mike Hardy
21: Black Country Bugle. Letter by Harold Heath.
22: Shropshire Express and Star. Letter by Harold Heath.
23: Stafford Chronicle. Letter by Harold Heath.
24: Stafford Newsletter. Letter by Harold Heath.
25: Stafford Post. Letter by Harold Heath.
26: Stoke on Trent Sentinel. Letter by Harold Heath.
27: Telford Journal. Letter by Harold Heath.
28: Uttoxeter Times. Letter by Harold Heath.
29: Walsall Observer. Letter by Harold Heath.
30: Wolverhampton Star. Letter by Harold Heath.
31: The Times. Two very recent articles by Quentin Letts covering:
a:The interruption of Minister Moonie's speech in Parliament by an MP from his own Party, asking about his treatment of Suez Canal Zone Veterans.
b:The Adjournment Debate in Westminster Hall very ably put forward by Mr B Blizzard MP, and the following TV coverage and questioning of all the Suez Veterans who attended the debate.
32: Portsmouth News. Richard Hargreaves: "Veterans Demand Suez Campaign Medal."
33: Grimsby Telegraph. Letter by George Wincott.

We now have the support of over 200 Members of Parliament, representing all parties in the House, and this has stood out during this and previous Parliamentary Motions re our Medal issue. This is very encouraging when it is realised that most of those now in Parliament, were either too young or weren't even born when it all took place in the early 1950's. There is hope for Parliament yet. When these Parliamentarians are told of what the SCZ Veterans went through all those years ago they offer their full support to our cause. So Suez Vets, please contact your MP and get his/her assistance and promise of support.

A number of books are now available describing just what happened in the Canal Zone during that period in our Country's History, they are:
01: "A Fighting Retreat - The British Empire 1947-1997" by Robin Neillands.
02: "The Regiment Departs" by G Blaxham.
03: "Descent to Suez - Diaries 1951-1956" by Shuckburgh.
04: "Imperial War Museum book of Modern Warfare - British and Commonwealth Forces at War 1945-2000" This book includes a chapter on the actions in the Suez Emergency and the injustice of not being acknowledged with an award.
05: "The Story of the RASC and RCT 1945-1982" by Brigadier D J Sutton. This book gives some interesting details of action involving the Corps during this time. (It should be noted that as a Corps, the RASC and especially those involved in driving received the highest number of casualties. Over 50 killed during the Emergency.)
06: "Middle East Movers" by Col Hugh Mackintosh. This book covers the Royal Engineer Transportation in the Suez Canal Zone 1947-1956.

Two Ex Service Ham Radio Associations, Royal Signals and RAF, have written letters about the medal campaign in their magazines and members are calling CQ and spreading the message over the air. Our sources also tell us that a Suez Vet in Wales is at this time in the process of preparing for publication a book covering only the 'Emergency'. We look forward to seeing this book in print.
An Air Vice Marshal, two Field Marshals and three Generals now fully support us and to a man have agreed that those who served in this Emergency all deserve a medal. General Julian Thompson, who commanded Her Majesty's Forces in the Falklands, South Atlantic over 20 years ago, was a young 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Marine Commando Forces stationed in the Suez Canal Zone in the early 1950's, and knows exactly the dangers faced daily by all who were stationed there, and is very outspoken on this medal issue, and has stated on television that a medal should be awarded.

In the Royal Artillery Church at Larkhill, a wall plaque is dedicated to all those Gunners who have died in action over the years. Those killed since the end of WWll are listed on this plaque, but there was no mention of any Gunners who died in the Canal Zone. Roy Wilson, a SCZ Veteran and ex member of the Royal Artillery discussed this omission with the Church Padre, and the omission has since been rectified. The names of those Gunners who gave their lives in the Canal Zone are now remembered and have their names listed. Thanks Roy. Veterans like John Mitchell have organised many meetings of the Canal Zone Veterans throughout the London area to further our cause for a medal.

Recently the New Zealand Canal Zone Naval Veterans, who were denied recognition of their service in the 1956 invasion have now been given a medal, (all the initial medals sent to New Zealand by the British Government in 1956 were not awarded to the New Zealand Veterans, but were destroyed by the NZ Government, a fact that has only just come to light.) This has now been rectified and a medal, (Near East) newly minted by the NZ Government has been awarded to all those who served with the British during the Suez invasion of 1956. The Australian Government has recently awarded a medal to all those who completed their National Service. In Canada all Canadians who have served in peacekeeping duties since the early 1950's have all received a medal, and in France the Government there have now recognised the service of all those French Soldiers who served in Algeria. The only Government that has been reluctant to recognise Active Service from the 50's, especially those who served in the Suez Canal Zone, is the British Government. Each Government since the early 50's have done it's best to cover up what went on during those years, and have shown tremendous reluctance to honour these Veterans. Never in the history of the British Armed Forces has this happened on such a scale, and even after 50 years some Government Departments, especially the MoD, and the ministers who run this particular department have done their level best to make certain that these Veterans do not receive the Active Service recognition they deserve.

The Royal British Legion last year at their Conferences in Bournemouth and St Andrews, passed motions stating that: "this institution should suggest, (and follow up) to the Government that there should be a medal awarded for Service in the Suez Canal Zone during the emergency of the early 50's." We know that we have the rank and file of this institution solidly on our side.

Perhaps the greatest support given over many, many years is attributed to the following Veterans. All of these men have been there for us, through all the meetings, the research, and have constantly lobbied this and previous Governments to bring our medal issue to the attention of those in Parliament. Foremost in this group is the late Colonel 'Pip' Newton MBE, who literally gave his life to this campaign. Others who worked side by side with him and are still hard at it are Ex RSM Charles Golder MBE, Lt.Col. Ashley Tinson, a noted author, (and authority) on Medals and Awards, Tom Radford, (ex Cheshires) a man who worked with Col Newton on the 20,000 signature petition, Cyril Blackburn who has researched, (and still is) through detailed public records and files to ascertain and check casualty records claimed by the MoD. All the above mentioned Veterans (unfortunately with one exception) are working diligently on your behalf in order to get full recognition of our Active Service, and a GSM for our service to Crown and Country. Perhaps the greatest tribute we can all pay to the late Col Newton is to actually get this medal awarded. He put so much into this project that it affected his health. Now it is our turn lads. If you are a Veteran, particularly a Suez Canal Zone Veteran, and more so if you served in the Canal Zone during the 'emergency' of 1951 - 1954, we ask that you help by making sure that your local newspaper and your Member of Parliament, (no matter what his/her political affiliation is,) are aware of our medal campaign, and better still get them involved, as well as yourself. So please come on side and help out.

Recently, BBC 'Southern Eye Television' and 'Close-up West' TV transmitted a half hour programme, "Suez, The Forgotten Campaign", unfortunately, this programme was shown only in Southern England. It was produced with much help from Suez Veteran and internationally famous Jazz musician, Acker Bilk, who also narrated and starred in it. Acker's commentary and interviews with Veterans, plus footage from old newsreel films, also the comments from other Veterans like Mike Hardy and Peter Newton certainly made this TV programme worth watching, and you can bet it raised more than a few eyebrows amongst some circles in the South of England. I would be amiss if I didn't print for all to see the following letter written by Acker Bilk and which was published in the Western Daily Press,Thursday, 13th of December 2001. Here is a copy of Acker's letter, it starts with the headings:

"Suez Soldiers: Not so much the land that time forgot, but certainly the campaign that Governments since 1956 have carefully ignored."

"BELIEVE ME, SUEZ DANGER WAS A REAL THING."

I and all my military colleagues think it is a disgrace that veterans of Suez have been ignored for nearly half a century. I am not talking about the infamous invasion of the Canal Zone by the British and French in 1956, when Egypt's President Nasser nationalised it. I am talking about the thousands of us, conscripts and volunteers, who served in Egypt guarding the Canal Zone in the years before the crisis. It was a hostile place, and I saw colleagues wounded and killed. I remember the bullets flying over our heads at night. We were young and somehow didn't think too much about it, but it was a dangerous place to be - we were on Active Service. The men who went there were never decorated, and it is right to call it the Forgotten Campaign. There has been other conflicts in which the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force personnel served where nobody was killed or injured and they have medals to recognise their service, which is quite right.

An insult to all, dead or alive. (semi heading)

All we ask is that the bravery of the troops who went to Suez is recognised. There should be medals for those who served there and posthumous decorations for those who died there, and since. We are all getting older and perhaps that is what the Government wants - if we all die it can be forgotten. It is an insult, not only to us who are still alive, but the hundreds who died on behalf of their country, the story of which I will tell tonight on BBC TV. Making the programme I met old colleagues such as Gerald Duckworth who was shot five times while on guard duty and has endured a lifetime of pain, and Alex Mason who witnessed the death of a mate when his jeep was blown up. Kidnap, mutilation and shootings were commonplace. Fifty-four were killed by Egyptian freedom fighters, and veterans have established that more than 600 Britons died from accidents, suicide and diseases between 1951 and 1954. Unlike the thousands who proudly display their medals every Remembrance Day, those who served in Egypt up to1954 have never been decorated. I joined the Somerset Light Infantry in 1949 as an eighteen year old and went to Taunton for six weeks training. From there I went to the Royal Engineers in Malvern. The next thing I knew we were on our way to Suez. I was with the Royal Engineers guarding a compound full of bulldozers and trucks. There was a ten foot high perimeter fence which we had to patrol. The Egyptians fired volleys over the top which whizzed over our heads. Sometimes they got in and stole things. I was just a youngster so didn't really feel threatened, but it was more than a little hairy. The trouble is I fell asleep on guard duty and they put me in the glasshouse - the military prison - for 84 days, which was pretty tough. I think of it every day - the experience never leaves me. It meant that I had to do another three months in Egypt, and then they added on more time, so I ended up there for about three years, and was probably one of the longest-serving conscripts in that part of the world. It wasn't as if I volunteered.

It has left us with a bitter taste. (semi heading)

I made some great friends and still see one old pal from Manchester. We chat about old times and it has left a bitter taste in our mouths, which could easily be sorted out. We feel let down more than anything else. A lot of people died or were injured, but in a way it was a very fortunate time for me. I joined a band in the camp and began to learn to play a borrowed clarinet. I was bitten by the music bug, and jazz in particular, and it led to the life I have enjoyed ever since. For me it was bitter-sweet. I hear that at long last the Royal Artillery Church in Larkhill, Wiltshire, is to put up a plaque commemorating the Suez Campaign. It's a start. The Government should recognise the troops who went to Suez, and organise campaign medals, as there have been for every other conflict. It is the decent thing - and it should be done quickly before it is too late.
Acker Bilk. Photo of Acker Bilk

I emailed Acker thanking him for backing our campaign and he sent me this autographed photo, which now occupies a prominent place on my wall. Thanks Acker, you are the greatest.

Jock Marrs Richard Woolley
and Veterans of the Suez Canal Zone

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