A Child in the Canal Zone
1950 - 1953.
By Lyn Metcalf nee Britnell.
My short story starts in January 1950 when my mum and I sailed to the Canal Zone on the Empire Orwell to join my father who was in the RAMC stationed at Suez. At first we lived at Ragard Buildings in Suez, and then in early July 1951 we moved to Ismailia into army buildings, the flats opposite the NAAFI. My father had an Egyptian batman named Baccarie, who also helped my mum on occasions and looked after me from time-to-time.
In October 1951, I was looking forward to my 5th birthday, which was on 21st October, as I wanted a new doll. My dad was stationed in the desert and left home for work at 7.30am. A few days before the riots in Ismailia, Baccarie said he was worried that trouble was brewing among the Egyptians and although he had his own family to think about, told my mum he would still come to help us. One day Baccarie did not turn up, and that was the day the riots began.
At about 7.55am, soon after Dad had left for work, there were a lot of Egyptians in the streets below our flats and mum went and barricaded the doors to our flat, but left the window shutters slightly open. The Egyptians were throwing stones at the NAAFI just over the road and at anyone who looked English. There was a lot of noise and shouting outside, and it was obvious that serious trouble was about to begin.
| Mum looked out through the
crack in the shutters and could see the NAAFI was on fire and rioters just
starting to come into the foyer of our flats. I looked through the
shutters to see some British Military Police standing round their Jeep
with their pistols in their hands firing over the heads of the rioters,
as the MPs were being stoned by the Egyptians and were in need of help.
Before long the Lancashire Fusiliers marched in with fixed bayonets. They
then took over and helped the MPs.
We were not allowed outside after the riots for some time, so every day mum took me onto the flat roof with my trike for some fresh air. The day came when we were able to go out into the town of Ismailia with an armed escort. Dad wore a pistol on his belt and a Sten gun over his shoulder, and as we left the foyer for the flats our padre was outside with his camera and took a photo of ‘a typical British family out shopping after the riots’. Dad always kept this photo in his wallet, so over the years the photo has become rather battered, but is still good enough to include here. |
Ismailia. |
2002. With my doll 'Marie'. |
Yes, I did get my doll,
which was a ‘Pedigree’ Bakelite walking doll, and I named her Marie after
some French friend of mum and dad’s. I still have Marie to this day,
and my own daughter played with her when she was a child. Marie is
now 51 years old and can still walk. One day she will be given to any grandchildren
I may have.
These are just two of my experiences of an early childhood spent in the Suez Canal Zone, one frightening and one good. |
This
web site is maintained by
