By Major David Bushell
97 LAWSON COY
33rd Field Artillery
16th Inderpendant Parachute Brigade
The webmasters would like to thank  Bryan Hunter
for helping to get Majors Bushells images on this web site

Major David Bushel joined the army in 1951 as a boy soldier, age 14 years and 6 months.  He joined the Royal Artillery and on passing out joined the 16th Independent Parachute Brigade as gunner in the 33rd Field Artillery 97 Battery.  At 18 he was offered a place at Officers' School, which for very good reasons he rejected.  He served in most of Britain's small wars from 1955 to the 1970's.  After a while he was offered, and accepted, a place in an Officers' School and passed out as a 2nd lieutenant.  But he soon rose to the rank of Major, commanding some of the first atomic rockets in Germany under British control.  After being out of the country for 12 years, Dave resigned his commission for a bit of family life.

Training

Passing out parade

Mounting guard

"P" Company  At Aldershot 1954

25-Pounders

25-Pounders firing

We were in Cyprus on anti terrorist operations in the Troodos Mountains when we were recalled to base. The newspapers gave details of the Suez landings, which caused much amusement. Our subsequent briefing was exactly the operation reported. So much for surprise. The assault when in exactly as planned, there was heavy fighting the cemetery and the sewage works and a lot sniping in Port Said where the arms had been dumped in the streets and the locals called to rise up against us.
 

Off Port Said

The Invasion starts  Warships of the coast of Suez	Warships of the  coast of Suez	LST about to land troops	Looking towards the docks at Suez
Port Said.  Note the block ships	Port Said	French Gun  Boat in the Canal	HMS Ulysses  (F17)
Entering Harbour	Unknown Troop Ship	Helicopters fly in	Statue of De Le Sepp

Whilst still on the outskirts of Port Said we were informed that there was a cease fire at midnight. The front was very narrow being a causeway with the Canal to our left and an impassable salt marsh to our right. The only area to deploy in was at El Quantara 20 miles away down a single road. We piled  onto every available vehicle with infantry riding on the guns and drove south at high speed. We eventually reached El Cap where we halted just short of our objective and dug in. Our observation post was up the canal signal towers right on the gun line. It was so congested at the front that the gun wagon lines moved back to El Tina some distance away. There were skirmishes with patrols in spite of the cease fire, and at first light we observed the build up to our front. Resupply presented a problem, our battery "borrowed" a launch and used the canal. Another cannibalised a motor cycle and fitted it to a hand card on the railway. We had a close liaison with the French Foreign Legion on the other side of the canal where a few unofficial joint excursions took place at night. The confusion caused in the Egyptian lines next morning were a joy to watch. Our only casualty was 3 ton of ammo lost in Port Said.
 

Ashore

A Captured Russian   SU 100 assault gun	Inside the SU 100. Note the instructions in English	Sgt  Bushell takes a Egyptian POW	Suez The start of the Airborne Invasion
Captured LMGs	More Captured weapons	25-pounder dug in at El Cap	97 Battery OP at El Cap
"I hope they take me home with them"	Tanks roll in, bottom right	Just washing off the dust	HMS Lawson (War Prize) of 33 Para Field Artillery
HMS Lawson. Skipper Dave Bushell (Right)	"Next stop Charing Cross"	Arrival of UN Troops	Some battle damage.
I wonder if his insurance will cover it ?	A Railway along the Sweet Water . Now run by 97 Bty	WO2 cooking up his curry	"Look Sarge a couple of wheels and a new engine and its as good as new"
Captured Weapons	Captured Weapons	Bedford 3 ton truck, blown up in 1 Para's lines *	Crossing the  Sweet Water Canal.
	Troops under the Palm trees	Taking a rest along the  Sweet Water Canal.

* This lorry was hit by a shell while passing through 1 Para's lines. Both the lorry and the driver survived the shell, but the crates on the back of the lorry caught fire and when we ambled up to the lorry to see what was happening we found the lorry driver standing on the back of the lorry with a Pryeen hand pump fire extinguisher trying to put the fire out. The young driver was worried about getting into trouble if his lorry was damaged. After a bit of 'micky taking' we asked him what he was carrying. When he replied that it was ammo he was pulled off the lorry and every one dived for a slit trench. Moments later there was a very large bang and the lorry went up.

1 Para’s lines were amongst some wooden beach houses and when we stuck our heads up we found that there were a couple of the beach houses on fire.  We all felt that we were overexposed and looked for ways to put the fires out.  There were not enough containers to carry water in, so some bright spark suggested that if some of us threw a hand grenade into the burning building and at the same time this just might bring it down, then we would shovel sand on to it and put the fire out.  The officer agreed and a number of Paras produced hand grenades and on the count of three chucked them through the nearest window.  There was a clatter of glass and a number of dull thuds as the grenades hit the woodwork and bounce backed around our feet.  Again there was a rush for the slit trenches, and those that got there first were nearly squashed by the late comers jumping in on top of them, and those that were late were so far out of the trench that they had no cover.  There were a number of bangs and we checked that everyone was OK, and by luck they were.  We looked at the beach hut.  It was still standing but with a lot more holes in it and was burning brighter then before.  The officer now considered that he had a very lucky escape and given the go ahead decided that it would be best to let it burn.  At least it would keep us warm during the night.