3rd Btn GRENADIER GUARDS 1952
As Remembered By Arthur Bradley
Terrorist Attacks
My Battalion was posted to Tripoli, Libya in July 1952, just six weeks after I had got married. Following my marriage we were all made to serve an additional 12 months because of the Korean war and instability in the Middle East. On arrival in Tripoli we were in constant readiness on 24 hour standby for movement to Egypt. About six weeks later the Battalion, along with the Highland Light Infantry, embarked on the cruisers HMS Liverpool, HMS Sheffield and HMS Manxman. All arrangements to bring out married families were cancelled as we were told we should be on 'Active Service'. We disembarked at Tobruk and it was planned we were to capture Alexandria and Cairo, via the coast road, with three warships acting as artilery support. This did not materialise and we flew from El Adem to Fayid and eventually found our way to Tel el Kebir. TEK was the largest ordnance depot outside the USA. There was a 25mile perimeter, with watch towers, search lights, dogs and anti-personnel mines. None of this kept the theives and terrorists out. They would grease themselves and roll in the sand to make themselves inconspicuous. The Depot, and surrounding vulnerable properties, required 280 sentries day and night.
Two weeks after arrival at TEK, I was one of 300 men sent to work on the docks at Port Said because of a strike by native labour which lasted about 10 days. During our stay, the port was entered by a large fleet of Russian 'fishing vessels' bristling with huge aerials and a machine gun guard on the stern of each boat. On returning from the docks our convoy came under terrorist fire and Guardsman Plowman was wounded.
Following the death ofa RAMC doctor, his driver and several nurses in an ambush at the hospital, we had to find a regular guard at the hospital. A bomb was planted at the hospital and detonated about the same time as part of the rail track close by was blown up.
All guard posts came under small arm fire at night. The most severe attack was on the water filtration plant on the 21st December 1951. An armoured car from the Royal Horse Guards was sent to reinforce the unit and by dawn he ran out of ammunition. There were no casualties on our side. Sgt Miles came in for high praise in repelling the attack, thus saving the water supply.
Most times the firing was directed at the seachlights, and this usually preceeded an incursion through the minefield and perimeter wire. After one such incursion our mobile patrol attempted to apprehend the terrorists and Guardsmen F.L. Smith and A.N. Smith were killed in the British laid minefield.
A patrol of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders were ambushed, and a patrol of ours sent to their assistance killed several terrorists.
On the 16th January1952, all of the 1st Guards Brigade crossed the Sweetwater Canal into Egypt from the Canal Zone. The Grenadiers put a cordon around the village of El Hamra. The Egyptians were taken totally by surprise. We were supported by the armoured cars of the Royal Dragoons, four heavy tanks and six Meteor jet fighters. The 3rd Btn Coldstream Guards entered the village and began a house to house search. Both our battalions took prisoner 170 armed Egyptian police, in a village which normally had about ten. 162 rifles and machine guns, together with a vast store of ammunition were recovered from the police station. The principal suspect was a police Major General. He was arrested but I don't know what happened to him after that. We had a few quiet nights after this action. During that operation, and the follow up, the terrorist lost 12 killed and 15 wounded.
I heard tell of nine British subjects being murdered by a mob at the Turf Club and bodies being mutilated.
On the 2nd February 1952, the Battalion, thankfully, left TEK after several hectic months and set up camp at Deversoir. Life in the camps was dreary. Cairo and most of the towns were 'Out of Bounds'. I did manage one trip to Ismailia, but we had to go in a group and armed. I left Egypt in August 192. I returned 45 years later and still found the Egyptian unfriendly.