79th KIRKEE BTY, 29th FIELD REGT, RA
GENEIFA 1953-55
As Remembered By Maurice Salter
Forward Observation Post Unit
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Bren gun carrier under camouflage |
79th Kirkee Bty
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Maurice Salter - Signaller O Post
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Op Unit, 79th Kirkee Bty
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Geoff working on 25 pounder |
Maurice Salter & Mike Oak
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Sunday morning dhobi wallering |
My bed space |
Inside our tent
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Ready for guard duty |
79
KIRKEE BATTERY. 29th FIELD REGT, R.A.
As Remembered At The Royal Citadel, Plymouth
As Visited By Maurice Salter
First I must refer back to March 1953 and Operation Longbow, a large exercise crossing the Sinai Desert, up to the border of Israel. I was a radio operator with the forward observation unit of 79 Kirkee Battery, 29th Field Regt. Royal Artillery stationed at Geneifa alongside 42 Commando Royal Marines. During 1962, 79 Kirkee Battery became part of 29 Commando Regt, R.A., and are now at The Royal Citadel in Plymouth. I wrote to the O.C. and received an invitation to visit their History Room.
I was very well received by Lt. Warner, who was their officer in the O.P. Unit. He was very interested in times gone by and gave me permission to take some photographs. Unfortunately, they are not too clear, but I found it incredible that they had a very old book on display and on the cover in faded letters was written “Kirkee Battery 1748-1953. It was written as a diary, and on page 236 was mention of Operation Longbow, and gave the names of our OP unit out in the Sinai. I took a photo of this page close up – very blurred but still readable – Cpt Dennis, Bde Doakes, Gnr Salter, May & Milton. It says that our radio was the only one still “through” – on net – at the end, but on the withdrawal we were shot up by armoured cars driving up and down. Glad that that wasn’t for real!
Talking to Lt. Warner, the memories came flooding back. Of sitting in the A.K. Cinema watching a film with a loaded Sten gun on my lap during a period of alert when we were only allowed out of camp in threes and one being armed. Of sleeping in our tent with weapon strapped to our wrists and a bayonet under the pillow.
Of having a bandoler of 100 rounds of .303, and sitting on boxes of ammunition for the Bren gun in our carrier ready to move into Cairo when on “red alert” in September 1953. Stood down when cancelled with half an hour prior to moving off.
But most incredible to remember that us National Servicemen – part-time soldiers if you like – were never given any instruction as in what circumstances we could open fire. We never trained with blank rounds as they do today. I think of those same veterans from Northern Ireland having murder charges hanging over them, and think “there but for the grace of God go I”
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