VITAL WORK BY SAPPERS

The capacity of the average member of the Services to turn his hand to almost anything demanded of him and then make a good job of it has been well illustrated in this present emergency in the way the Services are tackling the problems of port working and transportation.

In normal times the bulk of the work of ship loading and discharge at the two main ports used by the Services – PORT SAID and ADABIYA – is carried out by civilian firms working to the requirements of Army Movements.

Due to the withdrawal of civilian labour, however this work has had to be carried out directly by the Services themselves. Military organisation for carrying out this work is the Transportation Service of the Royal Engineers. Only two operating squadrons – one Port and one Inland Water Transport – are available in Egypt, however; and these have been heavily taxed in providing the necessary men to carry out the technical tasks involved and to direct those unskilled in this work who have been made available from other Arms and Services.

At ADABIYA a Troop of 53 Port Sqn RE has been providing crane and winch drivers, and trained stevedores for as many as four ships at a time and ably assisted by Gunners, Pioneers, Merchant Navy, RAF etc who have been working manfully in the cargo holds and on the quays, have achieved as much as 500 tons a day discharged or loaded.

FANARA Wharf on the Bitter Lake normally used only for Barge Traffic is being used as a deep sea Port and here a second Troop of 53 Port Sqn RE with assistance from the Infantry and Pioneers has been working a large 5 hatch cargo ship to the order of 1,000 tons a week.

A THIRD TROOP

With reinforcements from U.K. it is intended soon to form a third Troop of 53 Port Sqn RE who will then take over the technical task of port work at PORT SAID. At the moment this work is being undertaken by a combined effort of all Services R.N., Merchant Navy, all branches of the Army in Port Said and Detachments from R.A.F.

Since at PORT SAID and FANARA large ships cannot come alongside the quay due to lack of the necessary depth of water, all cargoes have to be discharge into or loaded from craft which work between ship and shore. A good deal of the carriage of stores between PORT SAID, ADIBIYA and wharves on the Suez Canal is also carried out by craft.

EVERYBODY IN

In normal times this work was performed by 1207 1.W.T. Operating Sqn RE employing on its 1WT Fleet a high percentage of civilian crews. The civilian crews having gone however, 1207 Sqn has had to find the Skippers, Mates and Engineers for as many ‘Z’ Craft and Tugs as it can man from amongst its own personnel which has meant that many a landlubber now finds himself afloat. The Infantry has also turned to, as always, and several are now enjoying the unusual experience of being seamen. The Navy and RAF have also produced two Tug crews at PORT SAID.

At PORT SAID and ADABIYA Port Committees have been set up composed of Service Representatives which meet daily to plan the best use of the resources available and to decide priorities in the work to be done.

So long as the Services are on the job therefore the ships will be unloaded, Egyptian labour or no, and another page will have been written in the records of what can be done, given the necessary drive and determination