R.T.R. SHANDUR 1949
'WHAT TO DO FOR CHRISTMAS'
As Remembered By Len Wilby
So there we were in Shandur, 2 years into a 3 year tour of BTE. No LIAP (leave in advance of Python) – no LILOP (leave in lieu of Python) either. What to do for Christmas? The married quarters in Suez were always good to us with invites for the weekend, but Christmas is family, eh? The endless round of serving gunfire to the troops, gallons of Stella or Rum & Coke, before, during or after serving Christmas Dinner to ‘the Men’ definitely no unisex in those days. Crashing out on your charpoy before the inevitable smoker, where you usually find some drunken Trooper telling you that you would be his best mate but for the fact that you were a sergeant. There was always the Sgts Mess pantomime to look forward to, and entertaining the Officers in the Mess! Somehow this did not appeal this year.
So, into a couple of Rum & Cokes one lunch time (probably Saturday after workshops), Sgt Dick Richardson, (an 11th Hussar who had roamed the Western Desert during Rommel’s party and was therefore able to look after himself) and me (a young RTR fitter Sgt) came up with the idea of something a bit adventurous but in the spirit of a religious festival. We decided against the Holy Land across the Sinai – they were still shooting at us then! It was decided that The Mount of Moses (Gebel Mousa) would be fitting. We intended to apply for recreational transport in the form of a 15 cwt truck. We thought it might be politic to get the MT Sgt on side – a 4th Hussar whose name, I am ashamed to say, is lost in the mists of time (if you do read this, do get in touch).
We duly applied to transport. The MTO thought it was unusual so referred it to our CO, Major Beazley. He thought it a splendid idea. However, the thought of 3 Sgts roaming the Sinai without the guidance of Officers was not on. He detailed two young ‘Rupert’s’ or ‘Henry’s’ or whatever we called them then. And that made the escapade an official exercise!! It ended up with a 3 ton Dodge, full of pol, water and rations. One 15 cwt Chevrolet FWW, 3 Sgts, 1 driver/ operator and 2 young subby’s.
We left Shandur on a Sunday, at the Canal Ferry crossing - the Egyptian Police were not happy with the wireless truck. They needed ‘papers’. The two Cavalry Subby’s, 17/21st Lancer and 16/5th Lancer set off to produce a movement order. This they did by digging out the Duty Clerk, signing it themselves and then got one of the Arab servants to endorse it in Arabic. The genius bit, they made a duplicate for the Police to retain. The whole lot covered in whatever rubber stamps that they could find – one of which read ‘this book must not be removed from the Officer’s Mess’! It did the trick, the Police were happy with their copy, and off we went.
We soon run out of tarmac at an oil town a few miles down. We were treated to a cold beer and ice cream! Then on our way. The timings are lost in the grey matter, so just major events are recalled here.
The first was when we came upon a patch of very soft mud where rainwater flowed down from the hills and across the track down to the valley below. As the Chevvy had 4-wheel drive, and the Dodge was a 4 x 2, the Chevvy was sent over first – no problem. The Dodge however got wheelspin and partially bogged. Oh dear, or words to that effect, what now? What now indeed, out from nowhere popped half a dozen Arabs with long stout poles. Tea was made, fags offered, Dick negotiated, a bar of chocolate each, a tin of 50 Players to share, some dry tea – the Arabs soon had us levered out of the mud.
One evening we had had our meal, a fire had been built as it was December after all and a bit cold. The two ‘Rupert’s’ sat a little apart from us, as was the custom as they had never been in a tank crew. We heard the unmistakeable pop of a bubbly cork; it was one of them celebrating his 21st Birthday so we offered to share it with them. To there honour they did so we shared our Rum & Coke with them.
We arrived at St. Catherine’s Monastery at dusk and set up our bivvy’s by the wall out of the wind. In the morning we were woken up by the sound of a muttering and whispering. We looked out to find lots of women and children gazing at our little camp. It soon became obvious that we were not the reason that they had gathered, for high in the Monastery wall, a door opening, and loads of fresh bread was thrown down to the waiting crowd. Allegedly, their reward for protecting the Monastery over the centuries. Soon the garden door was opened and some monks came out to greet us. Soon a game of football was in full swing, the long cassocks of the young monks did nothing to diminish their speed. A couple of us were offered a cell each for the night! Interesting but not our style.
The Monastery was just about self contained. We were proudly shown around the different trade workshops, from coppersmiths to cobblers. The religious areas of nave and side altars were truly fabulous. Everywhere and everything was ornamented by precious gems and gold chalices, plates, dishes – endless items. The side altar of ‘The Burning Bush’ was even more elaborate, with ‘The Bush’ growing out through the church wall. the summit of the mountain there were large crosses to commemorate some of the departed monks. As I looked at The Mount the thought crossed my mind, how did Moses manage with stone tablets to climb such a rugged peak?
Then we retraced our steps with an uneventful journey back to Shandur.
If you ‘Google’ St Catherine’s today you will find tarmac
replaces the desert tack, and hotels are strewn around. And all part of a package
tour – not half as much satisfaction!.