STATION HQ – RAF EL HAMRA – 1952-54
As Remembered By Geoff Worner
I joined the RAF in January 1952 and signed on for the extra year for the extra money, and did my square bashing at West Kirby. After embarkation leave I was posted, via Lytham St. Annes and the troopship Empire Test (a rarely mentioned vessel – probably because I think it was scrapped soon after) to El Hamra in the Canal Zone where I did my Trade Training.
I was posted to El Hamra in May 1952 and worked in Station Headquarters until re-pat to the UK in November 1954. El Hamra doesn’t seem to feature much in the magazine but I suspect that many RAF bods would have had a passing acquaintance with the camp as it was mainly a Transit Camp. Some would have been unfortunate enough to be put on guard duty patrol with a member of the permanent staff.
El Hamra was an odd set-up; divided into two halves – the transit section and the permanent section which in turn housed many other units. Those I remember are:- No.6 Regional Band (where I learned to play the trombone), an Air Publications section, a Police Flight, an Airfield Construction Branch, 51 MT Company, an RAF regiment Rifle Squadron, an RAF Regiment LAA Squadron and two Married Quarters Areas - one area was near to the Guard Room and one area at the top of the camp by the Rifle Range. The latter set was only half constructed and was abandoned when the troubles started, as it was considered too dangerous being too remote and too close to the camp perimeter. But an ideal place to practice my trombone away from the less then appreciative audience in the tented lines!!
We were billeted in tents, three to a tent which were regularly flattened by the Khamseen with the usual primitive facilities. We had a Station Cinema, a NAAFI and a Lady Lampson Club which I had never heard of before or since. It was a sort of luxurious NAAFI. We had the usual round of guard Duty, Fire Piquet and, having an MT Section on camp, sometimes escort duty. We were able to swim in the Great Bitter Lake and trips to Ismailia when not confined to camp.
Next to the Orderly Room was a small room equipped with a bed, a bicycle and a telephone. We had no signals section on the camp so any signals for El Hamra had to be collected from the signals sections on 107 MY Kasfareet, which was about a mile and a half the other side of the Canal Road. A member of the Guard was detailed to occupy this room. When the phone rang he was to hop on the bicycle, with his .303 slung over his shoulder, and cycle off to Kasfareet, collect the signal, cycle back, find the Orderly Officer and get him to sign for the signal. I always thought it was a risky business as a lone airman on a bicycle with a rifle would be easy prey for the Moslem Brotherhood with designs on his rifle. Not to mention the bicycle as a bonus!
Like a lot of the other servicemen in the Zone, I enjoyed my time
there – in retrospect. The greatest advantage I got from being there was
a wife! She started out as my pen friend and I know several of my pals had pen
friends, but when I got home I married mine! We have been married for 60 years
next year, have quite a large wonderful family and all because I was posted
to what was generally accepted to be one of the worst postings there was. For
me it turned out to be one of the best.
ORDERLY ROOM & PAY ACCOUNTS STAFF
Unknown,Pinner (Pay Accounts),Geoff Wellings (CO's Clerk), Unknown,
Jim Walsh (Clerk Orderly Room)
SAC Bernard Whiting (Registry), Sgt King (i/c Orderly Room), Cpl Geoff Worner
(Orderly Room), Unknown
Station Headquarters El Hamra
Cricket Team 1953
(I am the centre of the back row)