RAF AUXILLARY POLICE TRAINING CAMP

ISMAILIA 1949-50

As Remembered By David Bushnell

The camp was situated to the west of RAF Ismailia airfield, built in the 1930’s at the time of airship development, was constructed as a staging post for the proposed airship flights to India. Following the ill fated maiden flight of the government sponsored airship, the privately funded R33 and R34 airships were both scrapped.

The base of the mooring tower, workshops, and the hydrogen tank surround still existed in the early 1950’s.

The role of this unit was training recruits of various middle-eastern nationalities to carry out civilian security duties at RAF station in the Suez Canal Zone.

Squadron Leader Churcher was in overall command of auxiliary police in the middle east at that time, with Flying Officer Murray in command of training on the camp.

Apart from the RAF personnel, initially the majority of the training staff and recruits were Egyptians, however, the civilian administrative staff was rather like the United Nations with Greek, French, Palestinian and Maltese personnel involved in running the camp.

The RAF Police personnel stationed at the unit were Corporals Hopton, Ford, Marney and myself (Bushnell), later joined by Sergeants Read and Robinson.

Apart from the Arab instructors, Captain Sabry and Inspector King who I believe to have been Egyptian Police personnel, dealt with non military details.

During 1950 I was transferred to Air Marshal Sir John Baker, Commander in Chief, Middle East Air Forces staff as a member of his escort before the start of the Egyptian authorities campaign to reclaim the Suez Canal Zone from British forces.

At this time I understand that most of the Arab staff were forced to leave British employment by threat or actual physical violence from their own people, and new recruits from East Africa came as replacement.

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