Britains Small Wars - Suez (1956)

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Read more here: http://www.britains-smallwars.com/suez/suez-index.html

Britains Small Wars - Suez (1956)

Operation Musketeer The post war strain on Anglo-Egyptian relations came to a head on 26th July 1956 when President Nassar announced the nationalization of the Anglo-French Suez Canal Co. The last British troops had left the area earlier that month because the Egyptians had made it impossible for the base to function effectively, which caused the British government to withhold new aircraft and equipment for the Egyptian forces. The Egyptians consequently went to the Eastern bloc for their needs which caused the Western powers to withdraw their support from Egypt's Aswan high dam project. This resulted in Egypt taking over the Canal.
Britain and France reacted to this threat, which could cut off their remaining Far East colonies, strongly despite US opposition to an invasion. British civilians were evacuated from Egypt and the reservists were called up. The newly formed Israel joined the Anglo-French alliance. On 31st October, H.M.S. Eagle, Albion and Bulwark left Malta with the Helicopter Carriers H.M.S. Ocean and Theseus. At 4.44am Transport command dropped six hundred men of 3 Para on Gamil airfield in Egypt. British troops had been committed to the Suez Crisis.
Please note that we have only touched the surface of the Suez invasion and will be adding more information to this site as time permits and we welcome any corrections to the above.

[Kyt]

A forgotten episode which tends to focus on the political leaders rather then the men on the ground. Whatever the rationale, and the outcome of this operation, let's not forget that soldiers on all sides died and were injured. This is a wonderful site:

http://www.suezveteransassociation.co.uk/index.html

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http://www.suezveteransassociation.co.uk/forgotten.html

Operation Musketeer began on the 31st of October 1956, two days after the Israeli Operation Kadesh began, in the command of the British General Charles Keightley and the French Admiral Pierre Barjot- with the participation of 45 thousand British soldiers and 34 thousand French soldiers. The purpose of the Operation was to take back the control over the Suez Canal which Nasser has nationalized in July 1956.

The beginning of the Operation was coordinated a few days earlier in a secret meeting in the town Sevres, close to Paris, which included the Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, the French Prime Minister Guy Alcide Mollet and the British Defence Minister.
The British Prime Minister, Sir Anthony Eden, was in contact with those present from London.


After five massive bombings of airports, train stations and other targets across Egypt, the Anglo-French forces landed in Port Said and Port Fuad in the northern part of Suez Canal.
Only on the 5th of November, two days later, the two cities were conquered and the forces prepared to advance south. However, international pressure brought to a UN resolution which put an end to the war, and by the end of December the forces were cleared from Egyptian ground.

In Britain, until this day, the Operation is perceived as a failure, and that is also how some soldiers see it. In conversations with them their pain arises- for not being appreciated by the government, for their devotion.
Even though fifty years have passed the soldiers reconstruct the events and the disappointment with great force, yet with restraint- as suited for a British officer, a gentleman.