Afternoon, Im carrying out some research on a soldier who was posted from HQ Troops Sudan and Eritrea to 18 (canal) area but I would like to know exactly what area 18 area covered?, there a lots of War Diaries but none with the location that I can see and Ive exhausted Google so you are my last shot!!! its not a deal breaker but I would like to put in my report posted to Movement Control 18 area located in the Canal Zone at............ Can anybody help Regards Mick
Sorry Yes I know its the Suez Canal I know I might sound it but I'm not a total div but what area around the canal does it cover and where was the HQ Located
As there seems to be little information at all I dare adding some snippets from the war establishment side regarding the spacious conditions: Headquarters, 18 Area, Middle East is WE VI/53 B/5, effective from 27.01.1944. There is no mention of locations. From its predecessors, only versions 2 and 3 are available. WE VI/53 B/2 - Headquarters Canal Base and Lines of Communication Area, effective from 04.12.1940. WE VI/53 B/3 - Headquarters, Canal Base Area, effective from 24.09.1941 (and superseding version 2) Version 2 mentions six garrisons, for which personnel is attached: - Port Said - Suez - Ter-el-Kebir - Geneifa-Fayid - Qassim - Mahsama. Version 3 doesn't mention any location. Hope that adds a little to your research. Regards Aixman
Thanks very much for that Aixman, it is so frustrating when trying to tie things down and the info is so scarce, but I can work on that many thanks its greatly appreciated
The exact geographical limit of the command would almost certainly have changed over time. Similarly, the location of the main HQ may well have varied over time. One or both of the above may have altered whilst the person you are researching was there. In the absence of any information on what timeframe you are looking at, providing any sort of definitive answer is, by definition, impossible. If anything offered happens to be correct, it would only be a fluke. Geographical boundaries and HQ locations are best found in the appropriate war diaries. However, you wrote you have already looked through them and come up empty. Notwithstanding the above, none of the above information identifies where the subject of your research was actually stationned - unless he was the most senior mover in the command when he would spend most time in the command HQ. Anybody below that would likely be at an outpost counting things on and off transport. If he was there for any length of time, he was probably moved around a fair amount. But again, that probably all depends on what timeframe you are looking at.
Thanks Mark, yea he indeed travelled from one area to another after serving 2 years in Sudan but he was a WO2 by then but seemed to go from area 18 to moascar. once again many thanks for your reply. mick
