Can anyone give me some basic information regarding the British Army in North Africa and especally Egypt before the outbreak of the 2nd WW. I have learnt recently that my Grandfather return to England in the early 30s with the Royal Hampshires and later Royal Artillery on home defence he joined as a a boy soldier in Egypt while he's father served in the Royal Military Police in the 20/30s out in Egypt, I also belive he served in India during thoses years.
I have looked up on the web but still cannot find out what the British Army where doing in Egypt, my only guess is protecting the Sauz canal ?
Medic - you may be right as when the 1922 reorganisation of the Army tooks place the vast bases that had been built up in Egypt since the 1882 invasion by Maj.Gen.Garnet Wolesleys troops were allowed to fall into disuse -and so the Army's attendance was limited to protectiing British interests in the Zuez Canal - one constant was the 11th Hussars during the 30's period in their Rolls Royce Armoured cars of 1922 vintage, whilest learning how to navigate the trackless desert which stood them in good stead when the Italians finally moved towards Egypt in the late 1940. then built up once more by Gen. Wavell in 1940 to ensure the victories at El Alamein in 1942 -and as we know were finally lost in the 1957 debacle by Anthony Eden - and even more so by President Eisenhower and P.M. Pearson in Canada going all chicken on us when we were on the point of Victory thus causing the upsurge of Arab dominationn of all petrol prices since 1973....but then it's all History by now ! Cheers
There's a chapter on this exact subject in Barrie Pitt's "The Crucible of War - Wavell's Command" but I'm not close to my copy at the minute. IIRC there was only something like 8,500 men in the Delta in September 1939...
Following the Great War there were calls for Egypt to be granted Independence riots and demonstrations took place and Anti British feeling ran high The British government quickly came to the conclusion that it would be better to grant independence to pro-British Egyptians now rather than wait for nationalists to take power for themselves. In 1922, the British protectorate was officially ended and Independence was granted on 22nd February 1922.. However, Britain still retained responsibility for the maintenance of communications, defence, the protection of European interests and of course there were the continued British Interests in the Sudan. Technically, Egypt would be independent, but the real power behind the throne remained British. The Suez and Egypt in General were considered vital links for the Empire (Egypt had been a great staging post for actions against the Turks in WW1 as well) In 1929 the British agreed to reduce troop numbers in Egypt but not in the Canal Zone itself.Demonstrations against the British continued and there were riots in 1935 which gave the British government the excuse to increase their military forces in Egypt once again. Verrieres
