ALAN ROSE PAGE

A fresh faced lad yet to get his knees brown ! Picture taken October 1953, a month into my time at RAF Kasfareet. Billet 83 was to the right of this picture.

Left...Me and (the late) Tony Clevely on the beach of the Florida Hotel, Famagusta, Cyprus August/September 1954
Above...Where could this be ? January 1955, first visit to Cairo.

Above left...4102790 LAC Rose in `Mufti`, RAF Kasfareet probably about 1955. Note the turn-ups on the trousers. These were for carrying and disposal of sand from the various escape tunnels being dug at the time. !

Above right...Between the lines. Billet 83 on left, WRAF compound on the right.Looks like there are some billets at end of WRAF Compound. Person taking the photo was obviously a berk !....(Jan 27th 2011. Jack Garry`s investigations show that the building in view to the rear is part of the Cpl/WRAF Mess as can also be seen in the picture below of Charlie Wright, Rex Oliver and John (ginger) Dunne also outside billet 83

Above left... A most unusually serious looking Bob Donnelly from Scotland. Bob was a big fan of Al Jolson and used to dance on tables while impersonating his hero ! A member of billet 83.

Above right... Everybody has their picture taken sitting on this or similar stone. This particular one was situated on the Canal Road outside RAF Kasfareet. Fabulous knees. c1954

Above left...Charlie Wright, Rex Oliver and John(Ginger) Dunne outside billet 83 at Kasfareet. This would, today, be classed as politically incorrect and I think we would all be locked up in The Tower. I think it is a lovely picture and stands the test of time - 50 years !

Above right...John(Ginger) Dunne, Bob Donnelly and Tony Clevely, RAF Kasfareet. I doubt Tony`s footwear would have been approved !

Above left...I wonder if the Egyptian gentleman is talking "How many camels for your daughter Sgt Prior ?" The `White Eyes` depicted are Sgt Prior with young son, wife and daughter. The National Museum is in the background. Cairo January 1955

Above right...Interesting news from home ! Mother used to send the Football Post every week during the season, bless her !

Is this the roundabout near SHQ ?....see right ---->
And to what does the sign refer ? Did drivers drive on the left in camp ?

Jan 27th 2010...Jack Garry`s study below the map

Alan stands on the corner of the road up from the YMCA on the left bend to go between billets 1 and 9.
The tented area can be seen in the background.

Right...the Captain and his ship.

Ismailia again in 1985 on the shores of the Suez Canal with the Sinai Desert in the background

...and yes, that is a real camel with me perched much too high ! Earlier photo`s show the camel`s minder riding up like " Lawrence of Arabia " spotting me as a likely lad to make a fool of himself. Peter O`Toole, eat your heart out ! The hands do not look comfortable !!

The YMCA in 1958 taken by Alan

There is comment in Joe Shortland`s Kasfareet Kronicle Issue no 55 of January 1999, that a soldier who had visited El Ballah in 1958 had visited the Kasfareet site and seen amongst the ruins, what was left of the YMCA. It had apparently been turned into a mosque and had a minaret added to the far end. By ruins, I assume that this refers to the visit by Canberras and Valiants on 29th October 1956 during the Suez dust up. It does not say if the YMCA (Mosque version) had also been damaged in 1956 because Alan`s picture above in 1985 seems ok but the building in the background does look a bit decrepit....All data given by Jack Garry