Dispatches

Your Stories

Send us your TOP SECRET memories of your times in the forces to dispatches@suez56.co.uk

Phil ‘Paddy’ Tomkins

“My name is Phil ‘Paddy’ Tomkins and I served with your father (Corporal Lowe) in 1 Para between 1956 and 1959.

“I got every close to him during 1957-58 when we were both in the Battalion Cross Country and Three Mile Track runnig team.

“Your dad was one hell of a good runner and was as fit as a flea. We won every race we entered, both military and civilian.”, Paddy.

Roger Wiles

Below is a copy of an EOKA leaflet that Roger Wiles picked up in Famagusta, He cannot remember the actual date but thinks it was around 1959. He was a radio operator serving with the Royal Signals at 2 Wireless Reg.

Click here to view document.

*We would like to get this document translated for Roger if anyone can help then email dispatches@suez56.co.uk

Hugh T. Grant

Read Hugh Grants book – A Game of Soldiers 1957-60 (To place an order please email hujo@yahoo.co.uk) or you can buy it here.

Hugh served in 1 Para along with my Dad and ‘Paddy’ Tomkins and wrote a book some time ago about his Para days. Entitled “A Game of Soldiers 1957-60″. Hugh said ‘It sold surprisingly well and in fact I made more money from that than I ever did as a foot soldier!’
He remembers my Dad well as a very fit guy who was a considerable runner- ‘I’m not sure if he will remember me’.

Hugh is now based in Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, to contact him about his book, ring 01463 222398.

Sailor Haise and the cookhouse fight

My father, Corporal Lowe, was one day working in the company cookhouse with a certain Sailor Haise (see picture above). Apparantly they were making pastry and got into a disagreement about how it should be rolled out. This led to strong words that eventually led to a fist fight. As they both scrapped about, knocking over utensils and cuttlery one of them knocked over a bag of flour.

By this time, both bleeding and rolling about on the floor they became covered from head to toe in flour and apparently ended up laughing so much they couldn’t raise another punch.The sight of them covered in blood and flour and laughing hysterically has always been a joy to hear when my dad recalls it.

email from Susan (Turner) Bailey

Hi, I had a look at your website today, it’s great. I am reading a book, ‘Suez, The double war’ as my Dad, Roy Turner was a 3 para. He served in Suez 1956 and then in Nicosia, Cypress. In your anecdotes page there is a photo… the man 4th from the right in the background looks like my Dad. Is there a way this can be confirmed? His name is officially Philip Dennis Roy Turner but was always known as ‘Roy’.

He was born in Taunton, UK. We (My Mum Sheila and three children) emigrated to Australia in 1965 and Dad very quickly became a successful swimming pool builder ( a plasterer by trade) until his death in 1998. If there is any way to confirm it is him or see any more photos of my Dad? Our Family lived in Bridgwater, Somerset and now I live in Bondi, Sydney, Australia Cheers, Susan (Turner) Bailey

Tom Davies, Ex Sgt

I was with the Royal Signals recalled to 52 LofC and sailed out their on the S.S.Rivercrest arriving at Suez on Nov 6th. we spent a week their awaiting the U.N to arrive. Our transport remained on board. We did have a game of footie on the beach were our lads had landed, and after the game a couple of us went into the water to cool off.

On sailing back to Cyprus to collect fresh water, I was taken ill with the “Trots” and wound up in a sick bay cot. On the approach to Famagusta, the skipper of the ship came to see me, to check on my progress. He said that every third member of the ship who had been taken ill had died, he had the ships log to prove it. I was out of that cot next morning like a dose of salts. The skippers name was Capt. Anderson, from Scotland. Tom Davies, Ex Sgt.

CONTACT US: If you were on Operation Musketeer or in Cyprus as a serving soldier in the 50’s. Also please do get in touch if you have images of a family member. Photos and stories welcome.

All pics on this site are copyright AJ Lowe apart from photo of Suez drop, which is taken from the front cover of Brigadier Paul Crook’s Book ‘Came The Dawn’ and Corporal Lowe ‘counting bullets’ which was first published by the Cyprus Times. We are now receiving more pictures. Many Thanks to Derek Charlesworth who has recently contributed pictures of his dad’s time.