REGARDING my letter dated September 26.
A few friends have been in touch asking what my "moan" is all about -- so here is a pithy summing up.
"Suez 51/54 -- Why no medal?" (The campaign and casualties that never were?)
In the early 1950s, a garrison of 80,000 British troops, mainly National Servicemen, was stationed in the Suez Canal Zone of Egypt. The Egyptians revoked their treaties with Britain and encouraged terrorism on a scale to rival many other operational trouble spots in post Second World War years. Uniquely, in that period, this service, and sacrifice, was never recognised by a medal ...
Fifty-four squaddies were killed guarding the British Base.
Two-hundred-and-seventy-nine others died, many would have lived but for the conditions in Egypt.
Politics stopped us getting recognition then and face-saving stops us getting one now.
Come on, Tony, you know there has been a blunder ... give us our gong while there are still a few veterans around to wear it on Remembrance Sunday."
Ruth Kelly MP, aware of the full details, is absolutely convinced we have been badly done to by our efforts out there at that time being ignored and is positively taking action to rectify this injustice.
Charles L Golder
Green Meadows
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