I was interested in Joy Linford's comments. I missed Phil Everest's (Letters, October 17). I was posted to Tel-el-Kebir early in 1950.
As you approached the garrison, it was surrounded by high wire fences, minefields, searchlight towers and machine guns (very cosy). The huts were big, with no windows, just shutters (nice in a sand storm). The toilets were corrugated iron with a bit of hessian, a large plank with holes in and a tin underneath, plus rats.
The food was pretty bad most of the time. We thought it was camel or water buffalo. The MO did stop the sweat parades that year. As for cigarettes, the ration card allowed you 120 English ones as long as you had the money. The good things were Ivy Benson's Band at Christmas and Jack Warner the next time.
The bunch of lads in S block, D Camp, were some of the best ever. They gave us six months' extra time. We all ended up doing 18 months in this "holiday camp".
Joy didn't mention the mosquitoes or any thought of the lads who died.
-Ray, Wickhurst Road, Portslade
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