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A Place & Date Depicted Suez Canal, Egypt

Photograph - Suez Canal at El Firdan, Egypt, 1915-1916 Reg. No: MM 067612

Summary:: Small photograph of the Suez Canal at El Firdan (modern spelling), Egypt. Boats, jetties and loading cranes are visible on the canal. The photograph is part of a collection of photographs belonging to Alfred Galbraith. Sapper Galbraith was in Egypt with the 2nd and 5th Division from December 1915 to June 1916, when the 5th Division sailed to France.
Description Of Content:: Small photograph of the Suez Canal at El Firdan (modern spelling), Egypt. Boats, jetties and loading cranes are visible on the canal. The photograph is part of a collection of photographs belonging to Alfred Galbraith. Sapper Galbraith was in Egypt with the 2nd and 5th Division from December 1915 to June 1916, when the 5th Division sailed to France.
Acquisition Information:: Donation & Subsequent Transfer from Mrs M. Jamieson, 1985

Discipline:

Technology

More information

Tagged with:	australian army, australian military forces, boats, cranes, jetties, military memorabilia, wars conflicts, waterways, world war i 1914-1918, wrd
Themes this item is part of:	Sapper Alfred Galbraith, AIF (1895-1916), Public Life & Institutions Collection
Primary Classification:	MILITARY HISTORY
Secondary Classification:	Service
Tertiary Classification:	recreation & tourism
Original Caption:	"El Ferdang"
Organisations Depicted:	2nd Division Australian Army; 5th Division Australian Army.
Format:	Photograph: Sepia
Place & Date Depicted:	Suez Canal, Egypt, 1915-1916
Other Association (See Comments):	Alfred Galbraith May have been the photographer - the collection relates to his war experience.

Comments

Keith Doidge Posted on 11 Jun 2010 6:10 PM

Can you tell me when El Firdan was first opened as an R A F Camp.
Served there between 1953 and 1955 and curious about it's origins.
Thanks
Keith (Curly) Doidge.

Discovery Centre Posted on 16 Jun 2010 11:14 AM

Hi Keith. Unfortunately we've had little luck finding out exactly when the camp opened. This article indicates that it was initially an RFS base during WWI, so was probably set up around 1916, but does not give definite dates. You may be able to find out for sure by contacting the RAF Museum.

David Burman Posted on 13 May 2013 9:00 PM

I was at El Firdan in 1953/4 in the RAF working at the radar installation sited at the end of a runway. We were isolated from the main camp - a transport camp - about two miles into the desert. I understood it was a fighter plane runway dating from early WW11 days.