On this day in 1956, British and French Troops withdrew from the Suez Canal. Here is a British Movietone report showing when allied forces entered the port of Said.
The chaotic state of affairs in Port Said harbor, when allied forces entered the scene. On Nasser’s orders, a number of ships had been sunk near the Canal entrance. Tanks had been ashore for some hours and were engaged in dealing with pockets of resistance. In the town itself, the British armor effectively dealt with opposition from Egyptian forces, who’d been ordered to continue fighting. Nests of snipers had to be cleared out, and a number of buildings in various parts of the town were knocked about during the process. Troops were on patrol during this period before the Cease Fire. One of the many roles played by Naval helicopters was the evacuation of casualties. Our wounded were flown aboard the Aircraft-Carrier HMS Eagle, and taken to a hospital in Cyprus. Total Allied casualties were announced at just over a hundred.
Port Said Harbour: sunken ships and dredgers. British and French troops on the beach. British tanks are situated in the town. Damage in streets, houses burning, etc. Troops on patrol. Egyptian police are being rounded up. A royal navy helicopter takes off (carrying the wounded). Helicopter landing aboard the aircraft carrier HMS “Eagle”. Casualties coming off a helicopter. Shots of General Sir Charles Keitley (Allied Commander in Chief). Interior hospital in Cyprus. Various injured soldiers in bed (Sandy Cavanagh, Anthony Smollen, Sidney Williams, George Stanger, and Dennis Rossell). Port Said – Egyptian civilians in the streets.
Disclaimer: British Movietone is an historical collection. Any views and expressions within either the video or metadata of the collection are reproduced for historical accuracy and do not represent the opinions or editorial policies of the Associated Press.
You can license this footage for commercial use through AP Archive – the story number is BM68870A.
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3 Comments
Sadly the day Britain started rob became the third world!
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
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