Inspired by Paul Nicholson’s article (AE102) on his research into images of Egypt from World War I, Anne Midgley rifles through her collection of postcards from that era and reveals the stories behind them.
Troops who served in Egypt, Palestine and Gallipoli in WWI did not have to endure the ordeal of the Western Front but did play a prominent part over a period of four years when they helped to gain control of the region from Turco-German forces and brought about the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Although they were not subjected to the horrors of trench warfare in France, they were involved in key battles in Sinai and Gaza. Egypt was also a training ground and troop camp for British armed forces. By 1918 these camps included Indian, Australian and New Zealand soldiers, so the number of troops reached about 400,000. During the war, troops and equipment went through the Suez canal en route for the Western Front, together with millions of tons of provisions bound for Britain and her Allies. The canal was so important that the British Government took steps to provide defences for it.
I have a postcard which was issued to commemorate the National Postal Museum Exhibition The Post Office at War – 1882-1919, which was held from July to October 1982, and shows the departure of the Post Office Rifle Volunteers (see above), leaving St. Martins-le-Grand, London, for Egypt in August 1882. I am sure there were many scenes like this all over England as troops prepared to leave for the war.
Denne historien er fra Issue 103-utgaven av Ancient Egypt.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 103-utgaven av Ancient Egypt.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
INSIDE THE STEP PYRAMID OF DJOSER
Sean McLachlan explores the recently reopened interior of this iconic Third Dynasty Saqqara monument.
PER MESUT: for younger readers
She Who Loves Silence
Highlights of the Manchester Museum 29: An Offering by Queen Tiye for her Husband
Campbell Price describes an offering table with a touching significance.
Highlights Of The Manchester Museum 28: Busts Of Jesse And Marianne Haworth
Campbell Price describes the significance of two statue busts on display in the Museum.
TAKABUTI, the Belfast Mummy
Rosalie David and Eileen Murphy explain how scientific examination of the ‘Belfast Mummy’ is revealing much new information about her life and times.
Lost Golden City
An Egyptian Mission searching for the mortuary temple of Tutankhamun has discovered a settlement – “The Dazzling of Aten” – described as the largest city ever found in Egypt (see above). Finds bearing the cartouches of Amenhotep III (see opposite, top) date the settlement to his reign, c. 1390-1352 BC – making it about 3400 years old.
Jerusalem's Survival, Sennacharib's Departure and the Kushite Role in 701 BCE: An Examination of Henry Aubin's Rescue of Jerusalem
BOOK REVIEWS
Golden Mummies of Egypt: Interpreting Identities from the Graeco-Roman Period by Campbell Price
BOOK REVIEWS
Old And New Kingdom Discoveries At Saqqara
An Egyptian team working on a Sixth Dynasty pyramid complex near the Teti pyramid at Saqqara has made a series of important discoveries.
Map Of Egypt
What’s in a name? It is easy for us to forget that the names we associate with the pyramids – such as the Meidum Pyramid, the Bent Pyramid or the Black Pyramid – would have been meaningless to their builders.