Reply to last Journal, page 140 About the photograph sent in by Brian Harwood, formerly The Life Guards. Can anyone remember where and when and what they were doing? Reply by Brian Davis, formerly The Life Guards I certainly can as I took the photograph and I still have the negatives that I took of my time with the Regiment in Egypt, 1954-56. Attached are three photographs; one, the photograph in question, plus two others. The photographs were taken during one of C Squadron’s periodic schemes held in the Egyptian desert. On this particular scheme, someone produced a Soviet Union flag, probably pinched from one of the Ordnance Base Depots we occasionally had reason to visit. I presume it was thought good for a laugh driving around the desert flying the Russian flag. The two Daimler armoured cars are from No 5 Sabre Troop, C Squadron. I can identify four out of seven persons featured in the photograph, but I cannot, however, guarantee the correct spelling of their names. I am standing on the Daimler, holding out the Soviet flag with Cpl Stratford at the rear of the armoured car, leaning his arm on the engine cover.
1. Trooper, later Corporal, Stanley Moody, a Canadian from Vancouver, B.C. After he left the Regiment, he returned to Vancouver. For my part, I had signed on in 1953 as a regular for 22 years but, at the completion of three years’ service with the Colours, I left the Regiment. However, I was only out for two weeks before I was recalled for the Suez crisis. This extra spell lasted about four months and then eighteen months later, I joined the Merchant Navy, serving on P&O Steam Navigation Company ships for about seven years. On one of my trips around the world, my P&O passenger liner called in at Vancouver and I took the opportunity to visit Stan Moody. The last contact I had with him (by letter) was that he had left Canada, was married and living in New Zealand. 2. Trooper, later Warrant Officer, Ben Poynter 3. Corporal, later Captain Quartermaster, Derek Stratford 4. Trooper, Brian Harewood, known to all as “Happy” Harewood was, like myself, a gunner-wireless operator on Daimlers. He is a very lucky man and owes his life to Corporal of Horse Michael Brown. Mike Brown died saving Happy’s life during an incident in Cyprus. 5. This Trooper’s face is familiar, but I cannot put a name to him. 6. Not known 7. Not known
140 Features
Photo taken during live ammunition firing practice. Three figures in the foreground are, left to right: Corporal Nigel (“Nigger”) Jacks, Trooper Brian L. Davis 22556540 and Corporal Eddie Fisher. The officer in the rear seat between Cpl Jacks and myself is Lieutenant Toby Balding. The person just visible behind him is, I am sure, CoH Clark. All other persons, I cannot positively identify.
My reason for sending in these three, somewhat poor quality photocopies, is twofold. The first is to identify the photograph reproduced in the Journal. Secondly to give you an idea of the sort of photos that I have prepared in an album of some of my better photographs that I took whilst with the Regiment in Egypt which I would like to present to the Museum. Although the 6” x 8” photo enlargements themselves are all dry-mounted on the album pages contained in a heavy-duty photo album for which I have yet to compose the captions. Once this is done, I will contact the Museum and endeavour to get the album of 30 photos to someone at the Museum.