Egypt WWII ?

[MissJeanavive]

Hello!

I am going to Egypt in December and I was hoping you all could contribute some cliff-notes about the history of Egypt during WWII / links to meaty web resources greatly appreciated. I have been doing the research on ancient but WWII is more applicable to my interests.

I am going to try to go from Alexandria to take a gander at this museum.
http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/alemeinmuseum.htm

Thanks in advance.

 

[Smithy]

Alan Moorehead's African Trilogy is very good for the war in the Western Desert, although probably a tad long-winded for what you are after.

Time Life's "The War in the Desert" is probably not bad for what you want. Plenty of photos and a relatively concise text.

I'm quite jealous of your trip as I haven't visited Egypt. Although I'd love too as my great grandfather is buried just outside of Cairo from WWI and one of my great uncles fought in North Africa in WWII.

 

[MissJeanavive]

Thanks Smithy, do you know the name of the cemetery? is it a military? I usually ensure I visit cemetery's on my journeys...it would be an adventure if I could look up your history in the process.

 

[Smithy]

I know that he is buried at the Cairo War Memorial Cemetery.

I really must make it there some day.

 

[MissJeanavive]

Can you find him on the Cemetery Report?

http://www.cwgc.org/search/cemetery_details.aspx?cemetery=11000&mode=1

 

[Smithy]

Can you find him on the Cemetery Report?

http://www.cwgc.org/search/cemetery_details.aspx?cemetery=11000&mode=1

Yes, I can. If you do go to the cemetery could I be so presumptuous to ask that you take a photo of the grave for me?

I can PM you his details and the grave reference.

And absolutely no problem if you do not visit the cemetery (I have no idea where the thing is in relation to central Cairo, it might be miles out of the way!).

 

[Dixon Cannon]

fftopic:

I know I'm off the map as far as this particular discussion goes, but my post relates inasmuch as the story "The English Patient" took place in North Africa during WWII.

I'll be in Tuscany next week and I plan to drive up north from Florence to Fiesole where the Villa San Girolamo is located. That's the Villa in which most of the story takes place where Hana nurses the English Patient and where she meets Kip and David Caravaggio as the story develops and unfolds.

If it turns out to be spectacular, I'll post some photos!

-dixon cannon

 

[Cobden]

As a former Alexandrite (I spent the years 2002-2005 living there), I would avoid the city itself as being rather dull, but definately visit El Alamein (about an hour by car west of Alex). The museum there is excellent, though if one is pernickity about grammar, typographical errors (they claim that Rommel came to Egypt in 1991) and has a dislike of accidental double entendres, one may find it somewhat less enjoyable. I'd also recommend visiting the Commonwealth, German and Italy war cemetries, as not only are they very thought provoking, they are all very different and demonstrate the differing view towards the war and are all dignified whilst diverse.

Egypt, I must say, unfortunately does not gear itself up towards those whose interests lie in it's more recent history, partly due to complex historic and political reasons. However, El Alamein is an excellent exception to this. I'd also thoroughly recommend a book called "Cairo in the War, 1939-1945" by Artemis Cooper, as it gives an exceptional account of the city during those darker days of the city.

Oh, and if the guides at the El Alamein museum ask if you want to see the map display, definately go for it and tip heavily. It is of little historical interest, but accidentally highly amusing.

 

[Story]

Got a good bottle of wine and a footstool?

http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/battle_of_el_alamein.htm

http://books.google.com/books?id=_o...esnum=13&ved=0CDcQ6AEwDA#v=onepage&q=&f=false

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/categories/c55239/

http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/ttt07/el-alamein-german-attack.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GKqYkbesQ0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au168Zm4IMU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiwSSYQcew8

 

[MissJeanavive]

SMITHY - I am going to make a goal of it to get there. PM me with the info and I will certainly take a photo.

THANKS for all the great links and book references - today I went to the library and got "The War in the Desert" and also, "The Battle of El Alamein".

I need to go over the schedule to see how much free time there is for excursions...I did a group thing because it was cheaper.

THANKS!

 

[Diamondback]

I'd suggest you look up the various Osprey volumes* on the North African campaign, read 'em and possibly take 'em with you. Other than that, all I can say is to wish you safe travels!
*Actually, I've yet to see anything in their catalog not well worth the cover price, and if you order direct it's buy 4 get 1 free.

 

[dhermann1]

A couple more noteworthy episodes:
The Cairo Conference in November of 1943. Chiang Kai-shek and his wife managed to upstage everyone else at the event.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo_Conference
Also, later in the war, a large contingent of Greek soldiers were interned there for a while. They mutinied, as a result of internal Greek political issues. The mutiny was rather ruthlessly put down by the British, but it led to a political solution that helped the Greeks.

 

[griffer]

Not strictly history, but I just finished "A Cafe on the Nile" by Bartle Bull, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Link

Hunh, second in a series...guess I need to go back to the beginning Fezzini.

 

[BellyTank]

I'd suggest you look up the various Osprey volumes* on the North African campaign, read 'em and possibly take 'em with you. Other than that, all I can say is to wish you safe travels!
*Actually, I've yet to see anything in their catalog not well worth the cover price, and if you order direct it's buy 4 get 1 free.

Or download them all for free-


B
T

 

[BellyTank]

I forgot...

If you DO visit Alexandria, please have an ice-cold Carlsberg
and think of John Mills.


B
T

 

[Interbak]

Hey Miss J,

I agree with Cobden, Alexandria itself is a bit of a rat hole, with not much to see. There is the old fortress down at the harbor but it's not like a fort over here, there are only a couple of small display case, not much actual historical info (at least there wasn't 10 years ago). Take your woolies along as well, northern Egypt is cold and damp in the winter.

Brian

 

[Troglodyte]

Concur

The fort hasn't changed, and AT ALL COSTS avoid the aquarium! Depressing.

Great seafood, though!

 

[normanpitkin]

My father was stationed in cairo in the second world war and attempted (for a bet) to hit a golf ball from the top of the great pyramid.His contention was,logically it should hit the ground and therefore clear the pyramid.Sadly no matter how hard he hit the ball it would never do this,something to do with the bulk of the massive pyramid.Last year,i visited cairo myself but sadly one is no longer allowed to scale the pyramid....

 

[Diamondback]

fftopic:

Or download them all for free-

But none of us here would do anything so illegal as downloading them under any other conditions than buying a membership at Osprey's site, right? RIGHT?! *raised eyebrow*

 

[Smithy]

SMITHY - I am going to make a goal of it to get there. PM me with the info and I will certainly take a photo.

Thanks MissJeanavive, I'll send you a PM with my great-grandfather's details.