AFVOA Newsletters of Year 2012

Page 75 of 80 On 29 Sep we reached Alexandria and visited the world famous Library. A massive architectural beauty of a building well laid out with books and artefacts. One could spend days browsing through its contents. We also visited the Catacomb (a deep well having two rooms at the water level) and the famous Amphitheatre and the Roman Bath. On 3 Oct we visited the town of Ismailia located in between Port Said in the North and Suez town in the south. We sat comfortably in garden chairs in the local club and watched huge Cargo ships guided by pilots pass by in the Suez Canal. On 5 Oct we visited El Alamien and saw the Commonwealth War Memorial cemetery (very well maintained) where over seven thousand three hundred are buried/cremated after the North African Campaign led by Field Marshal Montgomery during World War-II. Fourth and the Fifth Indian Divisions had participated in the war. On the marble walls we could read the names of Indian Soldiers who had laid down their lives. Many of them are from Infantry Units, Sappers and Pioneer Corps. 19 Hyderabad of my Regt (Kumaon) had also participated and the names of our soldiers (Rifleman Kushal Ram being one of them) who sacrificed their lives were etched in golden letters. Most Indians were cremated and hence there is no tomb stone for them erected. After paying our homage we visited the local war museum. A number of Indian Regiments/ units had participated in the North African Campaign. Some of them are: Cavalry Units: (2 Lancers, 7 Cav, 75 Cav, 78 Cav, Hodson Horse, Central India Horse, Poona Horse, Scinde Horse, Skinners Horse). Infantry Units: (Punjab Regt (1,2,8,16 Bns), 6 Raj Rif, 7 Rajput, 11 Sikh Regt, 9 Jat, 5 Mahratta Light Infantry, 18 Garh Rif, Sikh LI, 19 Hyderabad Regt (1 Kumaon Rifles), 1Jaipur Inf, Sawaiman Guards, Alwar Jey Paltan, Nabaha Akal Inf, Jodhpur Sardar Inf, 1 Rampur Inf. Gorkha Rifles: (1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10 Bns) Indian Sappers & Miners, Indian Pioneer Corps Royal Regt Indian Arty, Indian Signal Corps Corps of AMC, ASC, AOC, EME, CMP, APO and Others. Royal Indian Navy ABC News had written an article (on 20 Oct 2012) about the El Alamein anniversary of 70 years completion on 19 Oct 2012. We returned to Cairo and visited the Khan-El Khalili market in Cairo which was like the old Moore market. One could buy some alabaster/onyx stone works, stone strings in various colours and souvenirs (most of it imported from China!!!!!). Bargaining is permitted. One gets fresh milk bottled/ in packets and thick buttermilk. Good fruits (cheap) are in plenty (mangoes, bananas, apples, nectarine, kiwis, figs, custard apples and tasty raw dates etc). Cauliflower, cabbage, brinjal of different colours including big ones for making bartha, carrot, cucumber and ladies finger (okra) (one inch in size!!! ) are available. Raw banana, drumsticks, snake/white gourd, pumpkin etc are not available.