Two years that changed Ron's Life - Long Read
In June 1953, FGCH resident Ron Hope was doing his two years’ National Service out in Egypt. He played an important role in a military parade to mark the Queen’s coronation. We asked him to tell us more…
Ron spent most of his childhood in Newcastle. His family moved to Hallmead, Letchworth Garden City, in 1949, when he was 14 years old. He left Norton School at 15 to work in the Borg Warner factory.
Conscription
Ron Hope, Aged 18
At 18, Ron was called up to complete two years’ National Service. He and his school pal, Bob Coulson, were conscripted into the First Battalion Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment in September 1952.
They were stationed at Kempston Barracks, Bedford, for six weeks’ basic training. This was followed by four weeks’ special training at Blenheim Camp, Bury St Edmunds, which Ron described as “an array of wooden huts”.
After a fortnight’s leave spent with his family in Letchworth, Ron and Bob returned to base on 21 December 1952. Two days later they were both on a flight to Egypt’s Fayed Airport, in the Suez Canal Zone.
Suez Canal Zone
Ron and Bob were two of the many tens of thousands of British conscripts who were tasked with defending the Suez Canal, under the terms of a 1936 treaty. This was a highly dangerous place for British soldiers. They frequently came under attack from Egyptian nationalists who objected to their presence. In fact, between 1950 and 1956, 54 servicemen were killed in the Canal Zone.
“The Suez Canal was about a mile from our camp, which was called El Ballah,” said Ron. “My first impressions of Egypt were that it wasn’t very exciting. The camp was stuck in the middle of a desert. There was nothing but sand and flies.
“Bob took on a job looking after communications as part of the regiment’s signals company. But I’d gone out there determined to be a soldier, so I became a rifleman – I was a pretty good shooter. We were in separate companies but we saw a lot of each other, especially at mealtimes.”
Coronation role
Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire regiment ,1953
Ron was a talented and dedicated soldier. In June 1953 he was given the honour of participating in a military parade held by the British Army in the Suez Canal Zone to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. There were 800 soldiers from the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment out in Suez at that time and Ron was one of only 12 who were selected to take part in the parade.
“It was a bit like Trooping the Colour,” said Ron. “We were the ‘markers’. We each had to stand in a particular spot so that the soldiers who were doing the marching routine knew the exact point where they had to turn. I was very proud to be part of the event.”
Seventy years later, the memories of that day, and of Ron’s time in the Suez Canal Zone, live on. “It’s The Queen’s 70th anniversary, but it’s mine too – and the same goes for all the men who served with me out in Egypt.”
Tragedy strikes
On 5 October 1953 there was a ferocious electrical storm in the area. Ron said: “I was on duty along the canal at the time. I ended up having to crouch in a little indent in the ground, to take shelter from all the sand that was flying around.
“I remember having breakfast with Bob the following morning. I told him we were now on the downward slope because we’d passed the halfway mark in our National Service. That morning was the last time I ever saw him.”
Later that day, when Ron returned for supper, he noticed that Bob wasn’t in his usual place and asked if anyone had seen him. His comrades at the table relayed the tragic news. Bob and another soldier had been sent out to fix some telegraph wires that had been ripped away from their poles during the storm. Bob had climbed a telegraph pole, accidentally touched a live wire and died instantly from electric shock. He was buried within 48 hours, with full military honours.
“It was the worst moment of my life,” said Ron. “An absolute tragedy. I’ve never forgotten it. And I’ll never forget Bob.”
Back to Civvy Street
Ron stayed at El Ballah until May 1954, when he was moved to Moascar Garrison, near Ismailia. By this time he had gained his first stripe – as a lance corporal he was in charge of around 50 men. He stayed at Moascar until 14 August 1954 when, having done his bit for Queen and country, he embarked on the journey back home to England.
Lance Corporal Ron Hope
“My final day of National Service was on 4 September,” he said, “I was a free man at last and couldn’t wait to get back to Letchworth.”
It took Ron a while to settle back into Civvy Street: “In some ways, I missed the Army. I’d got used to being told what to do every day – when to get up, when to eat, when to sleep. My whole day was always planned.”
However, he was soon able to resume normal life, including a happy marriage and a loving family.
Acts of remembrance
Those two years of National Service had a lasting impact on Ron’s life.
When Bob died, Ron vowed to return one day to visit his grave. More than 40 years later Ron kept his promise while on an emotional 10-day trip to the Moascar War Cemetery, accompanied by 69 other Suez Canal Zone veterans. Ron laid a wreath at Bob’s graveside, a trumpeter played The Last Post and a minute’s silence was held in remembrance of comrades who had died during the Suez conflict.
Ron revisited the cemetery on the 50th anniversary of his friend’s death. He brought with him a little bag of soil from Bob’s front garden in Archers Way. He scattered the soil at the graveside, “to make sure Bob had a little bit of Letchworth with him”.
Ron at Bob's grave, Egypt
In November 2005 Ron was awarded the General Service Medal (GSM) in recognition of his National Service in Egypt. He tracked down Bob’s cousin and persuaded him to apply for the decoration posthumously on Bob’s behalf. After some heavy campaigning by Ron and others, the application was successful.
Ron returned to the graveside on the 53rd anniversary of Bob’s death. This time he took along a replica of the GSM. Luton’s Wardown Park Museum houses the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment Association Museum Collection, which is also now home to Bob’s GSM and his Elizabeth Cross (awarded to families of Armed Forces personnel killed on operations).
Ron today with his campaign medals
In all, Ron has returned to Egypt seven times, to honour his school pal. He said: “I went into the Army as a young boy and came out as a young man. I went on to have a wife and family, including grandchildren. Bob’s life ended in Egypt, serving his country. He deserves to be remembered.”