Vintage Military - Part 97

World War I - Suez Canal

Last time we saw that Britain had taken over Egypt in World War I to protect the Suez Canal, then invaded Palestine.  But Palestine was a sideshow; Britain's main concern was the Suez Canal.  Today we will look at troops from Britain and its colonies and dominions that were stationed at the Suez Canal.

Above, a photo from John Trevor Peat showing New Zealand cavalry troops bathing in the canal.

Another photo from a New Zealand member of the Wellington Mounted Rifles showing troops swimming their horses in the canal.

Australian troops bathing in the canal by Thomas John Richards, 1915-1916.

Patrick Hamilton from Australia labeled this 1916 photo "water sports – the coolest place in the summer".

Kantara (now El Qantara), Egypt: bathing in the Suez Canal, photo by a soldier from Edinburgh, Scotland, 1916.

We end with another photo from our Edinburgh soldier at Kantara: skinny dipping in the Suez Canal, 1916.