NAM.2017-09-7-44-261

Photograph captioned: ‘On the beach at Port Said’ showing soldiers from the 1st Bn Grenadier Guards relaxing or sleeping on a sandy beach, Port Said, Egypt, 1932 (c). The battalion were stationed in Cairo between 1930 and 1932. In the background the large statue of Ferdinand De Lesseps is visible. In 1899, a statue of the engineer of the Suez Canal, Ferdinand De Lesseps, was erected at the canal’s northern entrance, his hand outstretched to show that the way to the east was now open. It remained in this position until 1956. From an album of 275 photographs relating mainly to the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards in Egypt 1930-32’; with images of sports teams, group images at Kasr-El-Nil barracks in Cairo, local people and battalion transport. Many were taken by the Garrison photographer S Sarkis.