大象传媒

The following is from a souvenir booklet retained and treasured by ex-Air Gunner P H Wilson who wrote on the fly-leaf, 鈥�19/10/45 Tura-el-Asmant鈥�. Mr Wilson still has fond memories of his unique RAF Station Church and wonders if anyone else knows of it. This transcript is submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by a member of Market Harborough Branch, Royal British Legion on behalf of Mr Wilson and has been added to the site with his permission. He fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

The Building of a Church

St. Michael鈥檚. Tura

On the evening of Sunday, November 19th, 1944, the Bishop of Maidstone, as representative of the Archbishop of Canterbury, preached in the big Cathedral of All Saints鈥�, Cairo. The Friday following be came to the little church of St. Michael鈥檚, Tura, our R.A.F. Station church. As be himself expressed it, the Bishop did not come to preach, but to worship with and talk to us. He was unorthodox in that he did not have a text, and did not go into the pulpit; instead, he stood at the foot of the altar steps between the communion rails, a kindly-faced, grey-haired figure, impressive in the scarlet gown of a prelate of the Church of England. He talked quietly and movingly. You could tell he was listened to, there was hardly a cough or movement while he spoke amongst those who were there. The Bishop talked about our church, what it stood for and what he bad heard of it at home. And he told us, too, that the story of the building of St. Michael鈥檚. Tara, would not easily be forgotten.

The idea of building a church owed its birth to one man, the first Church of England chaplain on this station, the Rev. K. V. Ensor. Without his efforts, his determination and, above all, his vision the idea would probably never have crystallised. As with all men of driving force and vigour, he had round him a small band of keen, enthusiastic airmen to whom church-going really meant something.

On this station they had been used to church services held in the quiet room of the Y.M.C.A.. and many could remember other R.A.F. stations where the N.A.A.F.I had been utilised for such purposes. Padre Ensor鈥檚 idea of building a stone church on a desert station. where everyone lived in tents, was one that could not be resisted.

Once the site was fixed, plans were drawn up and approved and builaing fund started. Nearly all the money which was required was collected on the station. The actual building was begun in April, 1942, and while some of the work was done by airmen, native labour had, of necessity, to be employed. The stone used in the building was easily accessible and quarried not so far away from the actual site. It is curious to reflect that this Mokattam Hill stone was the same as that used centuries ago for the building of the Pyramids.

Whilst the building was in progress the war situation in North Africa became more serious and the advance to El Alamein was a threat that could not be disregarded. Preparations were made everywhere for withdrawal and amidst the intense activity of those days the builders of our church were faced with a very difficult decision to make. Should they abandon the project or carry on with the building? We all know now the greatness of the decision these men made. It is to their credit, and to the glory of God that they came to this decision. In that lies the significant achievement of St. Michael鈥檚, Tura: one that may well in the future accord it acute cornerstone in the history of human endeavour.

The foundation-stone was laid by Lady Rosalinde Tedder, on November 29th, 1942. Men from a neighbouring Army camp helped by making the stone font, pulpit and lectern, and the Royal Navy presented a ship鈥檚 bell which is rung for all services. The Royal Hellenic Air Force gave a St. George鈥檚 flag, and the turf used for the garden surrounding the church was given by the Maadi Sporting Club. The cross and candlesticks for the altar were made in the station workshops, as were the entrance doors. Some of the brick-laying, much of the carpentry and all the electric wiring and fitting were done by airmen. The embroidery on the original altar was done in a convent in Cairo. The painting of an English village scene on the window above the altar was carried out by a serviceman. Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder presented a leather-bound register of services, engraved in gold with his initials, and the late Air Marshal Graham Dawson gave two antique bronze alms dishes. These gifts from individuals and especially from the other services, together with the work and craftmanship of our own airmen, considerably helped in the building and furnishing of our church.

Before the church was opened Lady Rosalinde Tedder met with the accident which resulted in her death, and in gratitude and to her memory a stone cross was erected in front of the church, close to the entrance.

The opening service, which was recorded by the B.B.C., was held on the afternoon of Sunday June 6th, 1948, and was conducted by the Rev. Canon P. H. Saunders-Davies. Assistant Chaplain-in-Chief, R.A.F., Middle East, Assissted by the Rev. T. Madoc-Jones, Assistant Principal Chaplain, P.M. and U.B., R.A.F, Middle East
and Padre Fnsor. The same evening Padre Ensor preached what proved to be his first and last sermon in the church, for the day following he proceeded on posting to another unit. It was a memorable sermon and a fitting conclusion to a nobly-inspired task.

A few Sundays later the B.B.C. broadcast at home their recorded version of the opening service and the story of the church鈥檚 building. As a result of this broadcast a very remarkable thing happened. People in all parts of the British Isles began to send gifts of all kinds for the church, in this way becoming real 鈥淔riends of St. Michael鈥檚, Tura.鈥� Such a happening had never been anticipated, and it was, therefore, all the more gratifying to those who bad built the church. An organ was sent out by an organ manufacturer, one lady sent a set of altar linen, and an elderly nurse a packet of flower seeds to plant in the garden. A silver communion chalice was presented by an Anny Major and his wife living in Devon in memory of their son killed in action, and a similar gift was received from another lady in memory of a Coldstream Guardsman. A cross and candlesticks were also promised.

In addition, many money gifts were received. As the greater part of what was thus so kindly donated was not needed it was used to endow a child鈥檚 cot in the Church Missionary Society Hospital, Old Cairo. This cot bears the name, 鈥淪t. Michael鈥檚, Tura,鈥� This financial help we have been able to give to the C.M.S. cannot hut please those at home who have made it possible. It has brought St~ Michael鈥檚 some good friends amongst the staff of the C.M.S Hospital, and their interest in our church has from the beginning of our association been a real and deep one.

A stranger, seeing our church for the first time, might be intrigued by two things: the Cornish cross at the Western exterior end of the building, and inside, the names engraved on the pillars. The Cornish cross was put there as a compliment to the Commanding Officer of the station at the time when building actually commenced, a Cornishman by birth. The names were inscribed for tee who contributed a fixed sum to the building fund; many are of a memorial nature.

Recently much has been done to beautify still further the interior of the church. A tone altar has now replaced the one put there when the church was built, and a small chapel on the right of the main altar has been added. An iron-wrought grill, surmounted by a bronze cross, both of them made in the station workshops, has been placed at the entrance to the chapel.

What will become of our Church after the War? We cannot really tell It has been suggested that it should be taken down, stone by stone, and re-built in some English village, or on a permanent R.A.F. Station at home. Such a proposition is realised to be an almost impracticable task. But whatever the future brings, St. Michael鈥檚, Tura, will certainly live on for a very long time in the memory of those who have worshipped and prayed in it.

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