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15 October 2014
WW2 - People's War

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RAF Wireless Operator Air Gunner Egypt (4) - In Hospital at Christmas

by Tom Smith

Contributed by听
Tom Smith
People in story:听
Thomas James (Tom) Smith
Location of story:听
Cairo, Egypt
Background to story:听
Royal Air Force
Article ID:听
A3430658
Contributed on:听
20 December 2004

15th Scottish Hospital at Gezira

After the crash I was taken to the 39th Field Hospital for a couple of weeks and then moved a hundred miles away to the 15th Scottish hospital at Gezira in the outskirts of Cairo, transported in an ambulance which gave me the biggest headache of all time. The hospital was full of army casualties and a few German POW's, I was to spend three months including Christmas here. My jaw was broken in two places and was wired up until just before Christmas Day so I just about managed dinner on the day itself. I remember how good everyone was to me although the injuries that some of the lads in the ward had suffered made mine seem trivial and made a lasting impression on me.
Towards the end of my stay in hospital I was invited along with some other service men to take a trip down the river Nile on the Egyptian Prime Ministers house boat which was very much the same style as the boats on the Mississippi with a huge paddle wheel at the rear. On board was a large American forces dance band and ladies serving a whole variety of food and drink. After travelling some way down the river we stopped off at the Prime Ministers riverside house to be provided with a full meal served by fellows dressed in regency style uniforms, it was certainly a day to remember.
I was given the option of staying on ground duties or going back to flying. I chose to fly again and so I had to take a full medical and visit a psychologist just to make sure that I was not a nutcase due to the head injuries. Everything seemed to be alright so it was back to Gianaclis once again.

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