Anybody got an other information on this arena just after the WAR!
My Uncle (Kenneth Hall) now 84, did his National Service @ Tel-el-Kebir he was definitely there in 1947, he was in 610 Vehicle Group and maintained the army motorcycles supported by Germen POWs from the African Korp's (captured Panzer Grenadiers), one German POW that featured in the photos in particular was Otto, they built some Matchless-Norton hybrids and raced around a track to pass the time.
Some of the Pix
Most of of my dad's older brother in Egypt in 1947 with German POW's from Rommel's African Korps!
On the photo of around 14 men everyone apart from Kenneth and an Arab stood at the back, are all German POWs, Otto is in the front row with characteristic pose.
The four men stood by the bike are from Left a German POW called Otto, Kenneth, the tall lad's name is Dave Bennett and later he raced for Norton and was killed in the Swiss GP in 1952, the other fellow is an English lad too, name as yet unknown.
Apparently, amongst many common soldiers on both sides of the Armed Services, prejudice was second to building a better New World, they were just tiered of the war & wanted to get back home, many of the German engineers never returned to Germany & were eventually whisked off to North America, especially those coming from what became East Germany, they didn't want to return to Soviet controlled lands & into what became the Eastern Block!
Cheers
John
JBW
