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Eric made first made contact with me via Ray Penney Dec 29th 2007. He said " I noticed on a couple of your photo`s Manny Cachia which interested me very much. I served at 107MU from June 53 to 19th December 55 in the Station Orderly Room and for a time LAC Cachia was with me. He is far right on the second row of the attached photo, I am the corporal at the other end of the front row. About 5 or 6 years ago we were going on holiday to Malta and I wrote to a Maltese newspaper sending a copy of this photo and asking if any one had details about him. About a week later, I received a phone call from his brother saying Mannie had died a few years previously in London. We met up while we were in Malta and met his brothers and sisters and their children and were made very welcome. Every year since we have exchanged Christmas Cards with them and also his widow who lives in London. I was really saddened to hear that he had died so young. ( see page called Letter from Mannie on this site )
Eric followed up with more memories......Do you remenber the static searchlight near the water fitration plant ? Shone right along the fence. One winter night I was doing the 02.00 stint and feeling dog tired and suddenly saw somebody coming through the fence. I stopped. took aim and challenged three times and was about to fire when I came to my senses and relised the light behind me was casting a shadow on the fence. My heart skipped a few beats that night. I often think about that incident and wonder what would have happened if I had opened fire. It used to be very creepy wandering about at that time of night. The insect noises and flying beatles were horrible ( yeah, they used to come zooming in like a kamikaze plane and smack hard into the searchlight lens...Al ) Many a night there were RAF police and their dogs hiding among those big crates stacked around the camp. ( the infamous ghost squad ?..Al )
Cpl Eric Todd far left on front row. Manny Cachia far right on middle row.
Remembrance Day 2005 two days before my heart attack.
107MU Lido beside the Great Bitter Lake.
Astra Cinema, Kasfareet.
C of E and O.D. church
Kasfareet village
YMCA
Unit badge as a car sticker.
Main gate and Fire Section.
A christmas party 1954 ( not sure which section).
S.H.Q. Christmas party 1954. Too many names to remember but I am third from left with glass in my hand and fag in mouth. ( drunken slob )
Barry Dunk
Billet 4 Crazy Gang
Charlie Wright ( one of my regular contacts by email and telephone ).
Cpl Kimber
Eric Todd 1954 Day Guard
Marsden, Ronayne, Peter Philp, name not known, name not known,
Bob Meikle, Cpl Eric Todd (sloshed again)
taken Dec 1955 couple of days before my return to U.K.
Eric Todd at desk in Station Orderly Room.
Kasfareet Village
NAAFI
YMCA garden
Cpl`s Eric Todd, Kirkpatrick, Bob Mckain.
Cpl`s Eric Todd and Keith Mathews.
Cpl`s Paternoster and Bob Turner, LAC Todd,
Possi Apostolidis SHQ runner
LAC Todd Station Duty Clerk.
War Monument at Gebel Maryam. I think everybody had the same copy of this photo.
Eric sticks up for the Canal Zoners
E-mail from Eric July 6th 2008.....Yesterday and today was the Hartlepool Marine Festival held at the Marina. Two good days spoilt by the horrible WET weather. We went along this afternoon for just over an hour and it absolutely poured down for most of the time. We spent a while in the Veterans Marquee where there was a large display on the wall of the wars and conflicts since WWI. There were headings along the top showing date of conflicts with space below for comments. Guess what ! There was one marked Suez 1956 but no Canal Zone 1951 - 54. I remarked to two veterans who were stood looking at it and they asked what I was on about so I explained about it and it was fifty years after it that we were granted a medal and that the 1956 bods got a medal straight away. They shouted over to one of the helpers who gave me a pen to put on a remark about it. They saw I had a camera with me so suggested I took a photo and they even took one of me next to my comment which is by my left shoulder. They said the comments would all be noted after the event finished. So I hope that the next time the Canal Zone will be on the list.
Eric
" Kasfareet Kulture " sent in by Eric
Nov 4th 2008.
As part of my enquiry about anyone knowing anything about Short Stirling bombers being scrapped after WWII and buried in a trench at Kasfareet, Joe Shortland, who was at Kas until 1946, told Eric Todd that he had no knowledge of this. The following pics are from his photo album which he had sent to Eric and show a Baltimore twin engine and Kittyhawk fighter at Kasfareet during WWII. Joe founded the RAF Kasfareet Association for servicemen who served at Kasfareet during WWII only. When I rang him up a few years ago to enquire about membership he gave me short shrift that he did not have time to incorporate any Johnny-come-lately airmen in his group !
Two nice pics of Manny Cachia just received from Eric.
Pics supplied by Manny`s wife still living in London.
Shame that he died so young.
