SUEZ CRISIS BRITISH NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL NEAR EAST ROYAL MARINE BATEMAN

Offered is a Naval General Service Medal (Queen Elizabeth II 2nd type) with clasp ‘NEAR EAST”, impressed named PO/X. 5588 W.P.BATEMAN. MNE. R.M

Near East (17,800 issued). For operations during the Suez Crisis of 1956.

3rd Commando Brigade Royal Marines. During Operation Musketeer, units of the brigade made a helicopter-borne assault.

Operation Musketeer was the Anglo-French plan for the invasion of the Suez canal zone to capture the Suez Canal during the Suez Crisis in 1956.

The 3rd Division, minus the Guards Brigade, embarked on 1 November. The 45th Commando and 16th Parachute Brigade landed by sea and air on 5 November. Although landing forces quickly established control over major canal facilities, the Egyptians were able to sink obstacles in the canal, rendering it unusable. The Anglo-French air offensive suppressed Egyptian airfields not already attacked by the Israelis, but failed to destroy oil stocks or cripple the Egyptian army. Cairo Radio continued to broadcast. The 3rd Battalion Parachute group captured El Cap airfield by airborne assault. The remaining units, held back initially for deep airborne targets, travelled by sea to Port Said. The Commando Brigade captured all its objectives.