War and Game

Egyptian Air Force Insignia (1937-1958)

The Egyptian air force began modestly in 1932, when three Egyptian pilots joined two British pilots in flying a squadron of five De Havilland Gypsy Moths. One of the conditions of the 1936 Treaty called for Britain to offer assistance in developing the Egyptian air force. The Royal Egyptian Air Force (REAF) was formed in 1937. The air force received a donation in 1939 of a squadron of British Gloster Gladiators, the last biplane fighter built for the RAF. Further Gladiators were purchased from Britain in 1940, where the five-year-old fighters were already being treated as surplus. Though not regarded as first-rate war machines, they at least gave Egypt the foundation of a war-capable air force. Highly maneuverable, the biplanes were outclassed as fighting machines by the new aircraft of the Axis nations. When the British realized later under Italian threat that their air defenses for Egypt were inadequate, the RAF repossessed a number of the Gladiators, the only reinforcement immediately available.

By the end of the war the air force had five squadrons of planes, including three squadrons of fighters, one transport squadron, and one bomber squadron. The fighter squadrons added Westland Lysanders, Avro Ansons, and Hawker Audaxes to the original Gladiators. The bombers were of the British Halifax and Lancaster types. The transport squadron flew Curtiss C-46s and Douglas C-47s. Twenty-three Miles Magister trainers were transferred from the RAF to the REAF in 1940 for pilot training. All the aircraft were serviced by British personnel on loan and mechanics from Egypt’s civilian airline.

During the war Egyptian pilots and air crews gained experience by joining British air patrols over the Suez Canal and the Western Desert. The fighter squadron in the Suez region was officially there for training purposes only, but Egyptian pilots here flew against Axis bombers, though their Gladiators were generally too slow to catch them. A special force was detailed to Bahriya Oasis to defend the western frontier. This unit, under the command of Prince Isma’il Daoud, consisted of six light tanks, motorized troops, and a squadron of Lysander aircraft. The prince was sent to this isolated outpost as a result of his pro-British sympathies.

Several of the squadrons had little to do in the way of combat activity and began to wile away the long hours of the war by scheming against the British. The Egyptian pilots were educated young men who had been exposed to the highly politicized atmosphere of the Egyptian universities. Most had strong nationalist opinions, and some were recruited by the Muslim Brotherhood. Anwar al-Sadat involved several of the pilots in anti-British activities. In 1941 several incidents tainted the political reliability of the air force. In May 1941, Squadron Leader Husayn Zulficar was the pilot in ‘Aziz al- Misri’s aborted attempt to fly to Iraq. Aerial photography was a common mission of the REAF, and in July 1941 a small group of pilots attempted to deliver photos of British positions to the Afrika Korps. On the first attempt, the Egyptian-marked plane was shot down by the Germans. Warrant Officer Muhammad Ridwan Salim tried again the next day and this time reached the German lines intact. This type of activity threatened the existence of the entire air force, which could be easily shut down by the British. The REAF commander resigned and dozens of men were transferred to the infantry.