Black and White Photograph on Indian Troops Camped Along Suez Canal

This photograph is part of a collection attributed to Raymond Parker WARBURTON. He was employed as an Electrical Engineer on board the HMAT A4 Pera, a transport ship owned by P&O London, which was leased by the Commonwealth during the First World War. The HMT Pera was part of the first convoy to depart from King George Sound, Albany Western Australia, on the 1st November 1914. Onboard was 90 soldiers, 6 nurses and 391 horses. The Pera was torpedoed and sunk on the 19/10/1917, and later Raymond was transferred unto the ship, ‘SS Shropshire’. Raymond was discharged on the 13/06/1919 at Sydney, Australia. This photograph is taken during one of Raymond's many voyages transporting soldier’s and goods during the First World War. During Raimonds travels he kept a diary, which are copies of letters he sent home. The earliest mention of the Suez Canal is dated 1st December 1914, in which he states, “We are at Suez, anchored off the mouth of the Canal, we got here this afternoon some of the ships have gone through and we go tomorrow, we are to go to Alexandria land the troops and take in coal and go on to England.” Dated the 4th December a further entry reads, “There are companies or Indian troops encamped on the banks of the Canal with trenches, earthworks etc guarding it from the Turks and some other hostile tribes on the Egyptian side. They all stood at attention and saluted as we passed by.”