Eric Hayward remembers a day on the outskirts of Cairo...
During 1976 I spent quite a time in
Egypt on a task which was to organise supplies and servicing to keep
120 plus Egyptian Air Force MiG 21s flying. Not the best time of my
life, as I had come direct from the clean efficiency of Switzerland to
the dirty, disorganised chaos of Cairo; but it was one of life's more
memorable experiences.
I recollect being parked in my car near
one of the military bases just outside Cairo, idly watching the world
go by, when I became aware of two army lorries, carrying a large group
of soldiers, parked on the other side of the street. Presently the
first lorry started up ready to move off, but the second lorry's
battery was obviously flat so it would not start. All the soldiers
disembarked and there ensued a lot arm waving and arguing, as only
Egyptians can, which was eventually resolved by one of the soldiers
doing something most unusual; making a decision. "Tow it to start."
A fairly short length of what appeared to me to be flimsy hawser was
found and hitched between the vehicles. All climbed aboard and the
front lorry moved off in a series of savage jerks. Having gone about 20
yards three things happened simultaneously: the engine of the second
lorry started with a roar, the hawser snapped and lashed viciously
around the second lorry's engine, breaking what I believe was the main
petrol pipe, which burst into flames. This so startled the second
lorry's driver that he just put his foot hard down and rammed the rear
of his fellow traveller.
So we now had two lorries crashed
together, on fire, with no fire extinguishers in sight; and dozens of
panicking Eyptians, some shouting orders, others just running away. The
latter seemed to be a good idea, so I left as well (when in Rome and
all that). I never knew the outcome but...anything could happen in
Cairo!
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