The Suez In ’52: Deploying With The Royal Signals In The Parachute Regiment

David Scott was born in 1932 in Dover, Kent, England but moved to Canterbury in 1940. His father served in WWI in the Royal East Kent Regiment, “the Buffs,” in the cyclist battalion. During WWII, he remembers being bombed during the Battle of Britain and seeking shelter underground. One of David’s most vivid memories of the war was watching the transport planes carrying the Airborne troops during Operation Market Garden in 1944. He said they flew over for what seemed like hours. After the end of the Second World War, he was called up for national service and volunteered for the Parachute Regiment, where he served as a Corporal in the Royal Signal Squadron. In 1952, he deployed to the Suez Canal region. In 1953, he returned to England, transferred to the Reserves, and rejoined the advertising agency he left when he was called up for service. In this interview, he describes airborne training, including jumping from a hot air balloon. Jumps from balloons tended to be a little more frightening because there was no prop blast, and the jumper fell about 180 feet before the chute deployed. He discusses his deployment in 1952 to keep the Suez Canal region open for trade. During the course of his deployment, the strength of the unit declined, so they had to bring in replacements and give them airborne training in Egypt. Finally, he talks about his involvement with the Parachute Regiment Association.