Description
Naval General Service Medal, L/FX 935382 C.A. Smith. N.A. Naval Airman, Royal Navy. Awarded for the Suez Crisis of 1956, aka Operation Musketeer.
A scarce NGS bar “Near East” for service in the Suez Crisis to the Fleet Air Arm, the Navy’s Airborne fighting force.
Officially impressed: “LFX. 935382 C.A. Smith. N.A. R.N.”
Provenance, ex DNW 13th September 2012.
The Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy saw interesting service during the Suez Crisis, more commonly known by the code name “Operation Musketeer”.
They provided air support to the allied invasion of Egypt flying from the nearby Aircraft Carriers, HMS Eagle, Albion, Bulwark, Ocean and Theseus.
They employed Sea Hawk and Sea Venom Jet Fighters as well as their new toy the “Helicopter” which had never seen combat service having been recently adopted.
As well as using their Jet Fighters to destroy the enemy air force, attacking their air fields, military installations, they would employ their Helicopters for the first time in warfare history to take part in “Heli-borne Landings”, rather than requiring a parachute jump from a high altitude plane.
They used this capability to great effect dropping off the Royal Marines Commando of 45 Commando by helicopter during the famous invasion.
Some interesting reading on the Heli-borne assault can be read on RoyalMarinesHistory.com:
https://www.royalmarineshistory.com/post/45-cdo-the-world-s-first-heli-borne-assault-musketeer
