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Operation Mazurka
Australian Defence Force personnel deployed on Operation Mazurka took part in a ceremony at South Camp in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on Thursday, 28 April 2022, to mark the 40th anniversary of the Multinational Force & Observers peacekeeping mission supervising the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. The 40th anniversary ceremony brought together Multinational Force & Observers personnel for a parade, a moment of silence and concluded with the laying of wreaths to honour those who have fallen during the peacekeeping mission. The Multinational Force & Observers (MFO), headquartered in Rome, is an international peacekeeping organisation, created by agreement between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Israel. The mission of the Multinational Force & Observers is to supervise the implementation of the security provisions of the Egyptian-Israeli Treaty of Peace and employ best efforts to prevent any violation of its terms.
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Army officer Lieutenant Colonel David Evans.
Following in footsteps of Anzacs in Egypt
While deployed in Egypt, Sgt Daniel Patterson has delved into the history of Australia’s involvement in Egypt during WWI, unearthing the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Sgt Patterson is deployed on Operation Mazurka as a member of the Multinational Force and Observers on the Sinai Peninsula.
For Anzac Day, the combat engineer volunteered to share a glimpse with the Australian and New Zealand contingents on Operation Mazurka of what life was like for the Anzacs.
“The Anzacs did not just show up in Gallipoli; there was a process to get there,” Sgt Patterson said.
Unknown to some, the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) was originally destined for Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, in southern England. Because of overcrowding and insufficient infrastructure, the decision was made to shift their staging position.
“It was decided to train in Egypt over winter and then it was extended,” Sgt Patterson said.
The AIF set up camp within 10km of Cairo around the pyramids, which was immortalised by the iconic photograph taken of 600 soldiers at the Great Pyramid of Khufu.
Over a relatively short time, the AIF underwent intense training and studied new equipment.
“The soldiers had never seen a grenade – or a ‘bomb’ as they called it,” Sgt Patterson said.
Six days a week they were drilled, marching through the sand and digging, and it was here they formed into the ANZAC Corps.
One of the things that most interested Sgt Patterson was trench warfare.
“It was a relatively new concept and was not a focus during their training. Not a lot of information was coming back from the front line on it,” Sgt Patterson said.
An unsavoury part of the Anzac history was an incident in which 2500 New Zealand and Australian troops rioted in the Haret Al Wassir red-light district of Cairo’s Ezbekieh quarter.
“It’s an ugly part of the history but it happened,” Sgt Patterson said.
“We need to remember that a lot of the soldiers were just young men – teenagers really.”
Egypt played a significant part in the history of the AIF and the evolution of the ANZAC Corps.
“I think Anzac Day is important to Australia for our heritage, understanding that people sacrificed their lives for us and future generations,” Sgt Patterson said.
“I have been fortunate enough to see the pyramids and the sphinx, and to stand where the Anzacs stood.”
