Suez Crisis Peacekeepers to police the Egyptian–Israeli border, British Prime Minister Anthony Eden resigned, Canadian Minister of External Affairs Lester Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize, and the USSR may have been emboldened to invade Hungary. The Suez Canal was opened in 1869, after ten years of work financed by the French and Egyptian governments. The canal was operated by the Universal Company of the Suez Maritime Canal, an Egyptian-chartered company; the area surrounding the canal remained sovereign Egyptian territory and the only land-bridge between Africa and Asia. The canal instantly became strategically important, as it provided the shortest ocean link between
Suez Veterans' Association Suez Veterans' Association The Suez Veterans' Association is an association of those who served in the British Armed Forces and civilian support units in the Suez Canal Zone between 1939 and 1956 (the Suez Crisis). It was formed on the 15 April 1997 and membership is open to all British armed forces, nursing services and civilian support staff who served in the Suez Canal Zone. In June 2003 veterans were able to claim the Naval General Service Medal and the General Service Medal with Canal Zone clasp for serving in the Suez Canal Zone of Egypt between 16 October 1951