Maurice Challe In July 1956, Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser took control of the Suez Canal, in violation of agreements he had signed with the British and French governments. On 14 October 1956, Challe visited British Prime Minister Anthony Eden at Chequers, accompanied by French Minister of Labor Albert Gazier. The two Frenchmen told Eden of the secret negotiations between Israel and France regarding a proposed Israeli attack on Egypt followed with military occupation by European powers, to control the Suez Canal. Eden backed the plan with UK resources including military forces, directly leading to the Suez Crisis. Challe was a French
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