Catalogue description War Office and Air Ministry: Directorate of Military Survey: Suez Campaign: Maps

During the Suez campaign, nearly 3 million maps were printed, including over 500,000 aeronautical charts; of this total, over one third was printed by 42 Survey Regt in Cyprus, and much of the remainder by the Ordnance Survey in the UK under arrangements with the Directorate of Military Survey.

From the early 1950s Anglo-American and NATO mapping policy was, inter alia, directed towards standardisation of series designation, edition numbering and geographical names on maps for common use. The difficulty of bringing this about even by one national organisation is well illustrated by the first major operational challenge - Suez.

For many years the Survey of Egypt had met the UK military requirement for topographic maps of Egypt, and provided both stock and reproduction material. In the Middle East, a British Military Survey Directorate operated at a distance, and often at arm's length, from the sweeping plans of NATO, especially over the massive stock replacement which was necessary at a time of pressing local demands on the Survey Directorate's resources by the local command.

By including the various reprints and new editions, and in a few cases proof copies, the problems of providing common stock for simultaneous issue in the UK, Cyprus and Malta can be seen. Some sheets in hand when the operation ceased were not published until later.