Allenby and Tutankhamun

I went searching for a picture of Lord Allenby at the tomb of Tutankahmun. I found one, but it is licensed and the website seemed to want $675 to use it. So I shan't post it, but you can see it here.

Meanwhile here is a picture of Sir Henry McMahon, (Th 1876) High Commissioner of Egypt 1914 - 17 President of the OH Society 1915 - 1919.

Allenby in Egypt

As we watch events unfold in Egypt we remember that two of the British administrators of Egypt were OHs. Sir Henry McMahon (Th 1876) was British High Commissioner in Egypt, 1914 - 1917. (He was at the same time President of the Haileybury Society, for four years 1915 - 1919.) McMahon was succeeded in Egypt a few years later by Field Marshall Allenby (BF 1875).

Lord Allenby with his pet stork in the Residency Garden, Cairo

Allenby arrived in Egypt at a time of seething unrest. He took firm action, though action which was much criticized, for he saw that the disaffection could not simply be defeated and acceded to some of the demands made by the rioters. This was seen as an outrageous climb-down. A Foreign-Office spokesman concluded "thus a fortnight of violence has achieved what four months of persuasion failed to accomplish. The object lesson will not be lost in Egypt and throughout the East." However by the end of his tenure it was said of him (in The Times, July 1925) "His personality alone did much to restore the name and word of an Englishman to the high profile on which they had stood in the East before the war."

Allenby managed to achieve peace of a sort. General Wavell's biography of Allenby sums up his time in Egypt as follows; "In a most difficult period in the  relations between the two countries he upheld essential British interests without causing bitterness; he secured for Egypt independence from a reluctant British government and a liberal constitution from a reactionary monarch [King Fuad]."

We must hope and pray for Egypt (and the Middle East) the establishment in the modern world of a suitably liberal constitution.

Just a final note. Allenby, as High Commissioner was one of the very few present when Howard Carter opened the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Who do you thnk you are?

The famous story of the policeman who stopped a speeding motorist and asked sarcastically "Who do you think you are, Stirling Moss?" to get the reply, "Well, yes I am actually," has done the rounds many times.

Sir Stirling (L 1943) is in the news today. He gave a trophy to be awarded as the Sir Stirling Moss Trophy at the Motor Racing Legends Awards Dinner. The trophy itself is very green, being a recyled object: the trophy he was awarded for his very first Grand Prix win.

The full story is here.

The Stirling Moss Trophy race

Arbori In Altera Terra

There are two exchange students from Haileybury Melbourne at College at the moment. Their distinctive piped blazers and badges make them stand out. Ailsa Wallace and Ryuun Fujihara are blogging aboiut their experiences and you can read the first post here.

Ailsa notes the differences of the physical enviornment.

I was struck by this picture of a tree at the Austrailian Haileybury when I had a hunt about on their website.

Similar - but different!