No.2 Balloon Base, Alexandria, 1918.

[Ian Burns]

I'm trying to locate where No.2 Balloon Base was established at Alexandria during 1918.

AIR1/649/17/122/409 states that it was 'located at Mex Road, just inside the breakwater.'

I have had no luck finding an online map showing Mex Road,. However, there is a locality El-Mex just outside the harbour entrance, so it might be in that area.

There is a Forum Topic Mex Camp, Egypt 1915 from August 2006 but it does not answer my question.

 

[b3rn]

Route du Meks, from a Baedeker map.

[Ian Burns]

Hi Bern,

That's quite an old map... But I've not found much better closer to the WW1 period. The Best map I've found for Mex Road is from the 1950's but the harbour is mostly unchanged, just more built up. See attached detail.

The attached photo should help locate things, albeit from the 1930's but the harbour area was still pretty much as in 1918.

The Seaplane Base was located in the enclosed area just below the three quays near the top of the image. There is a clear area below the big group of wearhouses (fewer in 1918) that may have housed the Balloon Base or a larger area off picture to right. Mex Road does a small dog-leg through centre right of the image.

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

From my reading of the ALH and its moved to Mex camp for training before moving into the desert against the Senssi

"After a regimental parade on the 20 November, the men were warned that the Regiment was to move to Mex camp outside Alexandria, and they packed up and boarded a train at Zeitoun and travelled by rail to Gabball Station at Alexandria before disembarking and moving down to Mex Camp the next day"

The map is interesting, as I believed the camp was further in the desert along the coast 

When you compare against a modern map you can see the changes (mex is now max) and no Gabbari station only oil rail lines