“SHEIKS” OF EGYPT BECOME SEA-DOGS

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 152, 17 September 1927, Page 1

“SHEIKS” OF EGYPT BECOME SEA-DOGS

VISIT TO AUCKLAND NUCLEUS OF NAVY Five young Egyptians, who, -by birth and training might well be termed “sheiks/* arrived in Auckland this morning by the s.s. Middlesex, on which ship they are cadets. Together with 13 others at present in British ships, they are to form the nucleus of the Egyptian Navy and mercantile marine. All their fathers have held high military rank, two being brigadier-gen-erals :in the Egyptian Army. The five cadets? are M. Shoukri, A. Badr, A. Sarwat, B. Hafez and Y. Hammad.

Having served in the training ship Worcester, and in the Portsmouth naval barracks and qualified as sublieutenants, they are getting experience of the merchant service. They have to get their second mate’s tickets before they go back to Egypt. When they were in England in July they went on board the Worcester again for an inspection by King Fuad of Egypt, on whose yacht some of them will serve as officers.

Crossed foils, boxing gloves, trophies of sport, adorn the walls of their cabins and Sarwak was one of the best allrounders on the Worcester. He has scampered over a hundred yards in 10 2-ssec, he was light-weight boxing cliampic of the training ship, and he was winger for the United Services Rugby team at Portsmouth. This is their second trip to Auckland, and they like the sea life. To-night they go dancing in the city, so perhaps they have qualified for the American interpretation qf the title of “sheik” as well. .