Colonel Paul Crook and Tactical Headquarters walk towards El Gamil airfield's control tower after dropping.

I believe that the soldier adjusting his beret is Sgt Sparvell (later RQMS at HQ 16 Para Bde), he had a copy of it in his office, and told me he was Int Sgt at the time of the op.

The soldier adjusting his beret has also been attributed to be Tony Lowe by his son Joe.

Separately, a third person (unknown) has suggested this person is Cpl Leslie Leadbitter (Col Crook's batman).

I would like to say that my father, RSM John Alcock, identified himself to me as the man putting on his beret. He did this by telephone to me when a documentary about Suez was to be screened on the TV that night. I have a chemical based print of this from 1956 which was in my father's personal effects after he died in 1997.

To add to my previous comment and assertion that the man putting on his beret near Colonel Crook was my father. Our family has owned a chemical based print of this image, which I first saw in Glasgow at our home there after my father was posted to the Scottish para TA unit. We have other original chemical based photographic copies of Suez which I have seen at the Para Museum at Aldershot when it was located. there. These images are the exact copies of ones held by a Major Norman. We have owned these since 1956 but I first saw them in 1958 at Glasgow. My father suffered from stress after Suez though it was not recognised at the time. Graham Alcock