59 PORT OPERATING SQDN, ADABIYA 1951-53
'COOKING UP A STORM'
As Remembered By Alfred De Boise
Whilst serving in Adabiya with the Royal Engineers Port Operating Sqdn in 1951, a detachment of men were sent to Fanara docks where the civilian staff had been sacked by the Army. The first day there, whilst on parade, the officers asked for volunteers for the NAAFI and Stores and also a man for the Cookhouse. They got their men for the NAAFI and Stores but there were no takers for the Cookhouse. An officer went amongst us and stopped at me saying “You look like a good man for the job to me”. I replied saying that I knew nothing about cooking. He then asked if I had never cooked breakfast at home? I told him “only eggs and bacon, Sir”. So he then replied “you will do – report to the cookhouse and help the cook, he will tell you what to do”
Unfortunately that same night the cook was rushed to hospital with appendicitis and the next morning I was awoken at 4am to cook breakfast. I was told a man would be sent to help me. He arrived about 10 minutes later but I soon found out that he knew even less than me about cooking! We managed breakfast and when it was finished I went to find the officer who had volunteered me in. “Do your best and I will try to get some help”. But nobody came!
Later that day the store-man arrived with the meat and vegetables. The meat was a large joint of beef. I said to the squaddie that we could cut some steaks for dinner, so we cut 30 large steaks and did some chips. That evening we got a slap on the back and drinks in the NAAFI – it seemed that everyone wanted to buy us one.
The next day however, the store-man came with the vegetables but no meat! I asked him where it was and was told “You had it yesterday. I gave you 3 days supply”. My mate was worried but suddenly I had a brainwave … I thought I could make some pudding and drop in the rest of the meat. So I mixed the flour and water and put in some baking powder but my ‘little helper’ insisted there was not enough baking powder and tipped the rest of the packet in. It started to rise and we cut up the rest of the meat into OXO size pieces and put 10 pieces in each tray. Putting the 3 trays back into the oven we saw it begin to rise. The pudding doubled in size and the meat sank to the bottom. We did some mash and carrots and then put it on the menu as ‘Meat Pudding’. We certainly got some choice remarks later “Oy Cook, where’s the ****meat?”. I told them “in the ****pudding”. They were also sent off to work with just a piece of toast and a cup of tea the next morning.
The officer came to see us and asked what we had left. When I said nothing but sardines he returned later and told us to load up all the sardines into his Jeep. He then took us to the local farm and bartered with the Egyptian farmer, getting 4 eggs and 2 tomatoes per tin. So there was the meal for that day – with chips.
I did get used to the job and did manage to cope but I kept asking for an A.C.C.
cook – eventually I got one. I was transferred to another camp in Fayid
but before I left everyone came down to the cookhouse and carried me to the
quay and threw me in the Canal!!! I pretended I couldn’t swim and a few
men, including a full sergeant, dived in to save me. But I was a good swimmer
so I put up two fingers to them and swam back to the quay myself