FAYID POWER STATION
RAF Detached to Royal Engineers, Blenheim Camp
As Remembered By James (Taffy) Jones
I have been a member of The Canal Zoners for many years but very rarely has Fayid Power Station been mentioned.
I started my RAF career on January 2nd 1952 – my square bashing was done at Hednesford on Cannock Chase. After technical training I flew out to RAF Fayid (approx. September 1952) in an Avro York from Blackbushe Airport. I spent some 6 weeks on Aero Engine Maintenance at RAF Fayid. Together with approximately 12 fellow RAF lads, we were detached to the Royal Engineers at RE Workshops Fayid, later moved to Royal Engineers, Blenheim Camp close to Fayid village.
We were allocated into shift teams with a Royal Engineer Corporal in charge. I was allocated to No. 2 shift with Cpl “Spud” Murphy in charge. Initially we worked 8 hours on and 24 hours off with no guard or picket duty, but as time wore on and things in the Zone became more security minded, we went to 8 hours on and 16 off, including guard duties as well.
The Power Station was very vulnerable and for most of the time it was guarded by Royal Marine Commandos and us “the operators” carrying loaded revolvers.
The Power Station was run mainly by the Royal Engineers with a sprinkling of RAF lads, and also ex German Prisoners of War that had stayed on in Egypt since World War 2. On our Shift we had Karl Brimmer and in the early days we had quite a few local labour, but they were dispensed with when the troubles intensified.
My job on Shift was a Switchboard attendant – main duties was to take
numerous readings on the hour, every hour for the 8 hour shift duration –
the most technical aspect was to synchronise the units to the “Fayid Grid
System” many times a day as the electricity requirements fluctuated throughout
the day and night.
Me, Ready for shift
The most tense and exciting moments happened when our local terrorists used to throw wire or similar across the power lines causing all hell to let loose and the whole of Fayid Garrison thrown into the dark as all this usually happened at night. We then had to restart the Power Station and slowly switch on the load in a strict order – the Fayid Military Hospital first, then the Married Quarters, followed by various Camps and locations in the Garrison.
For those interested in the technical details, the Power Station consisted of 4 Steam Turbines of 1 Megawatt capacity. Also installed were 7 Diesel Engine Generators of 400 Kilowatt.
The Steam Turbines had been built in the 1940’s, destined for Russia – lots of the Instructions on the machines were in Russian. They were built on a railway carriage principle – the boiler, the turbine and the generator were all inline, including all the necessary auxiliaries, and all units were self supporting except for the water treatment plant. The Turbine Hall was like a railway station with the equipment on wheels on the railway track and platforms in between.
No. 4 Steam Turbine Generator
The Diesel Shed had seven diesel engines in a row – east to west – with the control panels and switch gear on a platform above the floor level. These diesels were used as flexible machines to be switched on and off as the load in the Garrison flutuated. These were the machines that were started first when there were problems with the electrical supply lines.
Diesel Generator
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the Power Station in as much as when I was demobbed in December 1953, having returned to Blighty on the Empire Ken, I spent the rest of my working life working in various UK Power Stations.
I would be very pleased to hear from anyone who worked at the Power Station
at any time or anyone who might remember me.