HUNGER STRIKE RAF FAYID 1955
As Remembered By Cpl. ‘Pete’ Peters, Fayid Signals Section 1954/5
Is there anybody out there that remembers the hunger strike at RAF Fayid in 1955? As NCO in charge of the DF Station I was working shifts and had the lad who was working with me go to the cookhouse to get the night rations. He came back and said that the duty cook had refused to issue rations and that the order had come from the Duty Officer. This did it for me as I had a very short fuse for anything that looked like nonsense. I went to the Cookhouse and spoke to the Duty Officer who said he had his instructions and no food was to be issued to the night shifts. Shift workers on the main camp site could go to the cookhouse and have a meal, but no consideration had been given to the HF and DF stations which were too far away to consider the cookhouse.
During the night I became more upset about the refusal to issue rations to such an extent that I made an entry in the Signals Log to the effect that I would not report for duty if there were no rations issued.
As I was getting into bed the following morning I had a visitor who said I was to report to the Signals Officer straight away. He returned before I finished dressing and informed me that I was to report to the Tech. Wing Commander – I thought at least somebody was taking notice. I met a pleasant Sergeant who informed me that I had really stirred things up. Apparently the various sections with Tech. Wing had prepared submissions regarding the state of catering and were about to present these to the Senior Officer in charge. I was given a copy of the submission and told that if there was anything that I would like to add then say so, afterwards he ushered me into the Wing Commanders office.
The Winco had the Signals Office Logbook on his desk opened at the last entry – my statement! He said that I had made my point and he would tear the page out if I agreed. If, however, I did not agree he would initiate court marshal proceedings! So after a fatherly chat that page was torn out and my action deleted.
Some time later there
was an incredible boycott of the Fayid cookhouse and thousands of meals went
into the garbage cans. I seem to remember there were investigations by SIB,
the station CO was changed as well as the Senior NCO in the cookhouse and
the food improved immensely.