A WREN IN FAYID 1951-53
As Remembered By Diane Howell
We arrived at Fayid … well at first glance, I suppose, a village if sorts. There were quite a few low buildings, the odd – tree? - it could have been a sparse bush, and then we stopped at some large iron gates where stood soldiers with rifles. This was GHQ and the Lt. was dropped off there to sign in, and be directed to the Officer’s Quarters of R.N.H.Q. (HMS Osiris). Everything was so different, and it was difficult to take it all in. Finally, we were driven on through Fayid itself, and a low stone building to one side calling itself ‘The Grand Hotel’ (What else?). On the other side, what appeared to be small shack type shops, but it was late evening, they were mostly closed, and shuttered. There were a couple of café’s around the corner, but we were not then aware of them. Believe me, “Alice’s”, I believe it was called, could get very rowdy in the evenings. We tended to favour “Jock McGregor’s Café”, which I think, unlike ”Alice’s”, was non-alcoholic. Then on a bit further to Ladysmith Camp, and there at the gates the minibus stopped, We have arrived.
Ladysmith Camp, was a WRAC Camp. There were, I gather only 30 Wrens all told, and 3 Wren Officers, and so we were in a “Wrennery” as it was called, with WRAC Quarters. At the enormous metal gates, topped with barbed wire, were Army Sentries, carrying guns, and there were of course, the necessary high barbed wire fences all around the Camp. Climbing out of the car, we signed in at the Guard Room, one of the soldiers on Sentry Duty, said sympathetically: “Quite a journey, eh?”. And we wholeheartedly agreed. Then out again to be driven to the Nissan Hut area ‘The Wrennery’. Our exhausted Marine driver helped us out with our luggage, and we thanked him, after which with a cheerful “Be seeing you” and a wave, he drove away, leaving us to what?
Well, for a start, there was a beautiful garden of flowers to the side of our low white building, yellow daisies, reaching a height of about 6 feet, and zinnias of almost every colour you could imagine, also growing far taller than any I had seen before. And the greenery around the flowers! It did show that it they were watered and cared for, plants could grow in the desert. And old Mohammed, our blue-eyed Arab cleaner and gardener certainly made a marvelous job of that garden. I believe he also grew peanuts there. He was always around squatting by the main door, when not sweeping the sand away from the door, or watering the plants. I wonder what happened to him? He stayed as long as he dared … Perhaps too long.
Inside and down a passage, we were met by the Regulating Chief Petty Officer, who showed us to our Cabin, which accommodated quite a number of Wrens. “This is where you start off” she said. “Later when other Wrens go back to the U.K. you will be allocated Cabins for two, sharing. That helps the Watch-keepers as we try to put Wrens on separate watches, together”. In the U.K. we were always accommodated in large Cabins with about 16 Wrens. The large Cabin we were being shown was adequately furnished, and each bed had a necessary mosquito net hanging over it. Then we were shown the common room, which was quite large and pleasant, there was even a piano at the far end, and lastly she said: “Now, there is a meal awaiting you in the Army Dining Hall, so follow me”. We were rather hungry, and that idea was extremely inviting, so we hastily followed her there, along the corridor, and out across the sand – to the food.
The day after we had arrived in Fayid, having slept like logs I might say, we were awoken by the familiar loud “Wakee Wakee” over the tannoy, and struggled out to breakfast (and it was quite good) in the WRAC Dining Hall, just a short walk away through the sand (of course)… Then shortly afterwards a “Tilly” (utility vehicle) arrived to take us to GHQ. We climbed up, sat ourselves down and our Marine Driver started the engine. Off we went on another mesmerizing drive through sand and flies, then through the GHQ large gates. Our friendly Marine driver said “Right, this is as far as we go”, and we climbed out onto the sandy entrance. We went into the long, low, white building, and then through a maze of formalities, including the signing of innumerable forms. After that there were introductions to staff and some explanation of the work, and where we would be situated. I can say that it was nothing like the Control Tower at Culdrose!
At that time at RNHQ, we had 5 Wren/Tels plus a Leading Wren to each “Watch”, a RN Chief Telegraphist, and 2 Signals Wrens. There were others of course, and they were essential:- the RN and RM Radio Mechanics. Our equipment was not new. and later when things hotted up, including the equipment, our Radio Mechs were kept frantically busy, repairing, moving and generally maintaining everything electrical. Without them, communications would not have been possible.
At that time there were in the Canal Zone, as I have said, 30 Wrens, some of whom were W/T Operators, and Signal Wrens who worked the Telephones, the line Teleprinters, and coding. The Tels (W/T Operators like myself) worked on Morse, Radio Teleprinters & Coding. There were writers (Shorthand typists) and a few other categories in various areas of R.N.H.Q. – Doreen, for instance, worked for Naval Intelligence. There were, of course, the Officers, just three of them.
The building itself, was situated in GHQ, but in front of it was the large garden, trees, some flowers and rather beautiful stone statues of athletes. When the German prisoners-of-war were there during the latter part of the war, and for a while afterwards, they had planned and laid out a Sports Stadium, and the statues were part of it. Really it was an amazing place to see in the middle of a desert, and at that time there were Arab gardeners there to care for the gardens, which, of course, needed continuous watering.
The Communications room entrance looked out over the statued garden of the Sports Stadium. Netting was hung over the doors to keep out mosquitos and flies, and a large stone “chatty” containing “Drinking Water” to the right of the sacking covered doorway. Nearest the doors were the Morse Bays, with a blue B28 receiver situated on a ledge of the desk in front, not unlike where one would now situate a computer. The Morse key was on the desk below the B28, slightly to one side, so that we had room in front of us on the desk to write down the messages. There were also some typewriters, used for longer, faster messages.
Overhead, constantly and quietly whirring, were large fans, in a effort to keep the place, well, if not cool, slightly less hot. A little further back were sited the desks on which were the Radio Tele-printers. I think we had between six or eight of those quite big machines in action at any one time, clattering noisily and hotly. I suppose “Fax machines” or Computers would be an equivalent these days, but on those machines were typed the messages which would be received in Whitehall, or Malta, Gibraltar, or wherever there were two line-teleprinters, telephones, and pigeon-holes for the incoming and outgoing mail.
To the rear of that area was the Duty Officer’s office, where to top coding was done, (although we also did coding and decoding at our desks) where there were also a couple of coding machines, as most signals, however sent, were coded, and not always using the same method. In charge of our Watch was Chief Petty Officer Smith and he was usually wandering around keeping his eye on all activities.
Our main job at that time was Morse Communications with a number of ships which were standing by in the Gulf of Aqaba, off the Persian Gulf for the possible evacuation of British people working at the Oil Wells at Abadan. There was trouble there with a capital “T” and it was feared that things would get worse. It wasn’t easy for the ships, and at times the heat on board was 120 degrees (F).
We didn’t have time to get used to the heat, but were on a 4 watch system,
Forenoon and Night, Day Off, Afternoon, Day Off. We were kept busy, transmitting
and receiving from the ships, and to Whitehall, but it was worse for the ships.
Also, we got a certain amount of “sarcastic” Morse: longer dashes
and shorter dots (and believe me it can be sent that way) from “experienced”
Tels on board the ships, taking the “mickey” out of the Wrens ashore,
until Chief Smith took over and informed them that WE were the controlling station!
“So keep to correct procedure…”