MY JOURNEY TO 3 LoC, SIGNALS REGT, FAYID
As Remembered By John E. Cooper
When I read the Canal Zoners magazine I am amazed at the memories of the subscribers who remember times, dates and names which to me is marvelous. Here’s what I remember :-
On November 4th, 1952 I arrived at Catterick to join the Royal Signals Regiment, a date easy to remember for obvious reasons – it was the first year in my life that I never saw one firework on the 5th November.
After one months Basic Training I was sent to Ripon for 3 months Trade Training as a dispatch rider. We rode and pushed our motor cycles all over Yorkshire and also learnt to drive Landrovers which was useful for acquiring a civilian driving license on my embarkation leave before going to Egypt.
In May 1953 we embarked on the Empire Windrush for a 10 day, mostly uneventful, cruise to Egypt. On the ship the smokers could purchase a tin of 50 Capstan cigarettes for the princely sum of 2 shillings and 3 pence. I didn’t smoke, and still don’t.
Our first day at Transit Camp and I was chosen for guard duty – something about ‘On Parade with sand on my boots’. It was a shock to the system when I turned up with the rest of the guard and we were given a rifle, bayonet and a bandolier with 50 rounds of ammunition.
Next day off. Next day put on board a train for the journey to Fayid for our posting to our camps. For the next 2½ years, 2 squadron 3 L of C, Signals Regiment, Alamein Camp, Fayid was my home.
As a regular soldier I was promoted quite quickly to L/Cpl which included a pay rise.
Well this was my home for most of my army life but I finally made it back home for my 21st birthday in October 1955.