Then there was the great Waddington food strike. In 1968 the food served up at the Airmen’s Mess was so bad that local pig farmers were refusing their supply of free leftovers. Despite constant complaints over several months, nothing was done until the troops took the matter in hand and organized a food strike. On the day the strike began the cooks stood behind their servery, ready to dole out the customary breakfast of gristle sausages, fried bacon fat and powdered milk and no-one turned up - except for the WRAF’s and RAFP Snoops, as neither group could be trusted to keep their mouths shut. The same happened at each subsequent meal, no-one came to the Mess Hall except to catch the bus out to Line Servicing Squadron. Meanwhile the NAAFI and local hostelries were all doing a roaring trade - being in on the scheme they had plenty of food ready.
The reaction of the authorities was predictable, rather than deal directly with the problem they set the Snoops to work uncovering the ring-leaders. The SIB, being smarter Snoops than anyone ever gave them credit for, sent in undercover men disguised as airmen on posting (easily identified – they weren’t WRAF’s or Snoops yet they ate in the Mess). For several days we were all marched off to the guardroom in rotation, but everyone managed to stick firmly to the story that we weren’t very hungry and didn’t feel like eating. Meanwhile the SIB ‘undercover’ men confirmed the fact that the food was dreadful. For example, they were being served reconstituted dried potato and even rice instead of fresh potatoes due to a supposed potato shortage. In Lincolnshire! In October! I mean, Lincolnshire is Saudi Arabia with potatoes – they stretch out to the horizon as far as the eye can see.
The efforts to uncover the ringleaders stopped and the RAFP transferred their energies to finding out what was happening to the catering funds. It turned out that one of the Caterers, using accomplices in MT, had organized a skimming operation. The ration wagon picked up the food from the regional NAAFI depot and delivered it to local greengrocers and butchers in exchange for rubbish and a share of the profits. The three culprits were court-martialed, convicted and sent off variously to Pentonville or Colchester for brain re-programming. The Airmen’s Mess back at Waddington got a new set of staff and in time developed into the gourmet restaurant it is today, where one must book weeks in advance to get a decent table for luncheon.