Major Henry Charles David Marshall - Wallet 1 - Booklet 1 - Part 2

Conflict:

Second World War, 1939–45

Subject:

Documents and letters

Status:

Open for review

Accession number:

AWM2020.22.278

Difficulty:

dentist on board and after an inspection he made an
appointment. I explained what bad teeth had to extract
and the trouble I had after but I suppose he felt that
he was the man to prove me wrong and I suppose
felt although he did not say it my other extractions
may have been poor workmanship. Anyway the
day he chose was just before a dance - the first dance
arranged for an hour before dinner - in the late
afternoon. Naturally I wanted to go to the dance
but I could not scratch the appointment as they
were working full pressure on the whole of the troops.
I told most people not to expect me at the dance and
went to the chair. I proved myself right. I was in
it just on an hour and a quarter for two teeth.

¼ hr for the injection and the balance on the

extraction. I can tell you it shook both the

dentist and me. He had given me so much dope

that I felt no pain but he pulled my jaw about. So -

I left him and borrowed a small flask of whisky

the 2/6 size for a nip to settle my nerves. It had so

little effect that I had another - all neat and

then finished the flask. It did the job and I

felt, so calm that I went to the dance and no

one knew I had anything the matter. Last day of

course I paid with a swollen and aching jaw

and I could only eat soft foods and soups

for a week. I think these are the only incidents

of note on the trip up till now and we were

gradually getting to our next port and eagerly

awaiting a chance on shore. One thing I forgot

the ships swimming pool was opened for the use

of troops officers and nurses but I never went

in for fear of catching some skin disease. I

did not hear of anyone catching anything but

I would rather clean myself with a shower.

We arrived in Colombo and all thoughts were of shore
leave. No definite information had been issued and
we waited about with interest in the methods of oiling
the ship and the numerous "bum-boats" which arrived
as soon as the ship came to anchor about for a mile from

the shore. The ship was invaded by all sorts of tradesmen
mainly tailors and merchants of silk goods. There was one
old lady who arrived and proceeded to do mending on the
spot. Some of the lads ordered drill tunics from the travelling

tailors but the results were not always satisfactory. I wanted
a set and was tempted but decided to wait until I got ashore.
In the meantime there was plenty of interest over the side.
Natives in all sorts of boats with all sorts of fruits for sale.

They did some business and probably at ruinous prices
for no one had native coin and we were in all probability
soundly robbed. Other boats just hung around with natives
of all ages in a loin cloth only prepared to dive for money.
They all had magnificent figures - for proportion I mean

and were marvellously skilfull at recovering the coins.
Whilst oiling, cigarettes onto the oil barge deck usually
caused a giant scramble with many amusing incidents
and two fights and the loss of one hat. I thought one fight
might have been serious but probably was just stage show.

Later we got shore leave orders. By the way we had arrived
very early and it could not be more than 8 am. Henry
and I had planned all sorts of things to have them completely
put out of joint by the announcement that Henry had to
command part of the shore piquet. The town was divided

into areas and each ship provided a force for the job. Our
feeling of separation was soon remedied as about half an
hour later I was ordered to join it. We disembarked first
and took up our positions based on the Fort Police Station
near the disembarking point. I shall describe this a little
later. In Colombo there are some hotels but one only
stands out. The "Gall Face" which is new and very
expensive and very fashionable - both for 'residents'
and visitors from ships. They cater for the tourist trade

and of course charge extortionate prices. I was never
able to get further than the lobby and really only
passed it. It is a magnificent building on the

sea shore some 3 or 4 miles from the centre of the

City. The next hotel is just opposite the wharves near
the Fort Police Station - the Grand Oriental House or
merely and most often the G.O.H. Fortunately the back
door of both were opposite. I understand their
prices are a little less than the Gall Face and it
is rated similarly to the Australia and Metropole in
Sydney. I was dressed in a drill jacket and
completed its ruination with sweat in the heat and
humidity. As no issue of shirts and shorts had been

made the troops had to come ashore in their heavy tunics

They marched to one of the island military stations called

Rifle Green and had their money changed to local

currency. They were then free and against all orders

soon opened their tunics for coolness. Our troubles

as piquet started thereafter and reached their peak

during the late afternoon and evening. When we

entered the police station the Local Inspector met us

and we settled down to a chat. After arranging

certain points he left us and more or less gave us

a free hand which we asked for. The Ceylon Force is

a finely disciplined body and are recruited from a

section of the community descended from Dutch emigrants

from South Africa and the natives. They are not so dark as

the true native and in comparison seem twice the size.

He also invited us to view their police museum and it

was certainly worth the visit. Not very large but each

piece had its own peculiar criminal history. There were

daggers with and without knuckle dusters each having

killed a man or belonged to a bandit. Pocket pistols

of all sorts and shapes and disguises. Some home

made of string, wire and wood and others of the most

beautiful workmanship. One belonged to a criminal

who had escaped from goal after 5 years and had

then revenged himself on his witnesses. Another

belonged to a desperate bandit like Ned Kelly who

had killed a few and then shot it out with the

police. Each exhibit had a typewritten account

with it and showed Ceylon Police history for a

hundred years or so through this medium. One exhibit

tickled my fancy apart form its macabre interest. It

was an anonymous letter to the Police about 1880 composed

entirely of letters (printed) cut from a newspaper

advising them that the daughter of a well known

native Congalese family was going to have an

illegitimate child in seclusion and unless they

took precautions it would not be alive long after

birth. There were other letters shown in disguised

handwriting making all sorts of charges. I had

better divide the two days into sections. My descriptions

above all are designed to put you into the picture.

Henry and I whilst things were quiet in the early morning

did our little jobs. He is a marvellous fellow for finding

people he knows in all sorts of out of the way spots. One of

the masseuses on the boat had mentioned she knew an

Australian in an Insurance Coy. It turned out that

he was an old rowing friend of Henry's. So first we

called on him at his office about 10. He more or less

stopped work and helped us. He changed our cash and

as every white man in Colombo has at sometime of

other served in the Militia took us to his Military tailor

an Indian, bullied him and got us each a drill jacket

and slacks for about 30/- the lot to be called for at 6pm

that night. He made horrific threats if they were not ready.

They were and a beautiful fit. He then drove us round

to his military mess for a drink and then back to Fort

Station for duty. He left us with an invitation to lunch

and picked us up about 1 o'clock. I was doubtful of going

but we took the risk. There were other officers there and

although we did not return until 3pm nothing serious

had occurred. When we got there we found others visitors

with Mrs. Connolly - none other than Cynthia ~~Doigan~~ Duigan

a very rough and tumble Masseuse (mentioned above) and

the Matron who up to now on the boat had scared me

by her austerity and aloofness. She turned out to be

the opposite and was nice and jolly - she and I played

for a while with the Connolly's baby - until it was taken

away by its native nurse - "ayah" I think a very

fine looking middle aged native. Its impossible to

describe the house and gardens. A Roomy airy

white house with lots of ferns set in a brilliant

blaze of tropical color. Dark green and reds. It was

Mrs. Connolly who packed my present to you and placed

that red carnation in it - or was it a red tropical

flower. My memory in this prison life is terrible

and it is so easy to forget things. We were then run

back to the city and stayed there whilst the fun

began and finished. Before I get to that I must tell

you about your dressing gown. During the morning

and my memory is getting better. Mrs. Connolly was

shopping whilst we were in her husbands office

and she called in and advised me where to go

Hydera Mani's is a shop selling everything from

silks - clothes - jewellery etc and is owned by

an Indian - reputed a millionaire. It has this

great advantage that it has one price - the first

they ask and the value supreme. In other smaller

shops you have to bargain in the traditional way

of the East. When you go in they offer coffee, tea, gin sometimes

or whisky and never seem in a hurry. I was so I cut that.

I wanted a silk dressing gown and looked at some. Most

of the nurses had by this time either been in or were there

and I picked one your build and tried it on her. I

did not care much whether she liked doing it or not

but I got my purchase. Another thing which astonished

everyone was the betel nut chewing habit. The sellers

have the red paste with lime on a green leaf and fold

it. The buyer chews and continues to chew and the

streets are a mess of red spittle. Rather easy to slip

on. The other novelty for everyone was the Rickshas.

Much more patronised than the taxis which were of

Course fewer. I saw Mark next day in one and

of all the sheepish expressions that a man could

wear he had. He did not see me and I am wrong

about the day. It was whilst Connolly was

driving us home. Anyway from about an hour after

our return things brisked up reaching a pitch of excitement

from 6.30 onwards. Constant phone calls to hotels where it

was reported riots were in progress sent portions of the picket

out on the job. Shore leave was over at 6.30 and from that

time onwards we were busy settling all sorts of disputes.

over fares change - in fact everything and anything.

Towards 7 o'clock the main body had quietly drifted

aboard and as I told you the GOH was opposite the

wharf. Those slightly drunk who wanted a last

drink called there and provided they had one were

allowed to and then go aboard. Unfortunately as

time went on they increased and were drunken

(wrong word) or more doped on native liquors and

became quarrelsome and noisy and abusive and

in fact no advertisement. So we cleared the hotel and

closed the doors to all by civilians who about this

time were arriving for cocktails. We drew a cordon

across the entrance and it says a lot for our sober

piquet that they handled the mob, refused them

steadfastly and gradually and good temperedly

sent them home. We breathed a sigh of relief which

was short lived. Suddenly about 20 very drunk

Artillery men arrived at 9 o'clock and demanded

drinks. Refused they were and they started to push in. Things

got a bit ugly for the piquet whilst long suffering had had

about enough. Henry and I bounced most of them out by our

rank except six or seven and we were succeeding with them

when the worst incident of the day occurred. One of the last

was a tall youngster - red fair haired Irishman I should

say who had a wonderful eye - bleeding and half black.

It promised to be a beauty. Probably he had been hit with

a fist and a ring. He had been more or less half dazed as

well as drunk when he suddenly came out of his daze

and announced that his assailant was in the hotel.

and that he was going to fix him. We assured him he

was not but he was insistent and noisy and quarrelsome

when at last he realised we would not let him enter he

pulled out his clasp knife, opened it, wound the lanyard

round his hand and started making sweeping passes

at the air. It now became a dangerous situation for

anyone who approached him stood a chance of a slash

before we could crown him. In fact two of us missed a

connection by about six inches.- one being me and I

can tell you I did not like it one little bit. We drew

back for a concerted rush when I suddenly had an

inspiration. I pulled out a handkerchief and walked

slowly up to him talking all the time and saying -

"Come on let me fix your eye". It was ticklish and

had shivers whilst in range but he let me go right

up to him and start to dab his eye. He quietened down

and still talking I took the knife from his hand

and quietly tucked him off whilst still ruining

my handkerchief on his torn cheek and eye. The

anticlimax was that he burst into tears and cried

like a baby. Said he was sorry etc and amidst

general thanksgiving his pals carted him off. I tell

you darling I heaved a great sigh and had a stiff

whisky. The rest of the night passed off quietly and

we went aboard having seen little of Colombo and

prepared to sail next day. Early morning found us

still anchored and shore leave again granted. I don't

know why but I was given the piquet again but with

greatly reduced forces about ¼ of the yesterdays complement.

It broke our partnership and spoilt my day up to a

point. We followed the same routine next day but

the ladies of Ceylon had started a buffet for the troops

actually we were a day too soon for them and it had

been arranged beforehand. They supplied the men with beer

at a reasonable price and food and so prevented the

men from being swindled and supplied with bad liquor.

The men appreciated it and although I made frequent

trips to the canteen buffet the ladies all assured me that

the behaviour was perfect and that nothing had disturbed

them. Another thing too the lads had had their fling the

day before and had less money and sore heads. During

the morning I decided to buy you a ring and slipped

around to Hydera Maur's and chose it in about 5 minutes.

The day wore on with nothing doing. I decided to have a

very good lunch and treated myself at the GOH which

as I have already told you had a back door adjoining

the Police Station. It was a great disappointment to me

cost about 10/- Australian and perhaps I expected too

much of their curry. Altogether it was a disappointing

meal. During the afternoon one of the ladies at the mens

Buffet invited me to dinner but at the time I could

not accept as I did not know the time if any that

I would be handing over to the Provost Company.

During the late afternoon we received some agitated

phone calls of riots etc in hotels but each party

who were sent out - and they went joyfully in the

hope of excitement to relieve the tedium - reported

nothing in the incidents. Two or three bear telling.

One was a very rush call to some place or other

that some Australians were murdering and stripping

the place. It turned out that three troops very drunk

and hot had stripped naked and were sleeping

quietly on the billiard table. I must repeat that

hotels other than the Gall Face and GOH are not

built or conducted to our standards. The other

incident occurred just as we were handing over. I

forget the report but we jumped into a truck and

drove to the Bristol. This place had an unsavoury

name from the day before as it sold English Beer

and was well patronised. The troops found out

that it had been profiteering from them charging

three times its usual price. They retaliated

but we stopped them the day before - before they had

caused much damage. In this call however I got

a lot of amusement. Three or four slightly inebriated

troops had collected some snakes and had them twined

around their necks. Apparently providence looked after them

and they were non venomous or had been treated for no one

was bitten to my knowledge. The native population however

took no chances and as the troops were acting as sheep

dogs to about 200 or so making rushes complete with

snakes they gave way and ran only to be shepherded

another way. It really was funny to see and was

easily stopped. Anyway after had collected all my

patrols I gave over the job to the provosts and reported

to the GOH for a couple of drinks which I reckoned I had

earned. Whilst there I carried out my promise to Mrs. Leigh

Mathews and phoned her and told her I was free for

dinner. She arranged for her husband to pick me up

at 8pm so I therefore waited. He turned out to be a

little older than she - I should think he was 50 and she

about 40 and I had a lovely quiet evening with them.

All homes in Ceylon seem to be beautiful and the white

people to have learnt the lesson of living in the climate.

About 11 pm he dropped me at the GOH. I had enough

left of the local currency to buy one drink and have

a boat fare home. I had it and stepped aboard at

midnight to hear all sorts of tales of snakes on board. I

took the trouble to trace some of them and soon went to my

cabin secure in the knowledge that the last snake had been

seen swimming strongly for the shore half a mile away.

Before any leave had been granted an embargo was place by

the ships officers on the bringing of any animals on board.

Not because they disliked them but because they would

have to be killed at the next port owing to quarantine

regulations. Next morning we left the port and again

settled down to ships routine. Despite all precautions

one little monkey had been smuggled aboard by one of our

battalion and it was discovered on ships inspection.

The offender was disciplined but the Captain of the ship added

the crowning touch to the penalty. The monkey was

housed in one of the lifeboats and the owner was

made to feed it and what was worse clear up the mess

in the boat twice a day. It was surprising what a

little animal could do and he was soon heartily

sick of it. It was not killed as the ships company

adopted it when we left them. The Captains penalty amused

everyone but the producer of the monkey. Ships routine

body in military training and alarm drill carried on each

day. During this period of the voyage competitions on deck

games were arranged - partners being drawn by ballot. I ended
up in the finals of deck quoits and deck tennis but forget

where in the singles. The two, I was in were mixed deck tennis

and mens deck quoits. During this part of the trip the Battalion

arranged an afternoon cocktail party to which were invited

nurses and officers of all other units and the ships staff

not on duty. Officers I mean. It was a great success and

was quite cheaply done by the ship assisted by our own

mess staff and batmen. The band played and also a

Bn. dance band which we had formed. There was no dancing.

The rest of the trip was quiet but not uneventful. Bob Knights

contracted pneumonia and had a special nurse for some

time - on duty all day and whilst he was in danger she

gave him every attention and even for weeks after he was

her special car. She helped immensely in pulling him

through. The next event was our meeting two destroyers who

joined us to escort us through the Red Sea. They just

dashed up from nowhere at full speed and fell or turned

into position on what seemed like a threepenny bit still

at full speed. Our French cruiser escort thereupon left on

plans of her own. Just before this we called into Aden and

spent about half a day there refuelling. It looks a grim

bare place nothing but sand and hills rising sheer to a

full height. Everyone wanted to go ashore exploring as tales

of the native city in a valley of these high hills right up to

the shore were alluring but no leave was granted. During

our trip up the Red Sea we had a submarine scare whether

real or not I can't say. The two destroyers were ahead and

some distance away when suddenly they shot over to

some place and started doing all sorts of things including

dropping a few depth charges. The convoy scattered and

dashed in all directions but soon reformed and proceeded.

It was just before Italy came into the war and in the way

of the Navy they made sure first and asked questions after.

Apparently though whether true or not I can't say this

submarine is alleged to have popped up between the

escort and the protective screen. Anyway it was

some excitement. We entered the Suez Canal and even

after knowledge of its immensity it was still a surprise.

Its a marvellous piece of engineering and is beautifully

kept and I should say the staff is run with an iron

discipline. Every little way along the canal are

Stations consisting of a flat roofed two storied house

and a couple of sheds - occupied by some Canal

official and family. They are rather stereotyped but

all are almost painfully neat and well kept and swept,

each has a water tank and a few palms and quite a bright

garden with tropical flowers of the Canna type. The whole

is surrounded by a low mud wall and forms a break in

the inevitable sand. The banks of the canal are lined with

stone to prevent erosion but even then it must be one of their

great problems. The main language spoken of the Canal and

in the naming of their stations is French - the influence of De

Lesseps and France still predominates. All canal boats have

French names and notices are in Egyptian and French. In

fact French is still the second language throughout Egypt.

Most people including shops understand it better than

English. Before I leave the Red Sea I must tell you that

it really is Red. It has quite a pale red color and Henry

and I told some very tall stories of what the cause was. I

forget what it really is but I shall ask Theo. I have

just come from his room and the various suggestions given

by his room mates just about covered Henry's and mine.

The true fact is that millions of little animals give it

its color and not sand as some people think. It really

looks as if is has sand in suspension. Most of the first

part of the Canal trip was done by night or should I say

moonlight and both it and the desert took on glamor

in consequence. Dawn showed up all the faults of the

landscape. About 9am we entered the Bitter Lakes and

commenced the crossing. About midday we stopped and

lay in the what I think was about the middle in a

howling gale which made staying on deck very

unpleasant. A rather interesting incident occurred there

with an interesting sequel. Those of us on deck were very

interested in a Gladiator plane which was flying

around the ship. It came very close once and a

gust of wind extra strong, or an air pocket, or perhaps

quiet air around the ship caused it to drop

alarmingly and we thought it was going to fall

onto the ship. Now the sequel. I was telling a few lads

in the RAF at DB about the incident and one of them

piped up and said that he had been the pilot. He had

been caught in an extra strong gust. He was an Australian

nickednamed Digger serving in the RAF and had been

caught in Greece or Crete. I forget which. Strange

meeting him after so long and in such a place. Late

in the afternoon we started along the canal again

and passed two monuments of the last war. One a

group of horses to the Light Horse and the other on

a rise and at a slight bend looked magnificent

to the Anzacs. One of my room mates has just described

it more fully than I saw it. It has two huge pillars

and at the foot of each is a ten foot high statue or

frame representing Truth and Liberty. It looked very

wonderful in the desert but actually it is only 10 mins

from Ismailia by car. By this time it was dark and

we knew that we were disembarking soon although the

Hospital and nurses and some other troops were to

stay onboard. No one knew destinations so there was

a great feeling of insecurity and wonder when we

should all meet again. Looking back it now seems

theatrical and silly but I think everyone felt the

strain and sentimentality seemed rife. I think the

nurses sort of felt lost as all their companions of the

trip were busy and they were deserted and they sat

around in an empty lounge booking very forlorn. Everything

was bustle and for the first time troops and officers appeared

in equipment including [[Awhats?]] and revolvers. Except for

the necessity of carrying the damn stuff it was so useless

except that the change from easy life to the nearest evidence

that there really was a war on I think started the grim

feeling that most of us had. Farewells were made and

I suppose in one or two cases very tender ones and we

disembarked at Kantara on the Suez Canal. We went down

the gang plank at midnight onto a pontoon bridge which

connected the ship to the shore. There is of course no jetty

anywhere in the Canal for big ships and just here they

have widened the canal to about twice its normal

width as it is our important stopping point. One side

is Palestine and the other Egypt and the two railways

meet as well as the road. There is a passenger and

vehicle ferry here besides another ferry lower down

which transports rolling stock between the two lines.

We wandered off the pontoon and has our first experience

of the junction of two countries. We passed through

a large Customs Gate where natives going into

Palestine were being searched. It was rather amusing

to see Customs officials lifting up the voluminous

dresses of the men and searching their bodies. All

natives wear something like a high necked nightdress

with long sleeves. There was some sort of a native or as I

think an Indian policeman beautifully turned out

with the most haughty demeanour and armed with

the longest and most wicked whip I have ever seen.

It was about two inches thick and twelve feet long

and beautifully plaited of I expected rhinoceros hide.

[[?]]29

Whilst waiting for all my Company to disembark one of the

English speaking officials told me that they had discovered

a fair consignment of drugs on a man two days before.

Attached to the British Army is a wonderful canteen called

N.A.A.F.I. meaning Naval, Army, Air Force Institute which

sells everything that troops need and have established

their sales places wherever British troops are stationed.

By charging a little more at home and in large stations they

make enough to cover carriage to small and lonely out

stations and therefore sell in the middle of the desert

anything and everything at home prices to the members

of the British Forces. From their profits they also build in

permanent stations large entertainment centres and in

every way make the life of the British soldier and his wife

and children as easy as possible. In wartime they change

their name to E.F.I. meaning Expeditionary Forces Institute.

They are rather like Myers. Nothing to big and nothing to

small and they go everywhere and are almost an official

part of the army organisation. Where they start and stop

in this regard needs a better man or rather a man with

better information and understanding than I. All this

leads up to the fact that their organisation provided

us with a hot meal. The troops got sausage rolls and

tea and a bag of sandwiches for train rations. The

officers got a piece of lamb so tough to be uneatable

a sausage, potatoes with peas and a bottle of beer

Egyptian and terrible on payment. The meal cost

nothing and was no doubt a charge to the army.

Incidentally there is a village about a mile away

from the station but the sand ran right up to it.

and was our first experience of what was to be

our next years walking material. After a short while

we marched onto the platform where a train was

waiting. It consisted of one carriage for the officers

and goods trucks for the troops. This are very

strong with sliding doors each side and need to be

strong as all Egyptians and Palestine drivers are the

bumpiest crowd I ever met. After a little while we

started off and as the strangeness wore off we found

ourselves very tired. This railway had been built

by Allenby in the last war and had been brought

up to date and used ever since. During the riot

and troublous times in 1937/8 each train had to

have a pilot engine in front as both Arabs and Jews

had such playful habits as pulling out dogspikes

or placing a bomb under the rails. One chap did tell me

that the Arabs got quite skilful in arranging their

bombs to go off under a special carriage. Whichever

had the officers in . That is the only report that I

know crediting them with such intelligence. Most of us

went to sleep and soon woke finding ourselves covered with

fine white dust raised by the train and driven in by a

high wind. It was the start of a "Khamsin" the dry high wind

of Palestine and Egypt and which raises dust storms. As

the day grew so did the heat and wind and conditions

became uncomfortable. About 8am we pulled into Gaza

where we were met by Army representatives and told out

destinations about 15 to 20 miles away. We rattled off

after a day of about an hour and travelled through

more cultivated land than during early morning

between 11 and 12 he train stopped not at a station

but opposite our campsite which was named Bert Jurga.

and was situated in the middle of the Plain of Phillistia

or the Plain of the Phillistines. I have just been reading

a book lent to me for a short time and it deals

with this country. I can do nothing better than

to quote verbatim some passages which give the

picture of the whole better that I can paint it.

"Of birds, there are larks, wheatears, shrikes, beeeaters,

hawks, vultures. Flamingoes frequent the mouth of

the wadis. There is a merry bird, the rufuous

warbler, who haunts the locality. He is port and

friendly. Looks like a big nightingale, has the

manners of a robin, and flirts his tail like a redstart.

I saw one today attack a locust nearly as big as

himself. There are also jackals, jabots, lizards

and scarab beetles.... The country is now parched

and dry. In the spring it is covered with verdure

fields of barley, grass, flowers of many sorts - red

hot pokers, irises etc. In the oasis, and near the

villages, are date palms, and great quantities of

fig trees, apricots and almond trees. There are

great patches of an inferior sort of water melon.

One of the camps is in a fig and vine plantation,

near the sea. Great fig trees, 100 years old, grow right

up and on to the sand dunes.... was astounded today

to see the camels browsing on prickly pear cactus. I had

always thought that the prickly pear was proof against

any animal that had a palate and a tongue. But I

see the camels eating it greedily, and paying no more

heed to the awful spines than if they were bloom on a

peach... The people all look like Biblical characters

Face, dress, and everything like pictures from the

Bible. Keen, handsome faces; picturesque Arab dress;

ornaments of beads, coins and enamel, much as one

sees in the Egyptian museums. The children are

beggars, all. "Very pretty, some of them. All attractive to me".

and " The name of the camp was Mum el Kebab meaning

"the mother of dogs". Summer conditions on the Palestine

borders are extremely trying. There was no shade and

the temperature rose to 110 degrees. Sometimes a hot

wind from the desert, the Khamsin, blew for days on end

there was constant dust; all cuts, even scratches

turned septic, and 'sandfly fever' which though not

dangerous, left its victims weak and exhausted for

many days, was prevalent". again a description.

'at the mouth of the wadi was a brackish lagoon,

wherein two or three natives were fishing. They have

a circular net, with leaden weights on its rim.

This they carry loose on their shoulder. When a

fish is seen - usually a sole - they throw it over

the top of him and catch him under it. The water

must be clear, as it always is, and not more

than two feet deep. All along the beach, at the foot

of earthy cliffs some 20 to 30 feet high, grow quantities

of delicate white lilies; like large white daffodils.

Along the waters edge are queer crabs, big and little

many sandpipers and stints and some lovely blue

kingfishers. They are like the Spanish kingfisher:

[[?]] very like the English, but bluer. They pick up

the little fish in the pools, and are quite tame

and friendly. " The following description of a piece of

country is very typical and is well worthy in

these quotations. " They moved to Ben Salem, near

Ramleh, on the Jaffa-Jerusalem Road into a two storey

stone built house which had been a German school.

It stood on a slight rise in sandy soil just about an

orange grove, and commanded an extensive view of

a typical section of Palestine. To the west could be seen

the stretch of sandhills that fringed the coastline,

beyond which was the deep blue of the Mediterranean.

to the north the white minarets of Ramleh marked

the position of a purely Arab town; to the south were

the fields and fruit groves of old-established Jewish

Colomes. But it was the line of the Judson hills to

the East that caught and held the eye. They stood

up straight and solid out of the plain, a challenge

and a warning. Their color varied ever with the

changing lights, from a hard, barren brown to

a soft twilight blue: changes that seemed to illustrate

their history - the hopes and promises they had

inspired, the disappointments and cruelties they had

seen, the attraction they always exercised". To give

you some idea darling of the country in which we found

ourselves I quote two more passages from this book. "Suddenly

the Commander broke out, " Look at that big rock in front of us"

That must be just about the place where Jonathan and his

amour bearer climbed up and attacked the Philistine garrison".

The biblical reference is Samuel XIV. The other passage is 'after

a few hours rest the division resumed its march down the

famous Valley of Jezreel, so full of history. To the north could be

clearly seen Mount Tabor, where the Israelites had swept

down on Sisera's laboring [[host?]], bogged in the valley below;

where also the giant Kleber, one of Napoleons best generals,

had been hard beset by a Syrian horde, so that Napoleon

himself had to hasten up from the siege of Acre to discomfort

his assailants. Near Mount Tabor are the caves of Endors

where Saul visited the woman with a familiar spirit and

learned his doom; on the other side of the valley stands

out Mount Gilboa, where that doom met him.

and his son Jonathan, and inspired one of the worlds.

greatest poems. Below Mount Gilboa Gideon's three hundred

picked men ~~xxxx~~ made the first night attack of which we

have a detailed account. (Judges vii). At the mouth of the

valley stands Jezreel itself (the modern Zeren], a natural

fortress on a low hill rising out of the plain, the scene of

one of the most famous dramas of the Bible. Here was

Naboth's vineyard; here the watchman saw the avenging

John driving furiously up from the valley of the Jordan,

here Ahab's proud, wicked queen, Jezebel, decked herself

to meet her fate, and met it royally with a shrewd

count - "Had Zimri peace, who slew his master? - at the

upstart Military dictator". All these quotations are from

General Wavell's book "Allenby" and are descriptions

of Palestine and parts of his letters to his wife. All of course

written in the last war but very applicable to Palestine

as I saw it. Allenby's letters to his wife can be distinguished

from pure description by reference to birds. He was a

great bird lover and knew a lot about them so that

you can accept his descriptions of the various birds

as authentic. They all looked the same to me but he

was writing of a different period at the time. Before

I leave the quotation part and get back to our arrival

I want to comment on some of the information as I found

it. I have just seen another interesting fact in the book,

and this is the last. It concerns the bare sandy plain

on which was Umm el Kelab aforementioned. Chavells

comment is " It was curious to learn that a large

proportion of Scotch whiskey was distilled from barley

grown on the dusty plain, which became green with

the rains of winter. We were on the south of Palestine

and in the Arab part - that is purely Arab and the

Jews were north of us and around Tel Aviv. Last was

the watermelons might have been poor quality but

now they are the reverse and were marvellous. And

nothing was mentioned by Allenby of the grapes that

the Arabs around us cultivate in profusion. Not on vines

supported by sticks or frames, but just let grow wild over

the sand. They were good grapes but more of them later

and the same about the net fishing as I saw it.

Have been to Bir Salim and the description given is

just right. And it is a beautiful spot. Bir in Arabic

means well, or water cistern or tank. Usually well.

Having digressed from my story so far I shall get back to

the time when we detrained at Beit Jirja in the middle

of a howling dirty Kharman which as always natives

said was the worst of the season. We were of course

in serge Battledress and lost as little time as

possible in at least taking off our jackets. We had been

given a "foster unit" one of those who had come over

before us and they had erected our camp. A thought

which was a happy one and deeply appreciated by us.

Sol Green was also there. If you remember he left before

us and he had done many things for our comfort.

Started the mess was one and had some beer on ice

It was wonderful. We occupied the rest of the day in

settling in and erecting such few tents as had not

yet been erected and in having our first meal in the

Holy Land. It was rather a scratch one but hunger

is the best sauce and Sol with his limited time and

chances between taking over stores and erecting a camp

had done wonders. It was more than we expected to

walk into an erected camp and not have to settle down

and do all the work ourselves. There was even

mail waiting us and it was wonderful to hear news

of you so soon. We never expected anything like it or to hear

so soon. Some Arab or Jew photographer took some photos

and one of the nurses got me a copy which I have I think

in my time in Alexandria. The foster units left some men

with us for a few days to give us advice but like all

newcomers we missed the essentials and had to learn

by experience. I should have I think give you a brief

resume of conditions in Palestine. You remember the

racial riots which occasioned so much trouble to

Britain in an endeavour to clean up. At the outbreak

of war they apparently by mutual consent in September

1939 patched up their differences for the duration and

ceased to be so much trouble. Jews and Arabs when

we arrived had quietened down and were more

or less amicable. However we had to take precautions

and all rifles were locked up each night to prevent

thieving. In fact they were chained to the tent poles

as the only possible precaution: Arabs are credited

with being wonderful thieves and a rifle was a

very prized possession. The loss of any arms or

equipment resulted in a Court of Enquiry and

endless trouble. Ammunition similarly had to be

strictly accounted for and the loss of one round

had to be reported immediately. In the event of this

occurring the news was telegraphed and all Headquarters in

Palestine and the Palestine Police notified. So you can see how

seriously they viewed the matter. And of course there was a big

enquiry. The only visible manifestation of the racial hatred

was rather an exciting one as far as we were concerned. Private

cars and buses of which there are a great number in Palestine

are driven by both Jews and Arabs. By our standards they

are careless and reckless drivers at the best of times and their

cars and particularly the buses look like falling to bits. On

the road with whatever driver you soon learnt to watch

very closely any approaching vehicle. If they were of the opposite

races then they rushed headlong at one another and tried

to ditch him. They seemed to have an uncanny knack

of knowing their opponents - probably they were able to see

the drivers headdress from a long distance. Jews wore ordinary

civilian hats, tweed caps or nothing, but the Arab invariably

wore his traditional headdress even with civilian clothes.

Occasionally you saw a car or bus wrecked but whether

from this cause or just an accident you never know but from

experience you would think that one driver had for once

been successful. We heard many tales of the British

Jerusalem and other places before [[our?]] arrival and it was

generally admitted that the Scots - the Black Watch and the

Argyle Sutherland Highlanders were the daddies of them all

in dealing with rioters. They [[had?]] [[both?]] suffered casualties

from sniping and knifing and they did not forget and

their method of stopping one riot in Jerusalem was so

catholic in selection of heads to hit and so [[cruel?]] and

bitter that they cleared the place of the rest so quickly

and effectively and spared neither Jew or Arab that they

had a surface [[quietened?]] in the city thereafter. The

population learnt to fear them frightfully. About a mile

from our camp was the village of Bert Jurga and just

to the left of it was their sacred burial hill. Early we were

warned that the Arabs did not like anyone near this

so troops were ordered not to go near it. Of course that

was the one thing they wanted to do and some did. Of

which battalion I do not know but the Arabs became

very angry and chased the offenders with sticks and

stones. That does not sound very dangerous but it

really is as the Arabs have quite often beaten people

to death by this method. As an example of Arab theft

the Palestine Police made a raid on Bert Jurga village

just before we left and it was astonishing what a

collection of clothing and oddments they collected and

which the owners had never missed. To get back to some
sort of order again. Just after we arrived as you know the
Italians entered the war and created quite a scene as the view was
seriously entertained that parachutists would and could be dropped.

All sorts of defence schemes were instituted. The first job I had to
do was to wreck the camp and reerect it dispersed over a large
area. Instead of tents being a few feet apart and in rows
the minimum distance was 70 yards and in all sorts of positions
so that attacking aircraft could not line up on any two of
them for a target for machine guns. As I was circumscribed
to an area it took a long time to do and another difficulty
was that no tent was allowed to be near a permanent building
of which we had a few. Anyway with a bit of juggling it fitted into
place very nicely and I was quite proud. It felt rather like a
crossword or jigsaw puzzle coming out. Our permanent buildings
were the mess canteen and reading room. - five small tin sheds
[[?]] in the Battalion office [?] and repair shops (tailor
(& bootmaker] the officers and Sergeants messes and small
[[?]] buildings near each. On the other side of the camp were
the mens showers and a [[?]] of buildings including the
laundry (never used as such) and the native contractors shops.
We had a [[?]] sort of tent issued which was a great improvement
on those you saw in [[??]] They were beautifully
made and [[????]] and known as
E.P.I.P. meaning "European Pattern Indian Pattern". They are
bigger and lighter than ours - [[?]] completely new and
a [[?]] white. They therefore hard to be camouflaged and
we made lots of liquid mud from [[?]] and threw it
all over to cover the white [[?]]. Then as all square
lines show up from the air we had to then break all the
ridge lines and [[?]] with a [[?]] of native red ochre
and water painted on with a piece of hessian and a
long stick. The pattern could be as fantastic as you desired
as long as the straight lines of the tents were broken. The tents had
detachable sides about 4 feet high with air vents [[?]]
and took 12 men quite comfortably. The men had three [[bed?]]
boards on low trestles to sleep on. They even had a curve for
the hip. It was necessary to sleep off the ground for health
reasons. This includes snakes scorpions and dampness.
Although from the look and feel of the sand it had never
been damp or would be again. We left Palestine before the
rainy season so could not appreciate the wonderful
mud they get. Actually from all accounts we were very
lucky. Concurrently with the camouflage the troops had
to dig their tents down [[inside?]] to a depth of about three feet.

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Allen White

Last edited on:

20 August 2025, 4:27 pm

Last updated: 20 August 2025