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

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ever be controlled. That's enough of that awful subject.
Another day we left immediately after lectures and before
lunch and arrived in the Continental. As soon as we
entered the lounge we were hailed and met an Australian
Senator and newspaper owner. My memory is horrible now
and I can't remember his name but it is quite well known
to us normally. He had I think been defeated and was on
his way to England by air to further one or other of his
projects. I do remember he owned a lot of country newspapers
and had an interest in a Mildura one. We had a few
drinks and were joined by a British woman acquaintance
of his who had been upstairs to an osteopath. She was a
married woman with a child and worked for British Imperial
Airways. She does not enter my story any further  except that
under the influence of some pink gins which she insisted
on drinking she told me part of her life story. Apparently
her husband was a drunkard and had left her with
the child to support. She was as a result and a nervous
wreck and the osteopath was giving her treatment for
gland trouble. I may have mistaken her but she inferred
that it was all due to be lack of a man. I did not bite and
we parted sometime later. A lass  of met who worked with
her- this lass at a dance when we came down to
Cairo permanently was not very shot on her so I expect
my impression of her was right. Her osteopath came
down the stairs and joined the table and turned out
to be an American woman about 6' 2" with a very suave
manner. She had a practice in Alexandria where all
all the wealthy people of Egypt live and came to Cairo
once a week. I was not very impressed with her but she
was very decent to us really. We get rid of the others
and were thinking of lunch. We invited her and she
offered to show us a vegetarian cafe just opened. So we
went and she at least saved us money. It was cheap
and very clean and run by someone just back from
America. An Austrian I think. Over lunch she told
us her husband had been killed in the [[Mexican?]] war.
She was still very young so took this course at a University
One of her jobs after graduation was travelling with a rich
patient who died in Egypt leaving her stranded. She set
up her plate and had never looked back. When we told
her we were going to the native Bazaar she offered to show
us round the next Friday so we accepted and as she
would not allow us to pay for the lunch we invited
her for the next week. When we met her she gave us the

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benefit of her experiences in Egypt and when we asked
where we were taking her to lunch we got a surprise when
she said the Native Bazaar. So she gave the directions to the
Gharry driver - no taxis were allowed by her. It cost us
about 2/- for the drive and we stopped at a little Muslim
restaurant in a very narrow lane. The best description is to
liken it to Cobbs Cafe if placed in the narrowest part of the

walk behind the equitable buildings. The gharry only got

there. She was well known and secured us a private room

upstairs. Downstairs they cooked in the front of the shop and

you selected your grill something after the style of the [[Silver?]] [[?]].

All very cramped though. Upstairs you subscribed to the Muslim

religion by washing your hands and then sat down to a

really marvellous meal. Fortunately I dont and didn't know

all the meats. the bread was warm and how they bake it

I dont know. it was very thin but looked a large loaf until

you broke it when it was hollow inside. With butter it

was marvellous. the sauce given was something to dream

off and wonderfully hot pepper. About twenty times as

strong as cayenne. She got me a little to take back to Palestine

and when I let the mess have a go they cursed me. It burnt

for about half an hour and burnt your skin whenever it

touched. She was what I suppose you would call a "natural"

She had no false or mock modesty and was about 45. She

poked about the meat and said you sometimes found the

unmentionable parts of sheep. Whether she herself liked eating

them I dont know and I did not dare ask. Apparently

we had none so I felt I could eat it and it was good.

Moslems only drink water so thats all we had. When it

came to settling the bill it came for the three of us with extras

for coffee and double bread and salad to 13 piastres

equal to about 3/- Australian. After that she led us through

the [[?]] the native Bazaar. if we had been at loose on our

own we would have been robbed. Imagine lanes 6 feet wide

with shops of all sorts crowded in - carpets - brassware -

cloths, silks, jewels, silverware I cant think of them all

and every owner outside trying to get you inside. We had

definite ideas of what we wanted so she took us to two or

three shops and told the proprietors off - not to rob us.

Privately she had told us to still offer ¼ of what they

asked and go to half. It was there that I got the things

I sent to you and Mum. She also persuaded us to buy

a silk dressing gown each for about 70p and assured

us they were worth £7 or £8 pounds. I sent you a small

pattern of it and only hope it is still in my box at Alex

and has not been lost. All this took most of the afternoon

as the drill is never to be in a hurry or you lose money.

You must play one off against the other and must not

                                             56

appear to be in a hurry. She also took us into a Scent

Bazaar - if I come home via East then you will get

some. They are marvellously showy and very expensive.

Most of the big shops have visitors books and some big

Society names in Australia were included in the Scent

Bazaar. In a leather suitcase shop they had a cheque

framed given them by Queen Mary. It is impossible

to describe all the wonderful things here. I wish I had

£200 to spend instead of £5. I was very broke just

then. During one of our afternoon trips I called on Goodyear

and met the manager - an American called Kafer. He gave

Brock and I a drink - mentioned that Paul Sellands had been

there about three weeks before and arranged for me to phone him

later in the week and he would arrange a party. I rather forget

times and things but the party took place at his flat. Brock

Rowan and I attended and his wife, her sister and the wife of

a British officer in the desert. He looked after the drinks and had

a beautiful little bar built under the stairs. We rolled up the carpet

and danced on the tiled floor. there were two others there now

I remember. Another British officer and an Egyptian girl. At

least I think she was. Kafers wife is a Serbian and speaks about

four languages and posed as knowing no English. All through

the language difficulty was immense although my schooling

French came in for some use. They could all speak French

and Kafer was kept busy translating. I really think that

M^rs Kafer could speak English or at least understand it and

that it was all a pose. At a second party much later she got

very bright and the brighter she got the more her understanding

of English and the better her speech became. It was a nice 

friendly party with plenty to drink. I got another scare though.

The Englishwoman and I paired together for awhile and talked

dogs. She had an Airedale. About 1 oclock we all walked

over to the Gazerah Club of which more later and danced

and drank. I still kept on beer and was reasonably sober.

The lady concerned started on her life and told me me she

had been in India for a long while with her husband who

was in the Indian Army. She said she had had numerous

affairs which he knew about and believed in enjoying

herself. Later she suggested that we come on the next Saturday

to the Gazerah Club on our own. I began to wake up a little

and hedged that I might be working or on orderly duties.

I passed it over by saying I would know by Thursday and

that I would ring her up. I am afraid I broke my promise

and very carefully did not. You can imagine that the

second time at the Kafers when I was told that she had

returned to India. I was very relieved. She frightened me

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properly.  Later on in our visit we met Kafer who drove us

in his car out to Mena House - the other famous hotel in the

shadow of the Pyramids. Whilst we went around the Sphinx

and the Pyramids he went to meet his wife and have a swim

at Mena House. She had a car also and was to meet us there.

We went first to the Sphinx and really although a wonderful

sight was a disappointment as it truly is dug out of the

sand and is really in a hollow and does not show up

to the advantage it does in photos where it seems so monumental

and commanding. We were also shown an old Temple

connected with it and the engineering ingenuity and skill of

the ancient Egyptian architects and workmen was amazing.

Huge slabs of stone weighing 30 or 40 tons had been beautifully

dressed and fitted one to another that it was extremely

difficult to see where they met. How they handled these huge

masses of stone amazed all of us. The guides have a racket

all their own. To show off the beautiful colors of the alabaster

rock they have a confrere who will for an expensive

consideration light a short length of magnesium wire and

the flare certainly produces an extremely brilliant effect.

Colors like jewels spring out of a black piece of rock. The

other marvellous feature about the whole business is that

these high rocks had to be transported hundreds of

miles both for the Sphinx and the Pyramids as there is no rock

anywhere near. We next inspected the Pyramids and

they are certainly awe inspiring both from their size and

workmanship. Each stone had been dressed by weather

has spoilt a lot of the facing. There is still a lot. We

were persuaded by another set of guides to go inside to

the Tomb of the Kings. After walking for some time along

narrow passages and up some very narrow stairs 

you arrive and are shown the various tombs of the

ancient Kings and Queens. Only a few for it would

take weeks of exploration to do the thing properly. Various 

little indentations and marks had meanings but I am

afraid I cannot remember as I did not like the enclosed

feeling. When they blew out the candles for the magnesium

ribbon I felt very small and puny and was glad to

get out. When we got out Brock would of course grossly

overtip the guides. We then went to Mena House and met 

the Kafers and had a few beers. We invited them to be

our guests at dinner and we drove into Cairo. M^rs

Kafer took me in her car and because she would

not speak English we had an amusing trip. Anyway

to carry on with my very rusty French. It was more

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amusing for her I should say but by the time the half

hour was up I was definitely showing improvement. We

went home after dinner and did not see them again until

we came down to Egypt again with the Battalion. The

day we left we all put in and sent M^rs Kafer some roses

which are very expensive in Cairo. The bunch we sent

was worth about 1/6 in Australian and cost over 15/- and

very poor specimens. Flowers generally are exhorbitant

except carnations. I heard later that she never received

them as we addressed them from the phone book and

they had moved some time. The general European

life is centered around an island formed by the Nile

and it is there that the homes and wealthy of Cairo live.

The British Club is the Gazerah Club and is  a marvellous

place. Around the club house are sporting grounds of

all sorts set amongst trees. I am only guessing but

they have two or three polo grounds, six hockey, two

or three cricket, rugby & soccer, basketball squash

courts and the most beautiful swimming pool beside

the clubhouse. There are also many other clubs around

Cairo all the center of sporting, comfort and drinking.

The Anglo-Egyptian is lower in the scale - The [[Twef?]]

Tennis Club is mainly French and Egyptian. I forgot

Tennis Courts at Gazirah. The usual yearly fee is

extremely high as the upkeep must be enormous but

officers visiting were given a concession use for £1 a

month. We did not join but went there a couple of

times on invitation for a drink. I think the only

other thing of note on this visit to Cairo concerned our

American Osteopath whose name was Dr Anna [[Snoock?]].

We all invited her and a British spinster friend or

patient I forget to dinner and she was then going

to take us to a native theatre. We again learnt a lesson

as when we arrived at the theatre called the I-sed-Dhus

we were buying the tickets and were paying 5 piastres each

when she interfered. The result was was that is 5 or no

finally got in for I think 3 piastres the lot. It was a 

native variety show and all in Egyptian. The leading

lady was a beautiful girl about your size and build

and had a voice sheets ahead of the other performers but

thats not saying much. All Egyptian songs are long and

seem to be [[rejection?]] and whilst someone is performing

the balance of the cast wander around the hall and form

in the chorus at intervals. Waiters serve drinks and

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 the girls on the show follow the custom of all cabarets through

out the east with drink and [[talk?]] with you and get a

commission on the drinks. We did not have any then

but I went there once later and I could not touch the 

native beer so I drank whiskey - it was terrible too. In

one act the chorus of women came on in gold knockers and

brassieres. They were fat and forty - by that I mean

old by Egyptian standards and when one of them escaped

from her brassiere there was no beauty in the spectacle only

a disgusted amusement on my part watching her get

into it. Dr Anna was as usual a mine of information

all the girls wore a lot of gold bangles - some more than

others. It turns out that they turn all their wealth into

gold bangles and carry it about with them. If they then

need money they go and sell one. During the middle

of the performance the direct Dr who was setting next

to me turned and said  that you can sleep with any

on the stage for 3 piastres. I have got to admit that

300 piastres given to me would not have attracted me.

The final show of the night was a favourite Egyptian 

love tragedy where the foreign princess played by

the petite leading lady was in love with the 

King. All Egyptians love fat women and when the

Queen appeared she was 6 feet tall and at least

20 stone. Strangely enough she had an extremely

likeable gentle face with a charming smile and

also a good and powerful voice and did not sing

as all the other Egyptians through her nose. the whole

tragedy was enacted but I must admit that the

ancient dresses caused me too much amusement

to follow the play closely. The women passed but the

men were dressed in the clothes we see in pictures of

ancient Egypt. The amusement was caused by their

lack of attention to details. The king was completely clothed

in an ancient dress except that he wore modern short socks

and walking shoes and sported a pair of pink suspenders.

Another man only wore sandshoes and another had

raked up a pair of very bright red and white circular

banded football socks. You can imagine I hope that

all this kept me from the play. All in all it was

one of the most amusing and interesting evenings I

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have had. Apart from the school training I played cricket

twice. The first match a New Zealand bowler and I had a

field day against our opponents . I was in slips to him and

caught five of his seven victims. As I was Field officer on

this day I went in first and made ten which took me

a hellava time and I was late mounting. As mounting

for duty meant being in barracks I got in without anyone

seeing me. In the second match I damaged my thumb

batting. My right thumb. I stopped two balls in the same

place from a fast lefthander. I continued to bat and made

between 30 and 40 but by that time the blows combined

with the jars of hitting had made my thumb react considerably.

As soon as I was out I wandered off to Abbassia Medical

Centre but I just missed the doctor. I tracked him down

to the Tank Corps mess nearby but he refused to lance it

and let the blood out for fear it would turn septic.

Instead he took me into the mess and filled me up with

beer and sent me home. Two days later I got an Australian

doctor to lance it with a new safety razor blade which he

disinfected with some mouth wash. the pain was considerably 

lessened but the damage was done and I lost the nail.

The night I did it I knew from past experience of the 

other times I had lost this particular thumb nail

that I would be in pain so about 10 oclock I went down

to the mess and deliberately made myself a shot of whiskey

and took three aspros and went to bed. Brock and

Rowan did not know I was in bed and thought at

least Brock did that I had gone off without him. He

really is a remarkable piece of work. The sporting

facilities at Abbassia are very good with plenty of

grounds. The only difference to ours are they play on

matting on hard sand and the ground is the same

and as level as a billiard table. Like the old red

sand tennis courts. And does the ball come like a

shot out of a gun. Its faster than anything I have

even played on both as to wicket or fielding. I can't

think of anything more about this visit to Cairo. The

Cairo Museum which is a very wonderful place full

of the treasures of the ages had been closed about two

months before and its contents removed to safety. I was

not able to go and see the Citadel with the other two and

from their accounts missed something very wonderful.

In fact I never saw it. Just before we left Jinks became

ill and was diagnosed as "sandfly" and carted

off to hospital whilst we were out. I knew that he

had lost all his money by theft and had promised

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him some next pay day as he had drawn to his limit.

To give you some idea of transport costs a taxi from

Abbassia to his hospital _∧ ^{at [[Cl?]]} would have cost £1.10.0 Egyptian

As I only wanted to give him £1 it seemed terrible. In

the end I went by bus for 3 piastres which was 1/50 of the

large amount. Brock by the way had some distant cousins

in Cairo and visited them two or three times but never

once invited us whilst we let him into all the contacts

we had made. Again I tell you darling he is the most

curious mixture. By the time the last week had arrived

we were all very broke. I had made arrangements with

Russ Savige that if I wrote he was to telegraph £10. I did

and he did and I never got it in Cairo. Transfers

like that take time in the East. It took me nearly

three months and repeated applications to get it back

from the Palestine Postal Authorities. By [[dint?]] of very

diligent saving and judicious expenditure we got

back with nothing and did not get a sleeper on the

way home in consequence. Best Before I leave this

trip I must tell you a little of the school. We worked 

hard and I got a good pass. Brock topped the school

but that did not worry me. We usually had two hours of

lectures in the classrooms and the rest was pastoral

in the desert which was only a few miles away. And 

was it hot. One day we were having instructions in Tank

mines. After half an hour in the sun the mines were

so hot that they burnt your hands if you touched

them. We finished the course by I think proving that

[[Dominionites?]]  were much more practical than those from

Rome. In one instance although I was left handed my

N.Z bowler friend and I proved we could do six times

as much as they expected in half an hour. Englishmen

in the East do themselves well. The Mess was beautifully 

furnished - with two large lounges and reading

rooms and very cool with fans. The dining room is

run under contract to a native who supplies and 

cooks the food. Everything is placed on a sideboard

made of tables along one side and a series of chafing

dishes kept them hot. The food was abundant and

varied and suited the climate. Iced consommé for

lunch was almost standard and the heavy meal

of dinner was between 8 and 9.30 at night. When

we went out during the day orderlies brought out

unlimited quantities of soft drinks and a little

beer on ice. We soon learnt that drinking beer in 

that climate made you sleepy so ginger beer replaced

the moisture your body lost in perspiration. One

thing I forgot to say about the mess was that you helped

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yourself to food and three stewards cleared the dirty

dishes and brought drinks. I got back to the unit to

find that one lad had committed suicide. Why no one

knows but that is usual with suicides. He gave no indication

although he had been a bit moody and made a proper job

of it. He used his rifle and a bit of string and put a .303

bullet through his head. During the latter part of our stay

in Palestine we continued training marches with a march to

the beach at Al Jura. There tents had been set up for a

canteen and the troops were able to go in swimming in

the nude. About 1% possessed bathing gowns. We always 

slept out and it was quite warm and in fact during the

day too damn hot. We usually took sidewalls of tents

for protection. The village of Al Jura still is very straggly

and exceedingly dirty. At the bathing spot the Palestine

Police force were building a very good barracks for use as

a sort of Coast Guards station. They had some of their

horses there and they were beautiful beasts and looked as

well and wellcared for as own police horses. I remember

Mary Colebatch saying once that she and a party of nurses

had gone to Al Jura and i was very shocked and annoyed

with the officer who had taken them. It was not an official

trip and he might easily have taken them among 500 or

so naked men. Imagine the embarrassment of both sides.

They were fortunate however. It was in this beach that

watched the Arab fishermen use their nets. They were

circular in shape with weights around the edges. From 

the center the retaining string came. These fishermen 

used to coil the net over one arm and stand on

the shore either naked or with a pair of drawers on.

They watched the surf for fish and must have had

wonderful eyesight. They might stand for ten minutes

and then rush out twenty or thirty yards and

with a most graceful movement throw their met. By

a trick of throwing it spread out like a fan and

fell over the fish. In all the times I watched I only saw one

successful cast and they must have had a hard time.

It was at Al Jura too that I first saw the quail nets

They extended for miles along the beach on the low 

sandy cliffs. Made of fine thread they had two nets

close together one with a larger mesh than the other. They

were about twelve feet high and were designed to catch

the migratory quail arriving from Africa. I believe they

get untold numbers this way. The whole beach at this time

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is covered with these nets from Gaza right around the coast.

About half a mile from Al Jura is Ascalon originally

it was one of the five great cities of the Plain of Phillistia and

Samson at his wedding had something to do with it. He

put forth a riddle at his wedding and promised 30 sheets

and 30 changes of garments to the successful answerer. He 

paid his debt by going to Ascalon and killing 30 

Phillistines and taking their garments and sheets. Later

on it became a Roman holiday or watering resort and

we walked around the old ruins. We saw gathered together

in one little cup lots of carvings, broken pillars and 

a coffin, a bath and many other interesting things. All

among this area you could see the shape of the old town

its terraces to the sea, one or two old shapes of houses, part

of its city wall and scattered all around high pillars

broken and twenty or thirty feet long. They had been

part of the palaces or baths or something and had all

been brought across the sea thousands of years ago from

Africa. During our walk on the cliffs we came across a

[[Sheiks?]] tomb. At least that is what we understood from

a local Arab. It was really a vault and had a

window in the wall through which we could see part

of the body. Whether it was mummified or not I dont

know but all we know it was something important.

I got one of the padres here to give me a short description of

the Plain of Phillistia and the Biblical associations around

it. The five great cities I mentioned were Gaza, Ascalon,

Ashdod (Isdud), Ekron and Gath. Gaza is one still

remaining and it was there that Samson was surrounded

by his enemies. At midnight he arose and took the gates

of the city and gateposts to the top of a hill and escaped.

When he was captured by the Phillistines he was brought to 

Gaza, put in a prison and had his eyes put out. The

Phillistines held a great feast and sacrificed to their Gods

in rejoicing and Samson was brought to attend to

be made sport of. He cried to god for strength and taking

hold of the pillars of the house, leaned his weight and 

the house fell killing many people and himself. Judges 16.

At Gaza also in a church of the Crusaders or a mosque

taken by them. I cant remember. Anyway it is about the

only beautiful thing in the place. The nurses who were

on our boat finally ended up at a tented hospital

with some permanent buildings such as offices and

messes and we were able to call on the sisters whenever

duty took us to Gaza. Which was not often and private

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trips became very expensive. Some of the lads seemed to 

manage alright but my only visit to the Sisters mess was

when some military transport was going and coming back.

The sisters liked to see us and tried to make up in their

own mess for the boat. We were not allowed to buy. Other

than duty calls or the visit to the hospital I only went

to Gaza twice - once with Henry when we escorted Mary

Colebatch and her friend to a Police dance and when she

spent most time after 10 0clock with her fiancé. He was old

Ivans aide and could not get there before. We had to have

a taxi down although he arranged our return. For his

own benefit as Mary came for the drive and they had one

of the few times on their own. The other was to the nurses

farewell party which I will describe later. Gaza has a

bathing beach but I never saw it. I believe it was

quite good. They also formed an Officers Club but the 

rules favoured the inhabitants of Gaza so we did not go.

Some of the lads later who were interested in the nurses

used to go but I never saw the place and both from stories

nurses told me and also the lads I was not a little

bit sorry. There is a war Cemetery at Gaza where most

British dead killed in Allenby's campaigns are. I only

passed the entrance - the cemetery is about a mile from the

road through a drive of very fine trees. If my memory

is correct one of our lads saw his fathers grave there. Ascalon

I have already told you about. Ashdod or Isdud is

now extinct as far as I know. The Ark of God was captured

by the Philistines and brought to this city and placed in the 

house of Dagon - then God. In the morning they found Dagon

the image fallen down before the Ark. They set it up again

and the following morning found him fallen with his head

and hands broken off. Abron and Gath shared in the 

destruction owing to the detaining of the Ark. It was

decided by the Lords of the Philistines to return the Ark to

the Israelites. This was done in a new cart drawn by two

milch kine being yoked for the first time. For a trespass

offering golden mice and emerods were returned with the

Ark. (1 Samuel 5 & 6 Chap). Now for leave. Leave in Palestine

was hard to come by. We always had jobs or some scare

or transport for troops was not available. During

my whole stay there I only had one half day in

Jerusalem as ordinary leave and I had a day

and night as sick leave through the Brig's kindness

after I had sandfly. The gilt was taken of the

gingerbread on this occasion by having Brock

as a companion. Anyone else would have done.

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I also went to Tel A Viv twice both times on duty and

although a very modern town I hated it and was

quite content never to see it. Most officers and troops 

preferred it after one visit to Jerusalem as it was

much more gay and had more opportunities. I mean that

everyone went once at least to Jerusalem but if after

seeing all the Holy features you wanted gaiety it was

very difficult. On the road to Jerusalem we passed

many interesting things. Old Turkish defences, the

shot up village - numbers of Arab villages and one

or two Jewish ones. There was one Arab village on the

left of the road in which most of the inhabitants

lived in caves in a hillside. The first town of Biblical

importance was Ramleh now almost wholly an Arab

town. It is quite big and has some paved streets.

It was known as Ramah in older times and was

never the ancient city of Lod or Lud or Lydda. Here Peter

in the name of Jesus cured Aeneas of his Palsy. Ramleh

is also believed to have belonged to Joseph of Arimathea

who begged the body of Christ after the Crucifixion.

Further along the road just before you reach Latroun is the 

Valley of Azalon - a deep valley running back into the

Judean Hills. Joshua fought the Amorites here when the

sun stood still on Gibeon and the moon in the valley of

Azalon . (Joshua 10.12.14). As you approach the Village of Latroun

you see a golden figure in the distance standing above

a large church or convent. It is a golden figure of the

Virgin _∧ ^{and the child Jesus} on the church xx and is said to mark the place

where the Ark of God rested. A village some distance

along the hills of Latroun is one of the supposed

sites of the village of Emmaus (Luke 24 ?13). A little

off the road and very near Latroun is a church

known as the Church of the Crusaders. It is still

used and as far as I know has been since those days.

Theo went there and was shown all over by a French

monk who spoke English and who gave them wine

and biscuits. The wine was home made. Further

away and on the right of the road is Ain Karem which

was the home of John the Baptist. Just before arriving

in Jerusalem across the valley on a hill stands

a Moslem Minaret which is said to be the tomb of

Samuel. The Poles had a camp at Latroun and this 

was our first sight of this gallant band of men

who after the collapse of Poland had refused to submit

                                                66

and who had marched right across Europe finding no

peace in any country until they reached Syria. When

France gave in they slipped across their border with all

their arms and equipment refusing once again to submit

to Germany. They then joined the British. Some of them

were fine looking men. On our first visit we left Beit

Jorja about 8 oclock in the morning, Henry and I were

together for once. Normally we were unable to get away

anywhere together. We were in charge of the Bn Leave Party

going to Jerusalem and on this day I think because

Halliday went to Tel Aviv I was able to go with Henry.

The trip through the Judean Hills was marvellous

and was exciting. There was one descent down a 

mountain called the Seven Sisters. Seven hairpin bends

Another time our bus driver started a race with another

one and to me nearly put us over the cliff. Words really

are no use to me to describe the deep valleys of these Hills.

They are not high as we know mountains but the

valleys are so deep and precipitous  they look grim and 

terrible and the way every single piece has been terraced

and the earth use amongst the awful rock is a tribute

to the patience and endeavour of a people over the

centuries. We did not arrive till nearly 12.30 and

by the time the last bus had limped in it was nearly

1 oclock. We rang up Mary Colebatch and Marjorie

Farmbach her friend and another Masseuse who had both

been working in Jerusalem at a British Hospital. We

took them to lunch and at their suggestion we went

to some cafe. The lunch service and appointments

were not so good and found out later that it

was a low class place they had taken us to in

innocence. They had only heard about it. As we

had not heralded our visit not knowing when

we could get leave they had an appointment for

afternoon tea. So we hired a car and had a rush

tour of Jerusalem and its surroundings for about

and hour and half and had all the interesting

spots pointed out. We dropped them at the Y.M.C.A.

at 4 and as our party left at 5 we had a few

drinks then went to the starting place. It was

a very unsatisfactory trip. The trip home was

uneventful although Halliday was late from Tel Aviv

having had more trouble in rounding up the

last of his party. On the second visit we left about

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one oclock in an army car and arrived about four.

I rang Mary up from the hotel and we arranged to meet

her after her work and went up with her to their quarters

at St Davids Hotel - a place attached to the Bishop of

Jerusalems residence. There we met and renewed

acquaintance with a number of other nurses who were

spending leave in Jerusalem. St Davids had been formed

for their benefit. it was arranged to go dancing at the

Talpioth - a place a little way out of Jerusalem. Marjorie

Farnbach had a lad so we arranged a partner for Brock.

We all dined at our hotel the Eden one of the smaller but

very quiet and reasonably cheap ones. The Brig had 

recommended us to stay there in preference to the King

David which is a high palatial palace and terribly

expensive. We then went to the dancing place and which

I have since learnt was established by Germans. Seen

as it was by night it was the most beautiful place

and setting. You go through an entrance into a small

garden in which the dance floor is situated with the

orchestra on some steps. Around the other sides are little

arbors or sheds with tables and between dances you can

drink. Probably in daylight it would look like a

cowshed but in the bright moonlight everything was

softened and very dim lights in the arbor smoothed

off or over its imperfections. It was delightful dancing

and most of the time I was thinking of you and other

moonlight nights and wishing you were there. I think

Mary sensed this for she asked me and whenever

we danced together and we followed in turns she

never talked. After my days in bed I was quite content

to go home early early and have a good sleep. Two

curious things occurred at the hotel which I

must tell you about. In the morning I went for a

bath and when I had finished I found I was

locked in. For awhile I thought the lock was faulty

but after knocking for awhile and getting no answer

I just waited as I knew Brock would be following

some time soon. A knock on the door proved to be

an old Jewess - the floor chambermaid who had

locked me in. It transpired that you had to pay

extra for baths and after she had smoothed

her ruffled feelings it was alright. I did not tell

her that I had a bath the night before as I

was a bit annoyed at her jabbering angrily at

me in Yiddish or whatever she spoke. The other

                                                 68

thing is that in Palestine and in fact right throughout

Middle East you do not give any tips except perhaps to

a drink waiter occasionally. On your bill appears an

item - 10% for service which covers tips. It really is

not a bad idea and at least you know where you are.

The next day Mary had the morning off so she took me

shopping and sightseeing. We went first to a number of babys 

shops to buy the dress for Judith. I am afraid I shocked her 

in the shop where we bought or rather ordered the dress to

be made when I asked the girl serving us whether she had

a baby. She was telling me that a dress would do and

I would not have it. Her answer that she hadn't got one

yet cleared the air. After that we went into the old City of

Jerusalem between the old walls. If my memory is correct

we entered by the Jaffa Gate and walked through to the

Damascus Gate. It is an area of flies and very bad

smells. The streets are very narrow with buildings close

together - archways and overhanging first floors make it

gloomier and darker than ever. It is very tiring to walk 

through as it is built on hills and the streets are

really a succession of low steps about six feet wide.

Food on the way we went seemed to be the main

thing sold. Sheeps carcases exposed to the flies together

with their insides - Bread on which the flies looked

part of the loaf - like currants - Fruit - vegetables

sweets everything with clouds of flies. I then did not

smell much but I could imagine it. Dirt lay 

everywhere. The streets were so narrow that no wheeled

vehicle could get into them apart from the steps

and the steepness. Everything is carried - by donkeys

or by human porters. These last are a class on their 

own - little weedy men carrying huge loads about

three times to heavy - they use a wide band around their

forehead. We first of all went through to the Damascus

Gate along the Via Dolorosa. - the way of the Cross.

Each station or place where the Cross rested has been

marked. We then went into the Church of the Holy

Sepulchre. This is one of the reputed sights of Calvary

and the Tomb. The places where the three Crosses stood,

the rest rock and the Stone of Unction. Sometime

before an earthquake had damaged the walls and

foundations of the Church and we had to look over

it dodging high beams and scaffolding. Five

living Churches have a share in this church. I

think they all have their own chapels somewhere

in the building. When we were in the Coptic Church

                                                    69

was having a service and our guide could not take

us in. As we had very little time we did not go into

the others. The five churches concerned are the Roman

Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Coptic, Armenian and Russian.

We saw in the Roman Catholic part a statue of the Virgin

Mary about two feet high enclosed in a glass case. [[Hung?]]

about it and scattered around on the floor are

jewels of all descriptions given by adherents of this church.

Their value is unassessable and they must be worth

hundreds of thousands of pounds. We went through 

a small hole and about a three foot tunnel into the

little Chapel where the Stone on which Christ was laid

is. You take a little taper to light it. I knelt and kissed

the stone after saying a prayer for you and I. I think you

can guess what it was darling. After lunch Brock and

I went for afternoon Tea at St Davids Hostel and then

Mary took us sightseeing again. We went first to

Bethesda's Pool - kept in order by some French Society or

Brotherhood. You go in a little gate and present the caretaker

with some small sum which I have forgotten and which

helps to keep the place in order. You immediately descend

into a depression which is the remains of an old Crusaders

Church. The Norman arches are still to be seen. It is

a very large place and the excavations are well over a

hundred yards square. In the corner is the Pool and

it looks very like an old roman Bath. It was here 

that people in olden times believed that an Angel came

and ruffled the waters and the first sick person in was

cured. One man stayed over 30 years before he could get in

others beating him to it. In John 5 is the story of this pool

as the place were the impotent man was healed. We next

went to the Garden tomb also known as Gordons Calvary

or the place of the skull. General Gordon was living in

a house outside the Damascus Gate when he noticed that

the shape of part of the hills in front was like a skull.

He himself did not carry out _∧ ^{the excavations} or discover the Garden

Tomb but others carried on and found that there

was a big cemetery there and that after further

investigations they found the ruins of a Pagan church

in front of a Christian one which led people to believe

that the Moslems had built their church there in

desecration of a Christian holy place. Behind the

Christian Church they discovered two tombs one

unfinished and the other finished. They believe that

as they were the type of tomb made for a rich man 

                                                      70

that this is where Joseph of Arimathea placed the body of

Christ. Further credence is claimed that in the finished

tomb there is a little window which allowed a shaft of 

light to fall on the stone on which Christs body lay and

so allow the disciples to see that the body had gone. We

went into the tomb and the old English caretaker proved

to us that without this window you could not see. In

the church of the Holy Sepulchre within the old City this

cannot be done. the whole scene and Tomb answers the

New Testament record of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus

in Luke 23, 32, 33 and 53. Many people now accept this site

as the scene of Calvary instead of the Church of the Holy

Sepulchre. The remainder of the information I am going to

give you I asked one of our Padres to give me. I did not

see all of the places I am going to mention except the

Wailing Wall. Jerusalem has the Kedron Valley on the

east. The garden of Gethsemane is on the far side of the

slope of the Mount of Olives and was the scene of Jesus' arrest.

(Mark 14.32.42.) In the west is the valley of Gihon with the

Pool of Gihon where Solomon was anointed King of Israel.

To the south is the valley of Hinnom (Gehenna)  the place

where all the refuse of the city was thrown and then burnt.

You remember the expression - The Fire of Gehenna - which

never went out. To the North is Mount Scopus and the British

War Cemetery is on its slopes. the Mount of Olives is to

the East of Jerusalem and from it the whole of the old city

can be seen. This is the scene of the Ascension. (Luke 24. 50. 51 Acts 1. 12)

In the valley of Kedron are the tombs of Jehosophat,

Absolom, St James and Zachariah. The Pool that Jesus

sent the man to wash his eyes and he came away

seeing. (John. 9.) Hezekiah's tunnel extends from this

Pool to the Virgins Fountain. This was built to take the

water into the city at the time of a siege. (2 Chron. 32. 34)

The old city is divided into four parts. Christian,

Mahommedan, Armenian and Jewish. It is surrounded

by a wall and the gates are the Jaffa, Damascus,

Herod's, St Stephens, Zion, Dung and the Golden gate

(or the Beautiful Gate). Acts 32 records where the lame man

was healed by the Apostles Peter and John. The Golden

Gate has been sealed by the Moslems and stands

like that today. Near the Jaffa Gate by which I entered

                                                  71

the Old City stands the old Citadel, the ruins of Herods

Palace and is now called Davids Tower. The dry area

of the old City is the Temple area on Mount Moriah - the

Central point being called today "the Dome of the Rock".

On this Rock was the place Abraham prepared Isaac for the

Sacrifice. (Gen. 12) This rock became the threshing floor

of Araunah. When the destroying Angel was over Jerusalem

David bought this threshing floor, oxen and implements

and made a sacrifice to God and the Plague was stayed.

(2 Sam 24. 15-17). This is the site where Solomon built the

first temple (1 Kings 5.5) and where succeeding Temples

were built. When the Saracens captured Jerusalem they

built a Mosque on this site and it stands there today.

The Mosque is Satchar or the Dome of the Rock. Christians 

are only allowed to go into the at certain times.

I think it was before 10 am in the morning and we were

only thinking of getting up then or rather I think of

going through the old city. Anyway for what reason I can't

think we did not go - if we had we would have had to

take our boots and shoes off. No one is allowed in

unless they are wearing slippers. Beneath the lower end

of the Temple Area are Solomons Stables where he kept

all his Chariots and horses. They have been hollowed 

out and I believe extend for a long long way. In the

North wall is the entrance to Solomons Quarries from

which the stones were cut and taken for the building of

the Temple. These quarries are a sacred place of the 

Free Masons and they hold regular meetings there.

These quarries extend under the Temple Area. A Roman 

Catholic Church marks the Echo Homo Arch and also

the Pavement or Praetorium Hall (Mark 15.16) the scene 

of Christs scourging. Close to this place is a prison

known as "The Prison of Christ" . These are underground

dungeons which still have the holes in the stone walls

where the hands were fastened when the prisoners were

spreadeagled. The stocks where the legs of prisoners

were fastened are still there. On my way through the

old City I saw the Wailing Wall. This is part of the

Old Temple Wall and since time immemorial the

Jews have gathered here, read the Jewish Law, prayed

and lamented - and pray for the return of the Glory

of the Temple. You can see the marks in the stone

where countless heads have battered in prayer against 

                                                      72

the wall and where countless Jews have kissed the wall.

There were only two or three praying and reciting their

prayers. Every now and then one would stop and kiss the

Wall or would raise his voice in a wail. It was

very quiet and placid but the same wall has been the

scene of many bloody clashes between Jews and Moslems

and troops during the Riots had a hectic time. It is

like the rest of Jerusalem a very narrow cul-de-sac

and the task of cleaning it would not be a light one.

Before leaving the subject of Jerusalem I want to finish up

with this last quotation from Wavells book on Allenby.

A curious Arab prophecy was discovered by some one about

this time; it was to the effect that the Turks would be

driven from Jerusalem only "when a prophet of the Lord

brought the waters of the Nile to Palestine". Now the pipe line

laid across the desert by Murray had already brought

Nile water to the very boundaries of Palestine and was to be

continued forward as soon as operations began; and

Allenbys name transliterated into Arabic could be

read as "Allah en nebi" - (the Prophet of the Lord"). ". It's

very interesting isn't it. Less than ten miles from

Jerusalem is Bethlehem.- the home of Boaz and Ruth.

The fields of Boaz lie in the valley seen from Bethlehem.

(see the Book of Ruth). It was the home and birthplace

of King David and where he was anointed King. (I Sam 16)

It was the birthplace of Jesus and the fields of the shepherds

lie in the valley. The Church of the Nativity stands

over the site  of the Manger and the bells of the church

ring the Bethlehem Bells at Christmas. The tomb

of Rachel the wife of Jacob stands on the side of the

road. (Gen.35.19) About 3 miles from Bethlehem are

Solomons Pools from which an Aqueduct about

12 miles long was constructed to carry water to

Jerusalem. It is said that over the whole distance

the fall is only 6 feet. I wish darling that I had

had more leave for there are so many places in

Palestine that I would have liked to have seen

but I am thankful to have seen as much. You

understand of course that I was not able to visit

all the places I have described but I feel that the

short description will help you to realise how

much is centered around this land and what

a history it has. To me apart from Jerusalem it

means nothing but sand, smells, Arabs & Jews.