WE SET OUT FOR PALESTINE.
Towards the end of January, 1918, we were notified that the 38th
Battalion was to proceed on Active Service to Palestine. This news was
received with great joy by all ranks, and every man was granted ten
days' leave to go home and bid farewell to his family.
Of course, our pessimistic friends took every opportunity of maligning
the Jew from Russia, and said that the men would desert and we should
never see a tenth of them again. I, however, felt otherwise, and had no
anxiety about their return. Nor was I disappointed, for when the final
roll-call was made there were not so very many absentees, certainly no
more than there would have been from an ordinary British battalion, so
here again our enemies were confounded and disappointed, for they had
hoped for better things.
The Battalion was ordered to concentrate at Southampton for embarkation
on the 5th February. Two days before this date Sir Nevil Macready
ordered half the Battalion to come to London to march through the City
and East End, before proceeding to Southampton. This march of Jewish
soldiers, unique in English military history, proved a brilliant
success. The men were quartered in the Tower for the night, and on the
morning of the 4th February started from this historic spot, in full kit
and with bayonets fixed, preceded by the band of the Coldstream Guards.
The blue and white Jewish flag as well as the Union Jack was carried
proudly through the City amid cheering crowds. At the Mansion House the
Lord Mayor (who had granted us the privilege of marching through the
City with fixed bayonets) took the salute, and Sir Nevil Macready was
also present to see us march past.
As we approached the Mile End Road the scenes of enthusiasm redoubled,
and London's Ghetto fairly rocked with military fervour and roared its
welcome to its own. Jewish banners were hung out everywhere, and it
certainly was a scene unparalleled in the history of any previous
British Battalion. Jabotinsky (who had that day been gazetted to a
Lieutenancy in the Battalion) must have rejoiced to see the fruit of all
his efforts. After a reception by the Mayor of Stepney, the march was
resumed to Camperdown House, where the men were inspected by Sir Francis
Lloyd, G.O.C. London District. He complimented them on their smart and
soldierly appearance, and made quite an impressive speech, reminding
them of the heroism and soldierly qualities of their forefathers, and
concluded by saying that he was sure this modern Battalion of Jews now
before him would be no whit behind their forbears in covering themselves
with military glory.
An excellent lunch was provided for the men in Camperdown House, where
speeches were delivered by the Chief Rabbi, the Mayor of Stepney, Mr.
Kiley, M.P., Mr. Joseph Cowen (the Chairman), and other friends of the
Battalion.
[Illustration: LIEUT. VLADIMIR JABOTINSKY]
Afterwards the troops proceeded, amid more cheering, to Waterloo,
where, before they entrained for Southampton, they were presented by
Captain Fredman with a scroll of the law.
My new Adjutant, Captain Leadley, who came to take the place vacated by
Captain Neill on promotion to Major, had only just joined us on the
morning of our march. He was much surprised at the first Regimental duty
he was called upon to perform, which was to take charge, on behalf of
the Battalion, of the Scroll of the Law. The excellent Jewish Padre who
had just been posted to us, and whose duty this should have been, was
with the remainder of the troops at Plymouth.
I was very favourably impressed by Captain Leadley from the first moment
I saw him, and during the whole time he remained with the Battalion I
never had cause to change my opinion. He was a splendid Adjutant, and,
in my opinion, was capable of filling a much higher position on the Army
Staff.
When the half Battalion reached Southampton, it joined forces with the
other half, which had been brought to that place from Plymouth by Major
Ripley, who was now Second-in-Command in place of Major MacDermot, who
remained behind with the Depôt. The whole Battalion proceeded to embark
on the little steamship _Antrim_ on the 5th February.
Just as Captain Salaman was about to go on board, he was confronted by
another Medical Officer, Captain Halden Davis, R.A.M.C., who, at the
last moment, was ordered by the War Office to proceed with us instead of
Captain Salaman. I knew nothing about this, and was naturally loth to
lose Captain Salaman, while he, on his part, was furious at the idea of
being left behind. However, there was no help for it, so back he had to
go to Plymouth. I think a certain number of the shirkers in the
Battalion may have been pleased to see him go, for he stood no nonsense
from gentlemen of this kidney.
I had, for some time, been making strenuous efforts to obtain the
services of the Rev. L. A. Falk, the Acting Jewish Chaplain at Plymouth,
as our spiritual guide, and luckily I was successful, for, at the last
moment, all difficulties were surmounted, and he joined us as we
embarked. I had had many warnings from people who ought to have known
better that he was not a suitable man for the post, but I had seen him
and judged for myself, and I felt sure that he would suit my Jews from
Russia much better than a Rabbi chosen because he was a Jew from
England.
His work and his example to others, during the whole time he served with
us, were beyond all praise, and I often felt very glad, when he was put
to the test of his manhood, that I had not listened to the voice of the
croaker in England.
The embarkation of the Battalion was complete by 5 p.m. on the 5th
February, and after dark we steamed out of the harbour and made for
Cherbourg. It is fortunate that we escaped enemy submarines, for the
little _Antrim_ was packed to its utmost limits, not only with the
Jewish Battalion, but also with other troops. We were kept at the
British Rest Camp at Cherbourg until the 7th, and then entrained for St.
Germain, near Lyons, where we rested from the 9th to the 10th. From here
we went on to Faenza, along the beautiful French and Italian Riviera.
[Illustration: The REV. L. A. FALK]
The arrangements throughout the journey for feeding the men and giving
them hot tea, etc., were not perfect, but on the whole we did not fare
badly.
We arrived at Faenza on the 13th, and we will always cherish a kindly
remembrance of this well-arranged Rest Camp, and of the Staff in charge
there. The greatest credit is due to the Commandant, Colonel Scott
Harden, for having made a veritable garden in the wilderness, and
arranged everything for the comfort and well-being of the tired and
travel-stained soldier passing through his capable hands. The only
drawback was that my unsophisticated boys were no match for the Scotsmen
whom they met in the Sergeant's Mess! However that may be, we all came
away with the liveliest feelings of gratitude towards our kindly hosts
who had given us a real good time at Faenza.
During our halt at this delightful camp we gave a concert and also a
boxing exhibition to the Italian officers of the garrison, both of which
were much appreciated. The Italian G.O.C., with all his Staff, also
came, and was highly interested in the exhibition. As a special
compliment to us, because we were the first complete British Battalion
to go through Italy, he reviewed us in front of the Town Hall on our
march to the station at 10 o'clock at night.
From Faenza we continued our journey to Taranto, and on the way spent a
few pleasant hours at Brindisi. I walked along the docks, and, by the
number of naval vessels of all types moored there, I realized that there
could not be many Italian warships at sea; but it must be remembered
that the Mediterranean was at this time infested with German and
Austrian submarines, so that our allies must not be blamed if they were
taking as few chances as possible with their ships of war. I remember
asking myself the question, what is the use of a ship of war that is
afraid to show itself on the open sea?
As we ran along the shores of the Adriatic, we were all wondering
whether an Austrian war vessel would not suddenly dash up and blow us
and our train to pieces, but, wherever the Austrian fleet may have been
that day, fortunately for us it was not cruising on the Adriatic Coast
of Italy, and we reached Taranto on the 16th.
Thieving from the trains running through Southern Italy was a pleasant
pastime for the natives, but we were fortunate in that we lost but
little. We had a couple of accidents during our long railway journey
which might, without luck, have proved disastrous. Just before we
reached Marseilles a coupling about the middle of the train parted, and
the rear carriages were left standing on the line. Fortunately, however,
this was discovered before anything serious occurred, and a relief
engine brought the stranded portion along. The same thing happened on
the Italian railway between Brindisi and Taranto, which delayed us for
about eight hours.
The behaviour of the men during the whole long journey of nine days was
exemplary, and I wired a message to this effect to the War Office, for,
as Russia was just out of the War, there was some anxiety in England as
to how Russian subjects in the British Army would behave on hearing the
news.
As a matter of fact recruiting of Russian Jews in England had been
stopped after we left Southampton, and many of the men naturally
questioned the fairness of the authorities in freeing slackers or late
comers, while retaining those who had promptly answered the call.
I cabled this point of view to the Adjutant-General on reaching Taranto
and received a reply that all such matters could be settled in Egypt.
We remained basking in the sunshine of Southern Italy for over a week. I
met here an old friend of mine, Captain Wake, who had been badly wounded
in one of our little wars on the East African coast many years ago.
Although minus a leg he was still gallantly doing his bit for England.
We were encamped at Camino, a few miles from Taranto, and our strength
at this time was 31 officers, and roughly 900 other ranks.
Two officers and about 70 N.C.O.'s and men sailed on another boat from
Marseilles, with the horses, mules and wagons, under the command of
Captain Julian, M.C.
While we were at Taranto the Rev. L. A. Falk and I, accompanied by
Jabotinsky, searched for and eventually found a suitable Ark in which to
place the Scroll of the Law.
At the close of our last Sabbath service before we embarked, I addressed
the men, and, pointing to the Ark, told them that while it was with us
we need have no fear, that neither submarine nor storm would trouble us,
and, therefore, that their minds might be easy on board ship.
We embarked on the _Leasoe Castle_ at 9 o'clock a.m. on the 25th,
steamed out of the harbour in the afternoon, under the escort of three
Japanese destroyers, and arrived safely in Alexandria on the 28th
February, never having seen a submarine or even a ripple on the sea
throughout the voyage. Owing to this piece of good luck my reputation as
a prophet stood high! It is a curious fact that on her next voyage the
_Leasoe Castle_ was torpedoed and sunk.