BIR SALEM--AN EXCITING RACE.
Early in May we were transferred from Rafa to Bir Salem. The advance
party moved on the 6th, and on the 10th the Battalion Headquarters
followed, and took over duties from the 7th Indian Infantry Brigade,
which was then sent to Haifa.
We were replaced at Rafa by the 40th (Jewish) Battalion Royal Fusiliers,
which was now composed mainly of the Palestinian youths recruited by
Major James de Rothschild and Lieutenant Lipsey. For a time they were
commanded by Lieut.-Colonel F. D. Samuel D.S.O., but he left for England
while the battalion was doing garrison duty at Haifa.
The command then fell to Colonel Scott, a most conscientious officer,
and a man in full sympathy with Zionist aspirations. While at Rafa he
had a most anxious time owing to the unwise action of the military
authorities. The men of the 40th Battalion had enlisted for service in
Palestine only, but the local Staff ignored this definite contract and
ordered part of the battalion to Cyprus. As this was a breach of their
terms of enlistment, the men refused to go, and in the end the officials
had to climb down and cancel all their unjust orders. Why did the
Staff, when they knew all about this special contract for service in
Palestine only, drive this excellent battalion almost to the verge of
mutiny? There were many other battalions available for Cyprus.
Happily, Colonel Scott brought his men safely through the rough time at
Rafa, and he served on with them until December, 1919, when the 40th was
merged in the 38th Battalion.
All through the early days of May I saw chalked up everywhere--on the
Railway Station, signal boxes, workshops, on the engines, trucks, and
carriages--the mystic words, "Remember the 11th May."
This was, of course, the date on which all soldiers, rightly or wrongly,
believed themselves entitled to their release, because it was six months
after the Armistice granted to the Germans on November 11th, 1918.
I heard it rumoured that there was a conspiracy on foot in the E.E.F.
for a general mutiny on that day, and found that men from other units
had endeavoured to seduce my battalion from its duty.
On learning this, I at once determined to nip the attempt in the bud,
and so made it my business to speak to every man in the battalion, and
on every isolated post, impressing upon them the responsibility which
rested on their shoulders as Jews, and urging them on no account to be
led away by the hot-heads in other units.
I told them that British troops could perhaps afford to mutiny, but
Jewish troops, while serving England, never.
I am proud to be able to state that not a man of my battalion failed on
the 11th May, but just "carried on" as usual. Mutinies took place
elsewhere, and thousands of British soldiers at Kantara ran riot and had
the place in a blaze. However, the matter was hushed up, concessions
were made, the mutineers were not punished, so far as I know, and things
gradually became normal again.
Our effective strength when we left Rafa was 15 officers and 1,300 other
ranks. Our duties at Bir Salem, Ludd, and Ramleh were exceptionally
heavy, the men being very often on duty three nights in a week, and when
they were off guard duties they were immediately put on to prisoner of
war escorts, etc., as there was a very large Turkish and German
Prisoners of War Camp at Ludd.
At Bir Salem we were attached to the 3rd (Lahore) Division, under the
command of General Hoskin. It is a great pleasure to me to be able to
state here that this officer and his Staff gave us a very hearty and
cordial welcome to Bir Salem, and did everything possible for our
comfort and welfare.
I look upon General Hoskin with his Staff as the one bright luminary
amidst the gloomy British constellations among whom we were continually
revolving! What an immense difference it makes to the feelings of a
regiment or a battalion when it is known that the Staff are out to help
and assist (as is their proper function), instead of to crab and block
everything; in the former case one is ready to work the skin off one's
bones, while in the latter everybody's back is up, with the result that
co-ordination and happy working is impossible.
This was a happy time for the young lions of Judah, for the G.O.C. and
his staff were out to help and assist in every possible way. We were not
then aware of all the trials and tribulations that awaited us on the
departure of General Hoskins and his excellent staff--sahibs to a man.
The battalion owes a deep debt of gratitude to Mr. Jessop, the capable
secretary of the Y.M.C.A. in Egypt, who supplied us with a magnificent
marquee, completely furnished with tables, chairs, forms, lamps, etc.,
etc. Only for this gift from the Y.M.C.A. we should have been very badly
off indeed, for we were camped on a sandy waste without huts or any
conveniences which other troops in our neighbourhood fortunately
possessed.
It is a fact worthy of note that, although the wealthy Jews of Cairo and
Alexandria contributed generously to the E. E. F. Comforts Fund, not a
single article of any kind was ever sent to the Jewish Battalion to
cheer them in their desolate surroundings. We asked for gramophones,
etc., but got nothing--not even a reply!
There were compensations, however, at Bir Salem. We had many interesting
visitors who came to cheer us in our camp in the sands, among others the
Haham Bashi (Grand Rabbi of Jaffa) and the famous Dutch poet Dr. de
Haan. I remember that the latter took great interest in a pet monkey
which belonged to one of the men of the battalion, but the
quaint-looking little animal showed little respect for the poet, for she
evinced a decided desire to leave the print of her teeth in his finger
as a souvenir of his visit.
We were always kindly and hospitably received by the citizens of Jaffa,
headed by Mr. Bezalel Jaffe, and by those of Richon-le-Zion, headed by
Mr. Gluskin, when we visited those colonies.
While stationed here I spent many a pleasant evening chatting with Mr.
Aharoni, a well-known naturalist, who lives at Rechoboth. There is
perhaps no man in all Syria and Palestine with such a wide knowledge of
the flora and fauna of those countries, and he gave me many interesting
accounts of his adventures among the Bedouins while in quest of
specimens for various European museums.
When the Great War broke out he had secured two live ostrich chicks, new
to science, and these he had hoped to send alive to England. However,
when the pinch for food came there was none for the ostriches, so they
had to be killed; they were stuffed, and may now be seen at Lord
Rothschild's famous museum at Tring Park, Hertfordshire. This story of
the ostrich chicks was related to me by Mr. Aharoni while I was
celebrating with him the "Feast of Tabernacles," under the shade of
"boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick
trees, and willows of the brook," and we did greatly rejoice, for the
Feast was a goodly one, and the pottage of Gevereth Aharoni was such as
my soul loved.
About this time many military Race Meetings were organized in different
parts of Palestine, Syria, and Egypt, and officers were encouraged to
take part in them and get the men interested in the sport, so as to take
their thoughts away from the absorbing topic of demobilization.
On the 5th June a Race Meeting was held at Surafend, a few miles from
Bir Salem, and as we were all expected to support the programme, I
entered my charger Betty for one of the events.
Betty was a beautiful dark-brown creature, but somewhat skittish and
wayward, like many of her sex. I knew her little ways and how to humour
her to perfection, and she always gave me of her best. More than once
she managed to slip her fastenings in the horse lines, and used her
freedom to gallop off to my tent, where she would thrust her head
through the doorway; then, apparently satisfied, she would fly back to
her place in the lines.
She appeared at times to see something not visible to the human eye,
because, now and again, when cantering quickly along, for no apparent
reason she would suddenly bound aside as if the Devil himself had scared
her out of her wits.
The 3rd Lahore Division had at this time on its Staff an able and
energetic sportsman, Major Pott, of the Indian Cavalry; this officer
provided an excellent programme and ran the meeting without a hitch.
It was a lovely sunny afternoon, and thousands of people flocked to the
course, soldiers from the camps round about, civilians from Jerusalem,
Jaffa, and the surrounding colonies; the Arabs and Bedouins also sent a
very strong contingent.
In the race for which I had entered Betty (I called her Betty in memory
of another Betty, also beautiful and with a turn of speed!) a full score
of horses went to the post, and I, unfortunately, drew the outside
place. I therefore felt that unless I got well away at the start, and
secured sufficient lead to enable me to cross to the inside, I would
have but a poor chance of winning, for, about half-way down the course,
there was a tremendous bend to negotiate. I was lucky enough to jump
away in front, and, soon finding myself well ahead, swerved across to
the inside, where I hugged the rails. For three parts of the way round
Betty made the running, but soon after we came into the straight for
home I eased her a bit and was passed by Major Pott, who was riding a
well-known mare, also, strange to say, called Betty. At the distance the
Major was quite a length ahead of me, but I felt that there was still
plenty of go in my Betty, so I called upon the game little mare to show
her mettle. Gradually she forged herself forward until there was but a
head between them, and for the last dozen strides the two Bettys raced
forward dead level amid the frantic roars of the crowd, all shouting,
"Go on, Betty! Go on, Betty!" We both rode for all we were worth, my
Betty straining every nerve to defeat her namesake, and finally, amid
terrific cheering, by the shortest of heads, Betty won--but, alas, it
was the other Betty!
[Illustration: RUINS AT BAALBEK
(_See page_ 212)]
[Illustration: MY CHARGER BETTY
(_See page_ 209)]