to the Middle East
After disembarking at Cherbourg, we marched through the town to the railway station. En route, we stopped at a French Army field kitchen and were fed. We were all handed a postcard, ready printed: "I am well - arrived safely in France". No other message was allowed - only the name. The cards, duly signed were handed back for dispatch to the UK.
The troop train set off to Marseilles. I remember it stopped at Lyons and we were all allowed out to walk round the town - to get a bit of exercise I suppose. The train went right into the docks and I was almost immediately transferred onto the troopship "Devonshire". On the 30th December we were paraded on the quay and marched through the town - the gallant heroes! Crowds came out to watch and I presume, wish us good luck. On Hogmanay the Devonshire sailed a mile out into the "roads" to let another ship dock and fill up. Hogmanay looking across the water at the bright lights of Marseilles! We set sail on 3rd January with umpteen other ships - a convoy of troopships, and even 'horse' ships - to Haifa. It was so hot through the Med that I slept on the deck, lying looking up at the stars.
The approach to Haifa was beautiful: like a bright painting. The houses were pure white, with red tiles, splashes of bright blue here and there, and above all, Mount Carmel with the lighthouse Stella Maris on the top.
We docked at Haifa, and on to the train for our next camp - Sarafand. I think the journey took about one hour. This was c..20th Jan 1940. It was a huge camp. It was a peacetime camp and was originally wooden bungalows. Wartime had fairly increased it with tents. It was like a small town. It had shops, churches, a hospital. It was five miles east of Tel Aviv. Rahovat camp, with the Scots Greys and their horses, was just over the hill. Robert Haig, in the Greys, came over to visit, and we took photos. The greys had a permanent garrison there.
We were at Sarafand for training. We practised marching, shooting (I won the 'Cup' there), did trade tests and workshop practice. I was there for about six months, then we all moved to a new camp at Haifa. It was called Khayat Beach. There were new workshops, and here were the trucks and lorries - and few could drive!
Atlit Castle
I rmember in the middle of the camp had been a girls school, and films were shown on one of the walls. We were only a stones throw from the beach, which was very good. Along the beach was a Crusaders' Castle - Atlit Castle. Haifa was a good shopping centre, and had beautiful open-roofed cinemas, especially in the Jewish quarter. This allowed all the smoke to drift upward and outward. Everybody smoked.
At this time there had been no fighting in the Middle East at all. Only local skirmishes had to be dealt with, and since it was a British Protectorate, this was mostly done by the Palestinian Police. As the war in Europe increased, hundreds and hundreds of Jews were landing all along the beaches - not in the harbours off large boats - but in little boats that drove right up on to the sand. The occupants, men, women and children would vanish quick as they could into the hinterland. Of course, they tried to settle on land belonging to the native Arabs, and sporadic fighting took place - too much for the police alone. I was not involved in this.