HISTORIC PALESTINE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 80, 11 June 1943, Page 3

HISTORIC PALESTINE

INTERESTING SOLDIER'S LETTER

JACK SHANNON'S TOUR

BIBLICAL PLACES VISITED

Those who remember Jack Shannon will be interested in the following letter Avliich he has written to Mrs R. Lucas, of Douglas Street, regarding his tour through the Holy Land. He says:— Among the Whaka boys I have seen recently are Gordon Howat. Charlie Schick, Stan Miller, Morris Beckett, Vern Timbs, Fred Marks.. Duley Kendall is A.P.li. s o he told me the other day. I am just down from the desert on six days leave. I saw Innis Woolliams one day also. I tlid not go; to Syria. I have, been into battle once and there was plenty of iead ll3 r ing around. I saw some great air battles up there and j quite a few enemy planes were brought down. In my hist letter to you I said I Would teli you about my tour of Palestine so here goes. My leave was granted to me. on the 23rd March which was a Monday and it turned out to be a lovely sunny day as Usual. After lunch I went down to the Y.M.C.A. and met the manager ol the tour and also live other boys who Ave re going. At 1.30 we piled into the four seatcr taxi including our luggage and avc said farewell one hop, tA\;o and away we went. The natiA r es here do not mind OA rerloading taxis and travel at breakneck speeds. However an hour found us at Cairo and avc also had a seat in the train, the natiA'es soon crowded around wanting to sell us everything even to an Egyptian newspaper written in Arabic. Hold everything the Avhistle blew and with a jolt avc were away the time being 3.15. Egyptian Landscape

So here Avere on our Avay at last we passed fields of corn, rice, cotton, potatoes and Avheat, Avhich Avas nearing time for harvest, Avhile in some places the native's Avere ploAving their land, getting ready for the next crop. Quite large lloeks of Heron could be seen Avalking about on the ploughed fields, Ave sped on and soon the golden sun began to* sink In the west, and along the canals in the evening breeze floated strange river craft some laden Avith bricks, some with jars made from clay, some with straw and others timber. From the fields the natives

began to wend their way home, some on foot, on camels, and, donkeys, the birds too left the fields and flew homeward perhaps to their nests in the trees in the rushes which grow in the canals which help irrigate the land.

Soon darkness spread its mantle over the -landscape. We Avert- now nearing Kantara West and natives were already on the train, wanting to exchange our money. We arrived at Kantara at 8 o'clock and, we were to meet our guide there who would take us. across the canal. What no guide? So we decided, to look for him. We found him but ic wa.s standing by a gate, and not singing out '"Jolly, Jolly, Jolly" as

wc were told he would be, as. we were travelling under" Jolly's tours. Believe me it was just one big Jolly family. We followed him and lie

kept counting us every now and <iga?n to see he had not J'c&t unv one. Wc were glad the moon had

come up as natives were sleeping everywhere and Ave had to be careful not to trip over them.

Crossing the Canal Soon we were on the ferry and white foam on the still Avatars of the canal told, us Ave Avere moA'ing, A sudden jolt which nearly threw us off our feet told us Ave had arrived at the other side.of the canal. Once more natives Avere sleeping anywhere and we made our Avay to the station. A train AA'histle blew. Very nice Ave thought, everything arranged that Avhat's Ave thought, 1 but that was only yesterday's train going out 18 hours overdue. Our watches Avent on an hour as it Avas Palestine time, and as Ave -waited, the minutes, turned to hours, Ave sat ; n the station, and on the road natives argued, Avhile on the hot air which was blowing from the desert could be heard the howling of dogs. From a nearby cafe came Aveird eastern music Avhich Avasi horrible to listen to, and so the night dragged on. We Avere just about asleep Avhen another Avhistle blew, but this was only a troop train leaA'ing—fooled again. We got. to know the rest of our party. There Avere. some South African Officers. Nurses and Privates. At 2.30 a.m. in the morning another Avhistle blew, the platform gates Avere opened and their was a Avild rush but the train Avas just refueling. Hold -everything the train Avas coming alright and there was a wild rush for seats.

We managed to get the nurses seats as well, once aboard the train we Avere soon in the land of dreams. Sinai Desert We awolce in the morning to find we Avere gazing" out at the treeless Sinai desert! Surely the train had

not lost a wheel or run out of coal? No, an oncoming train had broken clown, and we had to wait. It was nearing 11 o'clock when the offend-

ing train passed us and we were away once more. On many of the stations the natives had gathered to sell their wares.. The}- would sing out eggs and bread, tomatoes, chocolates, peanuts. cigarettes, eggs acooked, each one trying to make himself heard above the other one. Natives were also selling oranges ten for a packet of cigarettes. At last we crossed ptlie Palestine frontier and knew it would not be long now. Into Grange-land We then passed grove after grove of orange trees as far as the eye could see and the scent, from the blossoms was very refreshing, while on the trees the golden oranges against the green leaves glistening in the sun looked, a perfect picture l . Soon Lydda came' into view another evil smelling place but the scent from the orange blossoms refreshed the air and it was here we met our main guide. Tar Sealed Roads We left the train there and our taxis were waiting. Yes 30 people and four taxis to put. theiu in but we all managed to squeeze somehow. Farewell Lydda and off once more along smooth 4ar-sealed roads, past more, orange groves, and the oranges were being picked: by natives in their colourful dresses. They were put in heaps on the ground, and then on to lorries and the whole area looked picturesque. Lorries laden with oranges sped on their way to market. I certainly was getting hungry and my backbone was just beginning to a tune on my ribs when Tel-a-viv appeared ahead. We stayed at a wonderful hotel overlooking the waterfront road and the blue waters of the Mediterranean. An Eastern Barber

A .barber soon was on the job yfi I got a hair cut and shave. I think I can safely say hair cut and shave, for I do not know if he pullecl my hair out by the roots or cut it with clippers and he certainly was rough. Just, as I' opened my mouth to say mind the soap in my eye I got a mouth full of shaving soap off the brush, so I said, nothing more. I thought wo were 'away from eggs and rice for a while so down to tea we went and sat down to a nice meal of Avhat do you think? fried eggs and chips, cabbage and. carrots and rice to follow. As if we do not see enough rice in the armv.