Friday 26 April 2013

9th & 10th April, 1947 - Ron's 19th Birthday and he learns about courtship customs in Palestine...which occurs without the use of punctuation it seems!


Just a picture of a 1940's birthday card I found online -
not one of Ron's - but couldn't resist the coincidence!
Wednesday, 9th April, 1947
This is my birthday which I already feel will be unlike any I have so far spent.

The day was very warm & for want of anything else to do I stayed in the billet & read.

In the evening I was on road patrol with Barclay.

We walked up and down several times over the set beat then about 8 o’clock we decided to take a coffee at Balata.  We found one of the very hospitable cafĂ© men spoke English.  We conversed with him on many subjects including weddings as one was taking place in the village.  He explained to us all the proceedings in an Arab courtship & Marriage.
The lad fancies a lass puts the question to her father if he says yes they drop the question for a couple of months then the lad calls with gifts for the girl & they become engaged a ring is used as in England.  He went on to tell us the wedding day procedure which interested.


Thursday, 10th April, 1947
Today was very warm but as I was not called upon for duty I did not have occasion to exert myself very much but lay beneath my mosquito free from the torments of multitudes of flies which for all the gauze windows & doors seemed to get into the room.

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