13th and 14th March, 1948 - Ron gets his "all clear", enjoys the company of some Dragoons and the irony of the cinema show.

Saturday, 13^th March, 1948

The hospital here is in varying degrees of closing.  Everyday equipment is being packed up ready for the final moves.  Some patients are being told where they are going, some to Egypt and others to England direct.  I hear the Police are being evacuated on every troopship going and I am looking forward to my leaving.

Every evening here we get a cup of beer each as a ration.  Apparently this is a standing order for Hospitals.  I have become very friendly with a Coldstream Guards Sgt [Sergeant] and a Pte [Private] in the 3/7^th Dragoon Guards[1] and as these are relatively old time[r]s in the army and its ways it is not altogether surprising that we get a little more than a cup of beer each evening.

All of us going out on Monday went to collect our kit this evening but we were told by a fast removing private (removing to the mess) that we could not have it until tomorrow.

[1] I have found reference to the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards being deployed in Palestine from 1946 - 1948 but nothing about 3/7th... anyone?  Anyone?

Sunday, 14^th March, 1948

I[t] was raining this morning when I went up for my kit and I was fairly wet by the time I returned to the hut.

After arranging my bags ready for tomorrow I joined in a game of cribbage with the other chaps.

The fellows here have been very good fun, their wit was quite different to ours back in the barracks and came as a pleasant change and a source of inspiration with which to continue our usually unending stream of “cracks”.

There was a cinema show in the camp this evening the subject was a series of murders in a hospital.  We found this very amusing and many very amusing comments were heard during the performance. [Green For Danger?]