2nd & 3rd February, 1948 - Ron's hearing rumours of British involvement in the terror and struggling with the water supply.

Monday, 2^nd February, 1948

Yesterday the Arabs were very busy throughout the day in various attacks on the Jews in Jerusalem.  Their most important achievement came to pass at 11p.m. last evening when they succeeded in blowing up the offices & printing presses of the Palestine Post the only Jewish paper printed in English and the mainstay in Jewish propaganda.  It is rumoured that this deed might have been done by British Police but as yet it is too early for any facts to be known.

The offices of the Palestine Post newspaper targeted
by Arab insurgents.  Rumours abound regarding the
involvement of  British personnel who had deserted
from the Force.

Continuing today some Jewish shops have been blown up, the Jews replying with automatic gun fire from snipers.  I saw two school boys brought into the Government Hospital today.  They had been shot by the Jews, one in the hand and one in the foot.  This happened near Jaffa Gate where Arab security police had earlier in the day stopped a Jewish car which was found to contain mines.  The female occupant was detained.

Tuesday, 3^rd February, 1948

Jerusalem YMCA Swimming Pool in the 1940's
source: Library of Congress, Matson Collection

From the hot weather we had become used to we now have to endure bitter cold and drizzly rain.  At 6am in the morning and late in the evenings the cold is intense.  The room where we sleep has a perpetual damp atmosphere and the bed is icy cold when first made up.  The rain as yet has not been heavy only scattered showers which damp everything and are not enough to increase the water supplies of the city.  This means

our water in the camp supplies are turned off for several hours a day so that the latrines become in a very insanitary condition in a day.  Shaving and other necessities of toilet become difficult.  We have had to go to the Y.M.C.A. in the town for hot showers at a shilling a time.  These are very refreshing and very necessary.