8th and 9th February, 1948 - Ron makes the best of his evening guard duties and wonders about the logic of some decisions.

Sunday, 8^th February, 1948

For this week’s duty I have returned to the Public Works Department’s Work Shops.  Since I was last on guard there the hours of duty have changed.  Now there are four shifts of six hours each over the 24 hr. day.  The shift I am on is from 6pm until midnight.  This means that all my evenings this week will be occupied by my labourings as a static guard.  I am not sorry that I shall be away every evening, for here in Jerusalem at the present time it is very chilly in the evenings and as our rooms in the billet are not heated no pleasure can be gained by staying in them.  Recreation outside the Billet in the evening is almost out of the question for all there is to occupy the mind is a cinema while those that desire such can pay extortionate prices for drinks etc. at a café.  Therefore work in the evening does not come so hard.

Monday, 9^th February, 1948

Jewish Roadblock in Mamilla, 1948
source: http://tonyseed.wordpress.com/2012/05/13/
nabka-day-2012-israels-buffoon-the-un-nakba/

Directly in front of the P.W.D. Work Shops is a road block manned by R.A.F. Regiment personnel.  About a hundred yards in front of this on the same road is another road check manned by Jewish Civilian Guards.  Why they chose to construct a road check so near to the Army block is beyond me.  The only reason we can find for it is that they do not trust our personnel.  As they have this superfluous road check two of the Police Guards have to stay with them to make it official as cases have been known where armoured cars have burst through the check just to show their contempt for the Jews.  It is believed that the trucks used to blow up the Palestine Post passed along this road and must have passed through the Army block.  This may be the reason for the Jews distrust of our road checks.