Friday, 7 February 2014

25th and 26th March, 1948 - A touch of decorating and Easter celebrations commence with extreme consequences.

Thursday, 25th March, 1948
More of the bright sunshine we want greeted us this morning.
There were bodies strewn all over the waste ground at the back of the camp all endeavouring to get as brown as their owners are “browned off.”
The bullets still whistle over head at the P.W.D. Today we heard several land nearby, but as yet we have not seen them land, thank goodness.
Tonight one of my room mates has had the bright idea of brightening our rather plain walls by drawing & painting murals on them.  The first one he has done is a Disney Cat complete with dustbin and glass topped wall.




Friday, 26th March, 1948 – Good Friday
Today sees the beginnings of the extensive Easter celebrations.  The whole of the Religious course of today and the coming days is repeated by processions led by the Patriarch and the leaders of every Christian sect there is.  The people go nearly mad as the pitch of the ceremonies rise.  B/Cs & the Army stand by and some years have been called in to restore order.
The sects even on such a solemn occasion fight between each other.
One B/C I talked to was on duty at the Holy Sepulchre last year he told me some of the incidents.  The people all surge forward to touch the Holy Fire when it bursts  from the tomb.  They go crazy and cannot feel the blows of the Police Batons used in an effort to keep a semblance of order.  People touching the Fire naturally burn themselves & they faint in dozens.  The Army forms a chain passing these out over their heads to ambulances outside.  The B/C said that last year his uniform and the first 8 inches of his baton was covered in blood.


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