21st - 23rd February, 1947 - Ron and his comrades prepare for the Passing Out Parade and enjoy further tours of the region.

Friday, 21^st February, 1947

Quite a nice day today but the strong winds of the last few days have persisted causing the sergeants no little inconvenience with their caps on the Parade Ground.

We have been practising more general salutes & march pasts for the day we are all looking forward to after two months.

The trip our squad had been expecting tomorrow has been cancelled as the standard or law over the whole squad is not very good so more lectures have to take place.

Saturday, 22nd February, 1947

This morning the weather was dull but threatening rain did not fall.

We spent a considerable amount of time practising the drill for the passing out parade.  The left-turn on the march presented the greatest difficulty unison being absent in this movement.

Sunday, 23rd February, 1947

Today we went for another tour.  This time we forsook the hills for the south plain.  We first however went to Nazareth where we spent an half hour.  Then we went to Afala and on [to] Tulquarm and across the wide fertile plain to Atlit the last stronghold held by the Crusaders.  We had our lunch on the beach here and I went in for a swim.  Bob Matthews accompanied me on a tour of the ruins.  The Arabs with fair hair are said to be descendants of the Crusaders.

11th & 12th February, 1947 - More fun with guns!... and "Every Kiss a Thrill!"

Tuesday, 11^th February, 1947

Fine.

I felt much better this morning.  Arms Drill “Slope & Order Arms”

Arabic with an officious new teacher.

A stack of mail came in today including three Valentines, a letter from Aunt Rosa, 2 from Mum & Dad & 1 from Joyce.

Wrote to Mum Dad and Joyce (15)

Wednesday, 12^th February, 1947

Fine again today, brilliant sunshine.

P.T. at 6am – 6.30am.

Parades and lectures during morning.  More rifle drill.  I am afraid one of these fine days I am going to turn about so well that my rifle will be so surprised that it will not accompany me but drop to the ground.

This afternoon we spent digging out a rifle range at the rear of the camp.

The ground was nearly all stone bound together with sandy soil so was very hard even with picks and shovels.

I wrote to Aunt Fan early in the evening, then went to the cinema to see “Honky Tonk” starring Lana Turner.  It was a very good film, of old time America.

Wrote to Aunt Rhoda and Uncle Sam.

3rd & 4th February, 1947 - More cinema, the wives and children leave and Ron finds out more about the task ahead...

Monday, 3rd February, 1947

Fine this morning but showery at lunchtime.

This morning the P.M.F. sergeants have had their true police ranks granted.  1^st B Serge down to 2^nd & 2^nd B Serg. Either down to acting unpaid or to B.C. [British Constable]

We had our first lecture on map reading on Palestinian maps.  The only differences are the symbols – many additional ones of course, such as mosques and minarets, sheikh’s tombs etc.

Went this evening to see “The Great Waltz”.  I saw this before in England but this did not spoil my enjoyment of every moment of it.

Bob received a Xmas cake from his home today and he kindly shared it with me.

After the stirring music of Strauss & the home thoughts stirred by the cake I went to bed in a very happy frame of mind.

Tuesday, 4^th February, 1947

Fine today.

The British wives in the station left today for their evacuation with them went their children.[1]  The sergeants accompanied their wives away from the station so we were left very much to our own devices.

We had a very interesting lecture by Sergeant Palfreman on road checks.  This lecture opened my eyes to the many things hitherto undreamed of by me to which we may be called upon to act when we pass out from our training.  I hear today that the government have issued an ultimatum to the Jewish agency in so much that if they do not decide within the next few days to help us clear out the terrorists then we shall take it fully into our own hands.  Pointing again to Martial Law.

[1] Pathé News reel of Operation Polly