29th & 30th January, 1948 - Ron describes procedures and becomes a little philosophical about letters of Condolence

Thursday, 29^th January, 1948

Every time we go on duty we have to parade at the guard room where the Detail of Duties is checked and those on important jobs detailed off to draw a Thompson Sub Machine Gun.  We are then called to attention, port. arms and charge our magazines with five rounds of ammunition.  Then according to the officiousness of the Sargeant taking the parade we either straightway dismiss to our duties or first Slope Arms and then Dismiss, turning smartly to the right and marching off.  As my guard point is near the Billet no transport is provided and as at seven am there is no-one to relieve we make our own way to our posts.  The Sector Sargeant usually comes around to see us in accordance with his orders but he does this purely to safe-guard himself.  He signs our note books and departs after a short chat.  I have not known him come around on the afternoon shift.

Friday, 30^th January, 1948

Although the weather was very poor today we all felt in much brighter vains as we were paid this morning.  I have never been in more sorry straights financially as I was before today.  I am now able to buy razor blades & shaving soap, stamps, envelopes and other necessities of which I have been short for a fortnight.

I wrote to Aunt Rosa today but fear my letter conveying my sympathies for her and the whole family’s great loss in Uncle’s Death is not as I would wish it to have been.  In my heart I think she and all others in such a position would rather not receive letters of condolence which of necessity must add to her already heavy sadness.  For she realises how we all feel but the act of committing our feelings to writing is just another of those many acts which would be far better left undone but which society or civilization or something dictates will be done.

1st & 2nd January, 1948 - At work on the 1st January!? A thief, a road accident, and a bit of spring cleaning.

Thursday, 1^st January, 1948

After the welcoming party given for the New Year in the club last night I retired at about half after one.

The next thing I knew was that the sergeant was waking me and trying to impress on me that everyone was wanted downstairs on the veranda for a rifle inspection.  This does not sound a very impressive opening to the year and was caused as two rifles were stolen during the festivities of last night.  The inspection was of no avail the rifles not having come to light.  Unfortunately we have a B/C in the “Humara” who is a known thief and although he is under open arrest on a charge of selling his own pistol and a force rifle he is suspected of having something to do with last night’s thefts.

At the office this morning I closed all the registers & files for 1947.  Why, I don’t know, but I hated this work as there was such an air of finality with it.  The Assistant Superintendent went through my court Exhibits and destroyed about thirty.  After all this work I found that today was supposed to be a holiday.

Friday, 2^nd January, 1948

Modern Jiftlich;
an impoverished Palestinian village

I was rather annoyed at not being told that I was on holiday yesterday.  I did not bother to rush to work this morning.  I was only about half an hour later than usual but enough to put me right for the day.

A road accident was reported last evening so I had to pass the information on it to Divisional H.Q.   A boy was knocked down and seriously injured in Jiftlich Area when a lorry tried to turn after unloading oranges at a Bedouin Camp near the Jordan.

I handed 10 of my arms and ammunition court exhibits into the stores today and later put the court exhibit room in order.  I can now find exactly what I want at once, a definite asset in court exhibits which are always on the move to and from the court.

This evening Bicknell, Mountford, Moore & I went to the Club where we played table tennis and snooker.

The B/C suspected of the theft has been subjected to a grilling today and has admitted many minor things to some other B/Cs who are taking the law into their own hands with the aid of “Fil-fil.”[1]



[1] Not knowing the meaning of "fil-fil" I asked Graham Jenkins of the Palestine Police Old Comrades Association if he had any ideas as to its meaning.  His reply:  

"I seem to recall that the phrase fil fil  literally means  “hot pepper” but was used as  a sort of slang. In the context in which it was used it would appear to refer to “pressure” of some sort."

Hmm! The strong arm of the law!

30th & 31st December, 1947 - Ron resumés a year crime, then sees the old year out...

Tuesday, 30^th December, 1947

After my absence from work yesterday I had to set about putting the house in order.  It is surprising how the work can accumulate in such a short period.

One thing I was pleased over today I found the case I have been missing in my yearly resumé.

The Club purloined my table this afternoon to prepare it for the New Years do tomorrow evening.

This evening at seven it started to rain very heavily but it was only to be a shower.

Wednesday, 31^st December, 1947

I finished as much as I could at the office today ready for the closures of the year.

The Resumé of Crime does not show a great decrease in crime for the year.  Att. Murders have risen astoundingly but other crimes generally show a decrease.

I went with the chaps to the club this evening.  We were rather early so first played a game of “Snooker.”  When we had finished it we went to the dance room, which is used as a table tennis room.  At the far end a fine buffet was arrange[d], the tables heavily laden with beautifully prepared foodstuffs.  After 9pm the bar was made free.  I was interested in the dancing though the floor was rather crowded.  People from all over the district came to the party.  The Jenin Dept Dance Band provided the music.  At the hour we sang the old year out and the new year in.  After the Hand shaking and good wishing all around the party soon broke up and I for one retired looking forward eagerly to  what will come in the New Year and wishing it to be as good as the old and perhaps better.

MEMORANDUM

2.m.     slate blue

3.         light green

4.         rose

4.         puce

5.         orange

6.         green

7.         red

Now I may be wrong but I think
this list refers to stamps that Ron has
bought for his collection.

7.         purple

8.         brown

8.         red

10.       grey

13.       blue

13.       bistre

15.       blue

20.       olive

50.       puce

90.       bistre

100.     light blue

200.     purple

565

27th - 29th December, 1947 - Ron has his theory about the recent the lack of crime... and is put in charge of a Bren Gun.

Saturday, 27^th December, 1947

There has been no crime reported for several days now.  This does not lead me to think the inhabitants have all turned over new leaves but rather that they are adopting the same attitude with the Police as with the Tax Collector, who cannot collect his blood money for he is told “We have our own government now, why should we pay taxes to the old.”

The villagers are now probably solving their own crimes as the[y] always have to an extent, without telling the police.  Villagers generally have always been little help in solving crime with the Police.

Sunday, 28^th December, 1947

I did not rise at an early hour this morning as it is Sunday.  I lay in bed until I am just in time to get breakfast if I do not shave then I come back and shave then see to my laundry for the week or have a haircut.  I usually look into the office to see no outstanding crime has been reported during the morning.  Today I was busy with the crime resumé for the year.

Monday, 29^th December, 1947

This morning I was up at 6.30 and in the Station at 7.30 to hand a court exhibit to my staff to take to court.  I had to hurry back to the billet after this to go with a party to the rifle range on the Jiftlich track to fire an annual musketry course (disguise for using up surplus rounds in H.Q.)  Not as many chaps seem to be I am not at all interested in the arts of riled firing.  I am very mediocre a shot and this may be the reason for my disinterest as I cannot enter into competition with my mates.  At this time of year it is a day wasted as all the yearly returns have to be done.  In my resume of crime for the year one case under “Other Larcenies” is being very Pimpernelish in the degree of its evasiveness.  I have now been nearly two days trying to find the error in the figures.

Bren Gun
 source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Bren_light_machine_gun

To night I set about answering my Christmas mail as I am on “Stand by” duty which means I am armed with a Bren Gun and stay in my room ready in case anything happens.

19th & 21st December, 1947 - "Bicknell & I" brave the Souk and notice a change in the attitude of the locals

Friday, 19^th December, 1947

I transferred the firearms case to the Urban today and all the staff were happy as these cases are a lot of work and often for nothing.

A new order came out today as a result of a petition sent to the S.P. this is that No British will go into the Suq with a rifle slung on their arm.  They must be armed with pistols which will be concealed under the jacket.  Bicknell & I went together to the suq this afternoon.  This is the first time I have been into the Suq since the troubles.  The attitude of the people towards us is markedly changed in the suq where they feel safe in the narrow maze like streets.  The people no longer make haste to clear the path for us to walk and the butchers do not attempt to cover their meat.  Nothing of importance was said as we passed and the shop keepers we visited still value our custom.  I bought a case, pyjamas, shoes and oddments.  A walad seeing B & I with cases shouted “El Englisee rah, Alhumdillila.”

Ron notices a change in the atmosphere at the Souk.

Saturday, 20^th December, 1947

There was very little to do today after the finish of the primary stages of the recent cases.

I tore a large triangular gash in my Kallil trousers this morning on some barbed wire.

I changed into civvies for this afternoon I often do this when I get browned off with uniform.

This evening I turned up the bottoms of my blue uniform trousers as they are a little long.  I managed to do it passably after first turning up one more than the other and then having to take it down again.

Sunday, 21^st December, 1947

I was called away from breakfast this morning at 8.45 to prepare a release of prisoners notice as the one I gave out last night has been lost.  This made me feel very angry towards one of the Palestinians as the court started at nine and it would be impossible to be there on time.

This afternoon Paddy Moore & I went for a long walk right around the town.  We passed three men carrying rifles but of course took no action against them.

13th - 16th December, 1947 - A general telling off is in order from the S.P. and Ron is shocked by heavy-handed practices of Palestinian colleagues

Saturday, 13^th December, 1947

Sunday, 14^th December, 1947

No Entries

Monday, 15^th December, 1947

The Superintendent called all available Police to a lecture in the club this afternoon.  Apparently two C.I.D. men on Saturday evening had gone to the only hotel in Nablus and became a bit more merry than was good for them.  On leaving the Hotel they had their pistols stolen from them.  Fortunately the Mayor came to the assistance again and got them returned.

The S.P. gave us a lecture on being too complacent in our attitude.  He put the Palestine Hotel out of bounds and sayed that if a case arose where a rifle or pistol was taken from a B/C in a café all cafés would be put out of Bounds.

Tuesday, 16^th December, 1947

A wanted man was arrested this morning and charged and cautioned in the office.  He was then sent under escort of one Palestinian to the Lock-Up where unconvicted prisoners are lodged.  This Lock-Up is about 100yds from the Station and when waiting outside the door, as it can only be opened from inside, the prisoner bolted.  The Palestinian escort could not run fast & the prisoner being a young chap had a good start.  One of my “I” Branch men was stood at the Station gate and ran after him.  The prisoner soon covered the 200yds across the flat and slowed down when he began to climb the rocky mountain the “I” man caught him and the escort then came up.  These Palestinians can be cruel at times and they beat the poor prisoner something cruel pushing him back so that he fell to the ground five times.  He was also forced to go through a prickly pear hedge.

8th - 12th December, 1947 - Documentation seems to be causing all manner of problems, but the cinema show must go on...

Monday, 8^th December, 1947

Nothing very exciting happened today.  I received a letter from court requesting me to return a warrant of arrest issued in 1945.  After looking for it everywhere I gave up in despair and was beginning to visualise seven days pay going when one of the Palestinians informed me that the man was wanted for civil debt.  These are held by the Station Officer.

Tuesday, 9^th December, 1947

Within the last few days there has been a file purge throughout the Police world.  All files of military court cases & of a Political nature have been sorted out & sent to H.Q.  I think that the Gov. is afraid the results of these cases would be a slight on the British abroad if they were made public.

Correspondence files and the like have gone to make large bonfires in preparation for Exodus.

Wednesday, 10^th December, 1947

Thursday, 11^th December, 1947

No entries

Friday, 12^th December, 1947

I volunteered to go on the patrol to Tulkarm to bring the Cinema Operator to the Club as he is a Jew and cannot travel without escort.  We passed three Arab road blocks.  By combining to block all the windows and doors of the “rekky” car with our bodies we managed to hide our passenger and to prove we were police.  If the Arabs had known we had a Jew on board we would no doubt have had to fight our way out.

29th November - 1st December, 1947 - A sudden upsurge in criminality and dramatic local reactions to the Partition announcement...

Saturday, 29^th November, 1947

I was working more at ease this morning & more or less looking for work but this afternoon three big cases came in all within a ¼ hour.  An abduction & ATT. murder[1], a Possession of Stolen Property & Illegal Entry into Palestine and the last the two cleaners in the billet were arrested as Police kit had been found in their houses.  I was in the middle of getting this straight when a letter in Arabic was passed to me.  I had it translated and it was to the effect that about 20 armed men not speaking Arabic were walking towards Sulphit.  A recky was sent out & men on the way said they had seen them.  Our people found no trace of them.

[1] Abduction and Attempted murder...

Jews celebrating the announcement of the UN backed Partition
of Palestine source: http://www.timesofisrael.
com/the-day-that-never-ended/

Sunday, 30^th November, 1947

The first thing I was awakened with this morning was the news that the Partition had received its vote.  As this might bring about uprisings in the country a stand to was proclaimed.  Nablus was put out of bounds to all of us.  I went over to the station as normal & did some work.  Police from Jenin who did not know of the Standby were stoned in the town.  The Club above the station was put out of bounds and we all cleared out of the station.

Monday, 1^st December, 1947

Foreign volunteers arriving in support of Palestinian Arabs
November 1947 source:http://en.wikipedia.org
/wiki/1947%E2%80%9348_
Civil_War_in_Mandatory_Palestine

Several trucks & buses loaded with chanting Arabs, men & boys passed up and down the roads of the town in the Anti Partition demonstrations.  Many were armed with rifles & pistols which they fired quite liberally into the air.  They know the police will take no action during the next few days so they are taking advantage of this to show off their strength in weapons.

Wikipedia has an interesting entry on the Civil War that began between Jews and Arabs as a result of the Partition Announcement.

The exodus of many Arabs from their home territories as refugees from the violence was later to prove catastrophic when they tried to return.  The newly formed state of Israel passed punitive absentee legislation that allowed the State to expropriate traditional Arab lands in the process of judaization of the country and continues to have a powerul impact to this day.

25th - 28th November, 1947 - The calm before the storm .. too busy at work to write much, Ron still manages to get to the cinema...

Tuesday, 25^th November, 1947

Lots of small jobs to do today.  Sending off letters requesting this or informing of that.

I have translated several Armed Robbery cases of late but now find that latest orders are that only those where an actual seizure of firearms is made need be translated.

Wednesday, 26^th November, 1947

Thursday, 27^th November, 1947

No entry

Friday, 28^th November, 1947

This evening I went to the club Cinema to see “Up Goes Masie”

21st - 24th November, 1947 - Ron's first days in his new job and a quick trip to see "Gaslight"

Friday, 21^st November, 1947

My first day alone in my newly attained position.  Johnny left me very clear instructions about outstanding things so could not go far wrong today.

I even had time to go to the cinema this evening to see Bogart[1] & Bergman in “Gaslight” it was quite a good story but too long drawn out I thought.

[1]Ever the critic, Ron has actually made a mistake here in that Gaslight starred Charles Boyer not Humphrey Bogart

Saturday, 22^nd November, 1947

Work is falling heavier today but so far I have kept my head above water.  Sgt Woods was decent, he did three special reports for me after I gave him the details that saved typing time for oddments.

Sunday, 23^rd November, 1947

Unfortunately I could not enjoy this day as a rest day as many jobs were left over from yesterday.

Monday, 24^th November, 1947

I find the mornings the busiest time.  First thing is to get the prisoners release from the lock –up typed & signed by A.S.P.  Then any new crimes reported to division for passing to the Duty Officer & onto H.Q. Jerusalem.  Then the 101 other little jobs.  All the bigger things I leave until the afternoon when everything is quiet.  The village Arab coming to the station always comes in the early morning.