Saunders, Frederick Richard (Oral history)

British sapper served with 314th (Kent) Fortress Coy, Royal Engineers in GB, 1939-1940; NCO served with 423rd Light Anti-Aircraft Battery, 128th Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, 1940-1942; policeman served with Palestine Police Force in Palestine, 1942-1946

REEL 1 Background in Snodland, GB, 1922-1939: family; education; reasons for joining Territorial Army. Aspects of period as sapper with 314th (Kent) Fortress Coy, Royal Engineers in GB, 1939-1940: reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939; operating searchlights in co-operation with anti-aircraft guns. Aspects of period as NCO with 423rd Light Anti-Aircraft Bty, 128th Light Anti-Aircraft Regt, Royal Artillery in GB, 1940-1942: work in Torquay area; prior recollection of German Air Force bombing of searchlight generators with 314th (Kent) Fortress Coy at Sandwich; reasons why women were not employed in his unit; opinion of prospect of German invasion, 1940-1941; deployment of unit in South Devonshire; danger to civilians from anti-aircraft guns; amusing story of capture of airman who looked like Hermann Göering at Charing, 1941. Recollections of period as policeman with Palestine Police Force in Palestine, 1942-1946: background to application to join Palestine Police Force, early 1942. REEL 2 Continues: nature of his contract; voyage aboard HMT Stratheden from GB to Palestine; arrival at camp at Ramleh, near Tel Aviv; opinion of training received; assassination of instructor Constable Thomas 'Paddy' Lantry by Lohemei Herut Israel-Lehi (Stern Gang) in Tel Aviv, 27/3/1944; opinion of drill; security precautions when moving outside Ramleh Camp; reasons for move to Jersusalem, 1/1943; duties at Wailing Wall in Jersusalem; attitude of Jewish and Arab civilians towards presence of Palestine Police Force in Jersusalem; posting to Jenin, 12/1943; need for Jews entering Jenin area to have a police escort; story of group of Jews surrounded by Arab crowd in village in Jenin area; attitude of Arabs towards Palestine Police Force; Arab political attitudes in Jenin area. REEL 3 Continues: Arab care for German war memorial in Jenin, 1942; opinion of Arab-Jewish question; assassination of Fakhi Abdul Haid at Arraba village in Jenin Sub-District, 1944; memories of Arab rebel Hamid Daoud Judeh; area of responsibility in Jenin Police District; second hand story of shooting of Avraham Stern by Assistant Superintendent Geoffrey Morton in Tel Aviv, 12/2/1942; contracting sandfly fever in Jenin; treatment of British patients by Jewish staff at Haifa General Hospital; second hand story of Zionist fighters who escaped from Latrun Prison. REEL 4 Continues: story of arrest and release of Mukhtar of Jalami village; story of consequences of Arab land dispute between two brothers; accidental shooting of Jenin Arab by Arab Legion, 1944; dealing with 'honour' killings amongst Arabs in Jenin; leaving Palestine Police, 1946.