description
Object description
British policeman served with Palestine Police in Palestine, 1937-1946
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Basingstoke, 1916-1936: family; education; reasons for applying to Palestine Police, late 1936. Recollections of period as policeman with Palestine Police in Palestine, 1937-1946: attractions of job; character of recruits; training at Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, 1/1937-4/1937; uniforms worn; posting to Jerusalem; outbreak of Arab bomb throwing campaign; discovery of Arab blown up by premature bomb; Arab-Jewish relations in Jerusalem; lack of anti-British hostility in Jerusalem, 1937-1938; daily duties; relations between Arab and Jewish policemen; character of Inlying Picquet in Jerusalem; taking over of Hebron by armed bands, 8/1938; different character of Hebron and Nablus.
REEL 2 Continues: reasons for sinking of SS Patria in Haifa harbour by Haganah whilst he was on board; placing of SS Patria survivors on board Dutch ships; voyage from Palestine to Mauritius escorting refugees; role of Mobile Desert Force, early 1941; duties at isolated Beit Jebrin police post; loss of police sergeant shot by armed gang; attending explosives course, c1942; attempts to stop smuggling arms in Palestine; greater ability of Jews to buy arms than Arabs; attitude to having served with Palestine Police.
