PRIVATE LAUNCELOT BUB TAYLOR 14846846 B COMPANY 2ND BATTALION CHESHIRE REGIMENT PALESTINE EASTER 1946 LETTER HOME

Letter from Palestine
23 April 1946

Pte. L. Taylor 14846846
B.Coy. 2Bn. H.Q. Cheshire Regt.
M.E.F.

I have not been able to contact descendants and request permission to
publish this photo; nonetheless, I have left the face 'clear' so that if any of
Private Taylor's old comrades see this page, they may recognise him - C.

 
Palestine
Easter Monday
 

Dear Mill & Arthur

Here's letting you know I received your letter snaps and cash O.K.

I thought the snaps a really grand effort on the part of the male section of 166 and for which many thanks. As I have not written for some time I will endeavour to catch up on the meandering of yours truly up to the present.

I left Egypt at two pm. on Wednesday the 16th March with our advance party of six by lorry into Palestine. The journey was for the first part very tiring as we had to cross the Sinii Desert 210 miles of rough desert land this we completed in a day the Dodge conveying us doing the trip without incident. From here on the journey became more pleasant and it is amazing and has to be witnessed to be believed how you suddenly go from desert land into a green furtile country almost the same as one finds in Wales. From here our journey took us up through Lydda, Tel-a-Viv, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Galama to our present camp a small place called Ramat David. One of the chief sights was the miles and miles of orange, lemon and grapefruit groves with the trees ladened with lovely ripe fruit. They get two crops a year from the trees here the first now has just about finished...

...in fact you can see the new blossom on most trees. Our camp lies between Haifa and Nazareth both places have had several visits from myself. To really enjoy this part of the world you have to be well read on biblical subjects as most of it was written in these Eastern haunts. Mount Carmel the scene of the feeding of the five thousand took place here.

In Nazareth I have seen the cave where St Joseph and the virgin Mary dwelt and also the carpenter's shop used by the former. Haifa is a more modern town being mostly jewish very smart apart from the shipping area. This brings me to the current subject Ha�fa is the only shopping centre near here and goods are very expensive being in most cases nearly double what they were in Egypt so I don't know what about the sandals anyway I will look round and if nothing can be done shall have to wait until I move from here we are supposed to be moving in three months back to Egypt but you never know. I trust [---] and [---] are both in the pink judging by the snap there is little need for this question.

The climate here leaves nothing to be desired and unlike home you know every day is going to be lovely and dry with sunshine prevailing all day.

As I look through our stores...

...window the view is one of green cornfields little white building of the jewish settlements bounded in the distance by the Carmel range of mountains and as I said before like the Welsh countryside. These settlements are run on a feudal socialist basis and are almost self supporting the chief occupation being of course farming. I am at present employed in the Technical Stores being in charge of four other platoon storemen we are responsible for all arms and ammunition in the company and as theft of arms is rife in these parts the job is one of great responsibility and I for one will be glad when our term of office expires in these parts. I hear you have been enjoying grand weather at home lately and trust this state of affairs will continue.

I was not very excited with the latest demob. news and it looks as though I shall not be out much before Christmas.

Well this is as much as I can muster so it only remains for me to wish you all the very best of luck etc and cheerio.

Yours affectionately
Bub

 

 

Some shopping was done before the departure,
my cousins (f.) and I each received a necklace of shells

"...from Palestine..."

 
Millie Tilbury kept her brother's letter and photo carefully in their envelope until her death (1993).
Some years previously she brought it out and asked me to promise that
I would find a way of making it publicly available for others to read.
I hope this page will fulfil her wish - C.

 

Maps showing the evolution of Palestine

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