Click here for entry for Tuesday 7th April (cont.) – Saturday 11th April 1942

Saturday 11th April (cont.)

… pipe line from Iran. Most of the shops closed being the Sabbath.  Missed last bus home walked the seven miles arriving at camp at midnight.

Sunday 12th April

Day 371

Church parade held under Olive trees.  Leave to Haifa in afternoon.  In town soon after 2pm.  Walked around city.  Hundreds of steps up to the terraces.  Taxi home supplied by Tommies.

Monday 13th April

Day 372

Moving on.  Now in road buses.  Left transit camp at 8.30AM.  Motored through Haifa – past the pipe line and on around coast line.  Beautiful trip.  Roads line with oranges groves & banana plantations.  Great difference for the eyes to Egypt.  South Africans building railway.  Arrived at Syria-Palestine border at 11AM.  Road runs high up on cliffs around edge of sea.  Land now getting very mountainous inland.  Passed more oranges & bananas & lemons.  Passing through many villages.  Natives much better type.  Numerous olive trees about.  Pulled in transit camp – 3 miles from Beirut.  Had meal then leave to Beirut.  City very modern.  Mostly French.  Changes of currency 9 Syrian pounds = £1-1-0. Nearly everything ones buys is one pound.  All buildings still of stone – wood very scarce.  In camp by 10 o’clock.

Tuesday 14th April

Day 373

Reveille at 2AM.  Road buses taking us to Beirut Station.  Trained putted out at daylight starting our 5000ft climb by train – special rail & cog-wheel on engine.  Whole sides of the hills terraced more ground for cultivating.  One steep climbs train at times zig-zagged.  At one stage reached snow line.  Had meal at Haddad.  Travelled all night.

Wednesday 15th April

Day 374

At day light travelling down a wide valley …

Click here for entry for Wednesday 15th April (cont.) – Saturday 18th April 1942