These photos were most likely taken by my Grandfather between April and June 1942 when he was in Syria. He mentions the “Beehive Villages” when they were leaving Syria.
Grandad’s WWII Diary – Photos of Beehive Villages – Syria – April-June 1942
These photos were most likely taken by my Grandfather between April and June 1942 when he was in Syria. He mentions the “Beehive Villages” when they were leaving Syria.
14 Weeks Worth of Socks 
These photographs are really incredibly neat. We could, I suspect, be seeing scenes identical in many respects that had not changed for hundred of years.
I find the photos fascinating. Its a moment in time that I suspect doesn’t exist in our current era.
I awoke this morning thinking of the photographs that you have been posting and the life styles they depict. I can only base opinions on what I see and my vision is definitely not romantic. From you photographs, I see a difficult life for the villagers with little hope for change and improvement. I see a basic utilization of resources, e.g., water and land, that provides for a static population, a population that is also limited by infant mortality and diseases that limit life spans. Thinking what it must be like in the same villages, I can only imagine populations six, seven or eight times larger employing ever increasing methods to provide water and other infrastructure demands. I see improved healthcare that results in an ever growing population with increasing demands. My vision becomes evermore Malthusian. I see areas wracked by war and violence as populations struggle for resources, land and water. I awoke wondering which is better, the life depicted the photographs or that of today?
The photos, especially of the rural lifestyles all for the most part show hard lives. Certainly some things will have definitely changed for the better with the modern era, such as health care – presuming its available and they can afford it, but I don’t know that the people in some of these places have really had an era of peace and with that comes its own issues. These photos for the most part were taken in an era under seeing massive change that came with WW2 and its impact on the world.
These are amazing photos!
Thank you, they are really quite fascinating!
[…] 6AM. Passing hundreds of camels. Heading to mountains. Passed through many villages mostly of beehive type. Arrived at bitumen road at 3PM heading towards Ba’ Albak. Then on 10 miles ??? […]