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I remember you so vividly - I love you so much xxxx.
Sunday 11 is now 9.30, which is my usual time for beginning to write to you. I had intended to write all afternoon. This major business is just making me busier, so far - which I hardly thought was possible. But it certainly seems to be. On Tuesday, there is to be a Jewish [seerwhiting] march, of which I have to take command - and so lately I had to go out and make all the arrangements. I will tell you all about it after it has happened. And on Thursday, I have to be the President of a Court Martial. My various experiences as defending officer will be of help, of course - but I shall have to swat up the procedure pretty hard - & the Manual of Military law is a mystifying tome.
The whole root & branch of this trouble is having no second in command - who, in these companies, does the work of adjutant and quarter master. And so having these jobs piled onto me, on top of a fairly difficult command, is all a bit too much. But, as I think I told you - this should be dealt with any day now. You remember me telling you about the various officers? In February, when I was in the process of getting rid of Behrens - I recommended Headley for the job. And I now hear from the Military Secretary that he is to be appointed. And when this happens, it is going to cause gloom, & anger amongst the other British subalterns -
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Do you know this Dvorak stuff, darling? I'm sure you must do. I told you before that the lettle quartette had played some of his and that I had enjoyed it very much. Dvorak was a Czech- & so is Singer - & so the result was magnificent. It is most lovely music, - so alive & exciting & beautiful & tuneful - & I suppose very easy to understand. They played an encore - & Singer nearly lost all his clothes. The other concert, I enjoyed very much too, though nowhere near no much. Firstly - "Anderson Overture" Cherubini's which I rather forget now. and then "Harold in Italy" by Berlioz which I liked, really, though not wildly. And then Brahms Symphony No 1 in C. minor, op 68 (if you know what I mean!) which was lovely. The conductor was a man called Crawford McNair who conducts the Palestine Radio Orchestra -he was somewhat wooden & automatic. And there was a soloist, a man called Ödön Pártos, who played a viola very nicely - & dropped his bow once. The next concert is in May, & of course, I shall go. They are the only things I look forward to nowadays. Except that I see a film has arrived, with Bette Davis and Charles Boyer, which should be very good.
I have got myself a little bit further organised today, & my batman has now produced a good solid table, & a cover of sort of billiard table cloth, but in a pleasant warm beige colour. I have this in my bedroom, of course- & so now I can be out of the office,
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which is much better - and I can also see your photographs & the flowers.
Last Saturday, I had to go down to the P.R.T.D. to see Col. Leicester about a few things. So I took Ben-Arzi with me, & Peter, of course. After my business, I went to Ben's home, & stayed until the Sunday morning, before coming back here. He has an enormous family of sisters & brothers, & sisters & brothers in law - and all their children - and they all seem to live in a medium sized flat. But they are very pleasant & kind. In the evening, we went out to a dancing place, which was a very attractive spot, and I enjoyed it. I danced with Mrs Ben Arzi once - & spent the remainder of the evening sitting & talking & listening. His elder brother is going into the army, shortly.
I had quite a long letter from Frank Macaskie the other day, which I was very glad to have. He congratulated me on being about to be a major, & said "I know you will rise even higher than that, for I know of no one more capable of holding any rank that may be open to you"! Which I thought was extremely civil of him, & quite heartening, coming from Frank. He went on to say that he was in the ghastly position of being unable to rise, except into dead men's shoes. It is bad luck, really, I certainly know of no better officer thatn Frank. He had had another five days leave in Cairo - and had tried to get up to Palestine, but had not been allowed.
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He said he had spent all the time with Gerald Ecclestone (the man who is going to fly us home!) - the day time at [Gejirah?] - & the evenings at varous cabarets - Gerald to dance & Frank to drink. But that at midnight their ways parted - Frank's to his own bed - and Gerald's to some woman's. I do hope Frank gets through alright - it seems his battablion is in a pretty crack Division. He is one person I do want to see again - & I know he will be a very good friend of ours after the war. He sent me some snaps - from Tomlinson's camera. But I only appear on one of them. But I am sending on also, the one's of [Red?], as they will probably cheer up Marjorie. Of the three outside the tent, the one on the left is one of the bad type majors - Bob Gentles - the little man in the middle is nobody.
This is Easter, darling - & it is also the Passover. And I have observed the latter, but not the former, which must sound very peculiar. But is came about in this way. Quite an important Jew, a solicitor, who had been at our last Company concert, telephoned Ben-Arzi, and invited him and myself to their family Passover dinner party which, I think now, was very kind indeed of him, because Passover to them is much the same as Christmas to us. All the family was there, & all the children, the youngest 4 years old, in her party frock. We began the evening with Palestinian Vermouth. And then sat down to table. It all started off with a religious service. All the men wearing their hats. some in just ordinary hats - some in those bloody Jewish
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skullcaps - & are in my tea cosy - or oily rag! The service is read from a special book - I was provided with a translation - & each person round the table, even the youngest, reads a part in turn, & so on, round & round. And then there are any number of bits of ritual. The paschal lamb & the unleavened bread, & the bitter herbs, & hoseradish, & glasses of wine. It is all very jolly, & not at all embarrassing. The Passover is a celebration of the Jews escape from Egypt - & I really cannot blame them celebrating it, at all. About half way through their service business, dinner takes place, which was very good. And, in addition, I had Vodka, before the fish, & red & white wines from Palastine [Palestine], & port, also from Palastine [Palestine], and very good they were too. And then the service went on & finished. It was all most intersting & enjoyable - and I really thought it was kind of these people to invite us. The child of 4 made me feel unbearably sad. She was a girl, & 4 1/2, & really rather sweet - & though she could not speak a word of English, she attached herself to me. It was almost too much for me. Lisa would have been such a lovely darling now. It is not easy to think about, is it, darling? I am praying that tomorrow - Monday - will reconstitute itself as a lucky day for letters. I have felt so lonely and far away from you these last few days - and I want a letter from you so very much. Keep on writing, my sweetheart - your letters mean everything to me - just everything. My life will always be all yours, darling one - I am your slave, & nothing without you. So you be careful too, what you eat & drink, & keep well. And all my love to you beloved sweetheart - & to the baby. Always your Harry xxxxx
