Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 7]
7.
and although we had prisoners to assist us, yet they had no idea of cleanliness or sanitation, and they constantly had to be watched. However directly we commenced to evacate evacuate patients the situation became relieved. At one time we had every room and passage full, and the yard lined with rows of stretchers. Twice during this fortnight I managed to get into the city itself and went through its bazaars. The Grand Bazaar was covered, each trade had its own bazaar, all the leather goods, tinsmiths, carpenters, etc. all having their own bazaar, and their prices varied very little. Good German field glasses fitted with Goertz or Zeiss lenses were being sold very cheaply, evidently had been stolen or sold very cheaply to them by German officers. I bought a pair for a chap and on being asked their price one dealer said £10. And his partner seeing I was not pleased spoke to him in Arabic saying £7. However I argued with them, beating them down to the price I originally offered which was £3. Others I believe were obtainable for less. Turkish money, some of the dealers would also buy, but in one no instance would they give more than 2/- for the Turkish pound. A Turkish sovereign would be worth 25/-, 7/- above its face value of 18/-. Some of the men also bought fur lining for coats. Grapes and apricots were in season and very cheap and good.
Our next destination proved to be Homs. When we commenced the first stages we were not sure if we were going to stay at Homs or go straight to Aleppo 185M. North of Damascus. General belief was we were to rest at Homs (which was 95M. N. of Damascus. The country assumed the barren aspect as before reaching Damascus and the last stage of 46 Miles web had no water. The end of the first days March brought us to a Jewish village, chiefly German and Russian Jews. We arrived ahead of our transport in motor lorries and were met by villagers selling or trying to sell grapes, bread and eggs at extortionate prices. We soon reduced the price to what we had been paying for them. The bread was dark but not badly flavoured, and it was appreciated after biscuits. Too much bread meant indigestion. We were also issued with raisins as a ration but which the men did not want and which were usually dumped. This village was also noted for its swarms of black and yellow hornets or mason flies, which were more numerous than flies. They were very keen about anything sweet and jam or grapes they would swarm on, and it was an act of celerity to get a piece of bread and jam to your mouth without several hornets settling on it on route.
Another peculiarity they did not seem to sting or mind local inhabitants. One bag of raisins we were issued with we intended to dump as no one wanted them. However the transport having moved off we were waiting for a convoy of lorries to pick us up and whilst waiting I noticed several Jews keely eyeing these raisins, so I made a deal with them, giving the bag of raisins for 20 loaves of bread. The Jews