Chapter 40

When Sharon arrived back with David a month later, Shaun found her somewhat subdued.

Out on the stoop that night she talked about what was troubling her.

“The provisional committee are to demand that UN stands by its commitment to give the Jews their own homeland, especially now the true picture of the Nazi extermination camps has come to life. There are thousands of displaced Jews wondering around Europe that no country wants, all making their way to Palestine. But the Grand Mufti in Cairo as stated that all Jews will be driven into the Med. Shaun, they are ringed by Arab nations who want all Jews dead.

The British are trying to keep the lid on things, but there has already been incidents at the kibbutz’s and ambushes. We are starting to arm ourselves whenever we can, but there are not enough arms or equipment. Daddy has resigned his commission and now sits on the council He says a war is coming”.

Shaun smiled “Sharon you said ‘we’. So you identify yourself with them?”

Sharon smiled back sadly. “The Jews are my people. I don’t give a damn about religion, but I do care about my people. If it comes to a fight, I will join them”.

Shaun nodded, “I think I need to see your father and find out how best to help”.

The following month found Shaun sitting in the lounge of the King David Hotel waiting for Sharon’s father. When he arrived, they embraced and moved out to the veranda where Shaun ordered coffee. After discussing about little David and Sharon, Shaun got down to business.

“How can we help?”

Silverman smiled, “Shaun, if as I expect we get the withdrawal of the British Mandate of Palestine and the UN’s acceptance of a Jewish state, then we will have to fight to keep it. There are 250,000 Jews in Europe who wish to come here, they have no home in Europe. Europe doesn’t want them. But they are prevented from landing here by the British blockade. We are managing to smuggle some in, but if war comes we will need every last one of them. We will have over two million Arabs around our borders determined to kill us all.

“We need arms and equipment, we need radio equipment to be able to coordinate with. Most of all we need training. There are a few who served in the British armed services, but we need more”.

Shaun nodded, “Two of my former command have agreed to help, and both are in Egypt at the moment awaiting demob. Both are training instructors, one in navigation the other in explosives.

Shaun went on to outline his proposal that they be offered jobs within the Jewish administration but would return with him to Kenya to undertake training of Jewish personnel who would be based at the Crater. “They could be trained along the lines of the LRDG, as a fast response unit. The equipment and vehicles would be easier to obtain in Kenya than here. I can buy ex-army radios under the guise they’re for the Crater and game park and ship them to you. But there would be problems regarding language. I don’t think either my men or I speak Hebrew, so the men arriving would need to speak English. The other problem is food, they wouldn’t be able to get kosher food at the Crater,” Shaun said with a smile.

Silverman chuckled, “That would be sorted out with the volunteers we send”.

Later Shaun met with members of the Hagenah where he outlined what had been discussed with Silverman. Between them they thrashed out the details of what was to happen.

He then travelled to Egypt to meet up with Prof and Cookie. From them he learnt that feelings were running high with the population regarding the Jews.

“If it comes to a war, I don’t give them much of a chance. The Egyptian Army has been buying ex-British Sherman tanks along with Vickers machine guns and field pieces,” Cookie murmured.

Shaun nodded grimly “I don’t think they can use them until the UN recognises the new state of Israel. That’s when war will break out. But in the time we have available we will start to train them as LRDG teams. I imagine they will be operating in the Sini Desert to stop the Egyptian threat so that’s where you come in Prof. Do you have good maps of that area?”

Prof nodded “No problem; I also have maps of Palestine that I can bring”.

Shaun smiled, “Well gentlemen, it seems we have our work cut out for us. I’ll return to Kenya and prepare everything. It seems that Z Patrol is about to be re-born”.