Part 18 (1/2)

As for my own loss, the death of my son Quentin was very bitter, but it would have been far more bitter if he had been a hand's breadth behind his friends in entering the war. Two of my other sons have been wounded, one of them crippled. The other wounded one has recovered, and as Lieutenant-Colonel is now commanding his regiment on the march towards the Rhine.

Kermit is Captain of Artillery, having first served in Mesopotamia, and then under Pers.h.i.+ng in the Argonne fight.

With hearty congratulations, Faithfully yours, T. ROOSEVELT.

Although the Staff denied us any local credit, our Zionist friends in the country knew what good work the battalion had done, and we were glad to receive the following official letter from the Zionist Commission:

ZIONIST COMMISSION TO PALESTINE, c/o Chief Political Officer, G.H.Q., Tel-Aviv, Jaffa, Palestine,

15TH OCTOBER, 1918.

COLONEL J. H. PATTERSON, D.S.O., 38TH R.F.

DEAR COLONEL PATTERSON,

It gives us great pleasure to express to you and to the men under your command of the 38th and 39th Royal Fusiliers, on behalf of the Zionist Commission, our warmest congratulations on the successful part taken by the Royal Fusiliers in the last battle that brought about the liberation of the rest of Palestine. We have always followed with the keenest interest the doings of the Regiment, and we are proud to know that it has done bravely and well.

At a meeting of the Zionist Commission held yesterday, Lieutenant Jabotinsky informed us of the distinctions conferred upon four of the men of your battalion. It was resolved at this meeting to congratulate you thereon and ask you to be good enough to convey the congratulations of the Commission to the men who had earned these distinctions.

With our best wishes for your welfare and that of the officers and men under your command,

I am, dear Colonel Patterson,

Yours faithfully,

(Signed) JACK MOSSERI, Secretary.

Soon after my return to England I received the following letter from General Chaytor, which will, I know, fill the hearts of the old boys of the 38th with pride:

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND,

9TH MARCH, 1920.

MY DEAR PATTERSON,

I hope the history of the 38th Battalion is out by now. So few people have heard of the battalion's good work, or of the very remarkable fact that in the operations that we hope have finally reopened Palestine to the Jews a Jewish force was fighting on the Jordan, within a short distance of where their forefathers, under Joshua, first crossed into Palestine, and all who hear about it are anxious to hear more.

I shall always be grateful to you and your battalion for your good work while with me in the Jordan Valley.

The way you smashed up the Turkish rearguard when it tried to counter-attack across the Jordan made our subsequent advance up the hills of Moab an easy matter.

With best wishes, yours sincerely,

(Signed) E. W. C. CHAYTOR.

CHAPTER XXV.

JEWISH SOLDIERS ARE FORBIDDEN TO ENTER THE HOLY CITY.