Conflict before Independence

 

Avi Gordon was born in Tel Aviv in 1939.
_________________________________

He writes:
        During the conflict after the war I was only 7-8 years old so my memories are as a child, I didn't really understand the conflict at the time.   I remember very well the Irgun people gluing sheets of propaganda paper to the walls.  They used to wear handkerchiefs over their faces, with a hat.

 

On the corner of King George and Rashi St. was a cross wire over the intersection.  A flag with the emblem of " rak kach " was hung right over the intersection center.

 

One Saturday I was in the synagogue with my father, when, all of a sudden, two men with covered face without hats walked in and gave the people leaflets.  I asked my father why these people were allowed to enter without head cover. I was told to shut up.

  

 I remember British soldiers searching our home for illegal weapons, and some other episodes.

 

I remember the " Otzer Hagadol ", where for four days no one was allowed to leave their homes.  King George Street in Tel Aviv was divided by barbed wires for its whole length, in order to divide the city into sections.  In the first day, to my amusement my father unlocked the main door.  About twenty minutes later, two British paratroopers walked into the apartment.  I recognized them as such by the red berets they wore, and their red faces.  Anyway, once they walked in they placed their rifles at the room’s corner, demanded to open every cabinet door and they searched the contents.  Finally, they arrived at the liquor cabinet.  My mother opened it up, took out cookies and offered them some with a shot of liquor.  Both blushed, they took one cookie each, picked up their guns and walked out embarrassed. That afternoon my father was detained.  Later we found out he was at Gan Meir Park.  My mother gave me a container full of lemonade with ice.  It was very hot that afternoon, I got to the fence, there was a British trooper at the entrance.  He ordered me to stop, opened the container, took few drinks out of it for himself, and told me with his hand to go in. I did.   I found my father with other men in an open area under the hot sun. I gave him the drink.  In a few minutes, the lemonade was gone.   There was one women detained, she was placed under the shade of a tree and was encircled by barbed wire. My father was released after a day. He came home. Four days later in the afternoon we heard a shot, it meant a break in the curfew.  Everyone went to the bakery next door, the business was conducted through the window, a long line was formed , business was brisk .   Two days later the curfew was over.

 

I was told by my friends that the English  soldiers under their kilts didn't wear anything. (do you mean Scottish, Avi?  English soldiers don’t wear kilts. - editor) One time I made it my business to place myself under the back of a truck to watch the kilt-wearing soldiers climbing up.  To my amazement they wore khaki shorts under their kilts !      

 

At one time I got cut next to my knee.  Three British soldier saw it.  They picked me up, and dressed the wound.  I came home, my mother asked me what had happened, I told her.   She told me that some of the English are very nice.

 

 I also remember a group of English soldiers that took the building of " Hanoar Haoved " for their H.Q.   There was a group of soldiers sitting there.  One man came in, started yelling at them , they took me away , and placed me out of the fence.   I also remember the armoured cars, the jeeps with a wire cutter rod in front of them .  

                            These are some of my memories , once in a while I do get a flash back.  If any thing else pops up , I'll let you know .