At the beginning of May, plans were announced for the evacuation from Palestine. There were interviews' by various police forces hoping to get already trained policemen. I was offered a sergeant's position with a promise of rapid promotion by the Malaysia police force, and a traffic officer's position with the Hong Kong and British police but I had had enough even though I was in less danger than the regular police, it was still a strain and the tension was always there.

Could I have signed on for another tour of duty as Traffic Officer in Nazareth? I honestly don't know,but in hindsight I am pleased I did not have the opportunity to do so.

The evacuation plan was to set up Jenln as the assembly point for the rest of Palestine as it was an easy and considered a safe gateway to Haifa, the disembarkation point. All police personal north of Nazareth came through to Jenln. Next were those from the south. Then it was our turn. For days before we left there was no chinaware washed after meals, just destroyed or used for target practice. As they had the police logo on them they could not be used by another agency.

I had a few personal items of furniture, such as a radio, desk, armchair, mirror etc., and about two weeks before our date of departure an Arab, who worked on the post, asked if I would sell them to him. We agreed on a price of 75 pounds, which was a good buy for him. On the day before I was to leave he called to collect the goods! Only now he felt the price should be 20 pounds, I very quietly invited him to come in and sit down, which he did thinking he had me at a disadvantage, as he well had. I picked up a large fire ax and proceeded to smash everything. He first thought when he saw me pick up the ax, that I was about to use it on him, (which had crossed my mind) however, his anxiety soon changed to howls of dismay and an offer to pay the original agreed price, but I made him watch as I smashed the lot into match sticks and then threw him out on his head.

Of course I should have only threatened to use the ax, but it felt good at the time and hopefully taught him a lesson.

I must confess I felt sad on leaving the Nazareth area. I had many friends both Arab and Jew, and the thought that they would battle each other as soon as we were out of sight was hard to take. I said my farewells to the Jarjoura's and as we passed Afula, Peter nearly fell out of a bus he was in, waving goodbye. He was on his way to a Haganah training camp.

I have never tried to find out if my friends survived. I am afraid of what news I would get. This way I remember them as they were.