Page 26 - The Palestine Letters 1919.

Letters to and from Palestine 1919.

                     Frank i.e. William Francis Pettard - Palestine 1919.

The following letter was written by John Leach to Frank Pettard (William Francis Pettard) while Frank was in Palestine 1919. Remembering of course that John Leach’s eldest daughter Florence Beatrice Violet married William Francis in 1917, and by the time of this letter home their first born William John Francis was about 2 years old.

The letter reads;

248 Bermondsey Street

Bermondsey

16/5/19

Dear Frank,

Just a few lines too answer to your welcome letter of April 26^th which I have just received from you. I hope Florence’s letter as not upset you I am sure she does not mean anything, I suppose it is has you say one of her tempers never mind I daresay the next one will be altogether different. Florence and Bill was with us at Easter from Saturday till Tuesday morning they were both in the best of health young Bill is getting on fine. Sorry you are in such a rotten place. Mar and the children all send their love to you and with you best luck, I am going on alright myself am in good health and at work.

My luck is out at finding winners I am going to back Rivershore tomorrow for the Jubilee it was beaten in the Lincoln by Royal Bucks they are racing against one another again, if you hear any thing of Sam remember me to him. Cheer up don’t worry over Florence’s letter I daresay after she had posted it she was sorry she had, she has not said any thing to me about it, never mind cheero wishing you the best of luck hoping your leave of Discharge wont be long before it comes along. Hoping to hear again from you soon Good Bye and the best of luck from you affectionate father in law J.Leach

I just wonder what it was that Florence had said in her letter to her husband Frank, from John Leach’s letter it would appear that Frank had written to him expressing concern over what ever she had said. Such are family issues, in a time that could have not been that good for either party, what with Frank away in the army and Florence a young wife and mum of less then two years, things must have been very fretful for all concerned. John Leach’s letter is nicely balanced between reinsuring Frank that there is nothing to worry about and diverting his attention to other points of interest, like horse racing and leave. By its nature the letter shows John Leach has a caring person with sincere concern for Frank welfare, the Pettard family would benefit in the years to come from this caring nature of the Leach family.  At the time of this correspondence Frank was probably stationed in Haifa Palestine. 

The young Bill mention by John Leach in his letter to Frank would be my father William Pettard then 2 years old. 

 

Frank’s Letter home to Florence.

The letter reads;

Dear Wife

                I now take the pleasure of writing these few lines hoping to find you boy and all at home in the pink as it leaves me at the present, how is boy going on give my very best love to all at home.  Flo, did you get my last letter telling you I was moving down the line a bit, well we left our last place called Beyrouth last Thursday and arrived here on Sunday, we rode in motor lorry all the way four days in a lorry and we saw some fine scenes. Well dear I am settled now now  for a while till I get a leave when, perhaps a couple of months time, are you settled in work, I have got plenty here on my new job I am in the offices mess on our Corps H Q not a bad job plenty of food and good food too.

Winchester in England, the only thing I need money for here is a smoke, being on the move for 5 weeks I have not been able to drew any money the last I drew was at Alexandria pounds 2.0.0 I sent home 35 shillings out of it still I am drawing a bit this week still have not gone short of a smoke as the lads here have plenty till I get my pay do not worry about me I am alright leave it to me I’ll see to that. Well dear I think this is all I have to say at the present I must now close my loving letter

--------- your

              Darling husband

                             Bill

   X                     X                    X

  for you            for boy           all at home .
              

683310 Pettard                                         Ps

B.I. Mess                                                     enclosed is some flowers picked -----------------

Att XXI Corp H Q                                      between Bayrouth and the Sea of Galilee.

Haifa

E E F                  

I am not sure if this is the complete letter it seems disjointed between pages. Clearly Frank is in Palestine with reference to Alexandria Egypt, Beyrouth (Beirut) Syria/Lebanon, Haifa Palestine and the Sea of Galilee. By comparison with John Leach’s letter Frank’s correspondence seems to be written in much more formal tones such that I wondered if in fact this had been written for him, I just don’t hear or imagine him using such stiff text, but who knows for sure. 

So, what was Frank Pettard and the British army doing in this part of the world in 1919, the answer is on the complex side thus I will keep the explanation as simple as possible, such that I can understand it. The British defeated Ottoman Turkish forces in 1917 and occupied Palestine and Syria. Palestine remained under British rule until 1948. In 1922 British rule was ratified by the League of Nation, the fore runner to the United Nation, with a mandate to progress Palestine to both independent Arab and Jewish States, a mission impossible as both Arab and Jew fight to control Palestine with the British caught in the middle still trying to maintain an independent state mandate for both Arab and Jewish interest.

With the final defeat of the Ottoman Empire and its capitulation October 1918 the Middle East was divided into 3 zones, British forces would occupy Palestine whilst Syria and Lebanon were assigned under French influence. In October 1919 British forces in Syria and east of Jordan were withdrawn, so these were the events that lead to Frank Pettard being in Haifa Palestine in 1919.  At this moment in time I am not aware of Franks full service record but will progress inquires.

                                    Picture From Palestine 1919 Frank Pettard seen on the left.