LETTERS FROM DENNISTON TO WIFE
The War Office established a station at Sarafand with an intercepting and cryptographic unit which had close links to GC&CS. In November, 1925 Dennsiton visited Sarafand to research the setting up if wireless stations there. He arrived on 7 November and wrote to Dorothy every few days. In his letters he carefully restricted himself to general descriptions of life in the areas he visited. While much of his time was spent travelling to potential wireless station sites in Egypt and Palestine, he still managed to fit in the odd game of tennis and round of golf. He boarded a ship, the ‘Maloja’ on Sunday, 22 November at Port Said and arrived in Marseilles on Friday 27 November. He then took the train to Paris and the boat train from Calais arriving home the following day.
7 November, 1925
Well dear D.G. I arrived here yesterday morning & found your letter of the 28th which made me very glad. It seems an awful long time since we parted tho’ actually it is only 10 days. A fortnight to-day we leave here & 3 weeks hence we meet again and I shall be glad. I ought to hear from you again on Monday. Then I shall know that Y’s weight on the 29th. She is getting a big girl now and will very soon be 6 months old!
We had a very warm welcome from the small mess here. Having left Cairo at 6pm we were ferried across the Canal at Kantara, for into the train which left at midnight and arrived at Ludd at 6.30 am. No-one was there to meet us so Spencer went to telephone when a car arrived with the four officers stationed there. They (the officers) had failed to get the tender to start hence they were late & so apologetic. However, two of them waited for the tender to come & bring our luggage & we started. The good road (Jaffa-Jerusalem) is up in places so we had to go by side tracks through the desert – soft sand full of holes. That car punctured ¾ of the way here (about 10 miles) so they dug out another & we arrived. The mess where we live has a glorious situation looking due east from a slight hill across the plain to the hills which lie between us & Jerusalem. The actual plain is all brown sand and stubble at this time but in spring and summer is a carpet of flowers. Here & there are little green woods & tiny villages. Sarafand itself is a large straggling place almost entirely in military occupation as the 9th Lancers, armoured cars, this company & the Airforce live here. There is an officers’ club for all units which has two tennis courts (mud surface) where I played yesterday, a comical golf course & a race course. There is a great race meeting today & the O.C. of this company is riding, so I do no work till Monday. We dine in state with him tonight. I gather his wife is about to produce a baby. In the mess are three young lieutenants who are cheery & hospitable, (of course we pay while here) & alongside is a small house where a married officer & his wife live using the mess kitchen & servants as their house is too small.
The feeding is very simple & not awfully good being based entirely on army rations. Yesterday evening we had a sad event. Filkes, the officer whom I know at Queen’s Gate, had a nice fox terrier which suddenly had a horrible seizure. The military vet was fetched & he said it was either epilepsy, rabies or strychnine poisoning. The poor beats had spasm for an hour & the died. Today it goes to Jaffa for post-mortem.
8 November, 1925
Dear Sweetheart, I missed the post after all as I had wrong information so you will have missed a letter from me. I have read all about you a& Y a dozen times & want to hear more tomorrow. Up to date this trip has been a picnic & I have done no work at all except to walk up to the office here and play about. However yesterday we had the Palestine races & all the world came including H.E., the High Commissioner & his A.D.C. George Brooke. One of the here put me in touch with the A.D.C. who was most cordial (his wife only arrives on Wednesday). He introduced me to H.E. & we (Colonel * & I) g to Jerusalem on Monday week & talk business & lunch at Government House. We shall stop at least two nights there in order to explore the place. Your letter to A.D.C. was most useful as we know where we are now. (They had just produced another scorpion for my edification – they are horrible brutes & terrify me).
Today we went off in a party of 8 in two different dilapidated Fords to a monastery (Trappist) about 12 miles away along the Jerusalem Road. The weather has changed & we had quite a lot of rain, & continuous lightening far off. We took our lunch & ate it in the fuel house of the monastery & were shown all around by a French monk. They make wine & we went through their enormous cellars under a small hill. Huge barrels capable of holding 8-10 thousand litres each. Luckily I am treated with care & respect & was put in a car with a hood so did not get too wet otherwise they are bery happy go lucky. One lad having no coat lay down in the mud under the car during the rain.
I got a few photos but don’t expect good results for the local scenery is not good for pictures – the groups are composed of unknown people.
I am longing for tomorrow & news from you & am off to bed now. Good night dearest D.G. & kiss Y on the brow for me.
11 November 1925
Dear Sweetheart – I have just got your letter of Nov 2nd in which you discussed X. Having made a careful examination of my overcoat each time I wore one I am nearly convinced I am not responsible for your increase in appetite. Mistakes will happen I know but I am inclined to think your old friend is here with you now. It would of course be great fun but a bit too quick to be good for you, as you do deserve a bit of a rest – a drink. I expect your mother has gone home by now. How did you gel & did Y meet with full approval? I am not sure you merited it, dear wee one putting on ¾ oz in a week. This ought to arrive on her ½ year birthday – put your tongue out at her from me & make her smile & chuckle. I am really having a very soft time – a little nosing around, chatting etc. each morning which necessitates writing up notes on the subjects. Otherwise I play round with the very young officers in this mess & their friends.
Yesterday we motored over to Jaffa & saw Tel Aviv, the new Jewish port alongside Jaffa which is going to be the big place in the Eastern Mediterranean. Thousands of Jews, only Yiddish spoken, & houses (good ones) growing like mushrooms. Unfortunately, slums are being allowed at the same time. We had two days of heavy rains on Sunday & Monday & many streets were absolutely flooded out, for it does come down properly when it starts with continuous thunder & lightening. Today was a holiday so we went for a picnic on donkeys & my stern is very sore for itself. Tonight we went across the desert to a place called Richon where Palestine wines are made. We wandered through vineyards & orange groves & ate a simple lunch with beer, me sitting (nearly) on a cactus thorn.
One man had a gun with which he shot a brace of quail. You have to keep swinging your legs to kick the donkey’s tummy to make him go – it is rather slower than walking pace. Tomorrow I go to Haifa & see Mount Carmel, (as well as a W/T station). It means getting up at 5.30 to catch the train at Ludd at 6.45. However, thanks to Y’s habits I wake regularly at 6 & only get my tea at 7. Work (for the officers here) is from 8 till 1. I usually wander to the office about 8.45 as befitting my high rank!
Now I must send mother a line, as this is for you only (& Y of course). Biddy will probably be with you when you get this. – give her my love. I look forward to Nov 28 very much indeed. It is a good day to arrive as we shall have Sunday as well to tell each other things. Goodnight dear ones.
13 November 1925
Good evening dear one – I got your letter of the 5th yesterday (only a week) on my return from Haifa. I am so sorry you have a cold & hope you chased it away alright & that Y did not get it. I should think she is now certain to be 13 lbs 7 oz, by Nov 21st which is a landmark. I am still refusing to worry about G.T. even if he is a month late. As I told you a careful examination showed intact overcoats, so my argument is as good as Johnnie’s; surely you are adopting Biddy’s views. I too am having rather sleepless nights. There is a hot dry wind blowing & it is as stuffy as can be under the mosquito net. Also I would like to take a pill but am terrified of being bitten by a scorpion as I sit outside in the dark. You have to gash the place with a razor and pour iodine in, which is difficult in the stern in the middle of the night. (Just had a mouse hunt in my room, the terrier killed it in my bottom drawer). I am awfully stiff & sore after the donkey ride plus a lot of knocking about in the car which took us to the station yesterday. We left at 6 pm; after the rains of Sunday & Monday some of the track is almost impassable. We had breakfast in the train & did 3 hours through the plain, seeing nothing but Arab villages & ruins of crusader’s castles & a few new Jewish colonies. Haifa is supposed to be the biggest post in Palestine but like the rest of the coast it is impossible to berth ships – they lie off & tenders & lighters unload them. We had a car which took us up Mount Carmel whence we had a wonderful view of Syria including Mount Hermon covered with snow. We did our job & got a train at 1.30 & were back here at 5.30. We dined out at the house where they have a baby girl 7 days younger than Y. She was quite small when born, now weighs 16 lbs but looks as dull as nothing & is quite bald. Her main food is I understand lemonade which she has had since birth!! I suppose she gets milk as well. I remained restful today feeling stiff & sore & rheumaticey. Had 9 home made holes of golf in the desert below the mess where the Lancers were manoeuvring & killed a snake during the round. Filkes went shooting & returned with 10 quail which will be a change from army rations which are not very exciting.
Monday we go to Jerusalem so I shall miss your letters till Wednesday when we return. Saturday we go to Port Said where we spend the night & catch the boat on Sunday night. Home in a fortnight tomorrow – hurrah. I am enjoying everything but a fortnight here will be quite enough. I know the works of the place now & that is (I suppose) why I was sent. Now goodnight sweetheart. Thank your mother for her very nice letter. I will write another tomorrow. Don’t worry about X dear DG if he is underway (which I doubt). DO take care of yourself & see Walter as early as is proper. Don’t worry about s.d. as it is only the capital cost (150-200) after that, a little dearer than one.
18 November 1925
Good evening dear D.G. This is just a short letter as it is doubtful if it will get ahead of me. I should arrive on Saturday afternoon about 3. If you can’t find the exact time, ring info Victoria or the P.O. & they will tell you. Our boat is the ‘Maloja’ (I spelt it wrong the last time) & it should leave Port Said next Sunday night. We leave Saturday morning & we don’t arrive at Port Said until 10pm. We have to spend a night there rather than risk missing the boat. We reach Marseilles Friday night & take the train, reaching Paris Saturday early & ought to catch the 11 o’clock boat from Calais (or Boulogne).
We had a very busy morning in Jerusalem yesterday, seeing everything we should including the Holy Sepulcher. The via Dolorosa & the Some of the Rock but all these things I can explain better in person. It is surprising but true that the old city of Jerusalem covers an area distinctly less than Battersea Park.
It seemed unnecessary to stay longer so we trained back, a railroad as steep as those in Switzerland through barren & rocky hills. I found a letter from you here in which you were a little peeved with life but today you are distinctly more cheerful/ Y seems to be coming on if she can nearly crawl. What fun it will be to see her again. I am getting most excited about Nov 28. Wish her many happy returns of her monthly birthday (this is too late for that I can see).
Wednesday is a holiday for the troops here so we went out to lunch for another picnic to a Crusader Castle, Raselain, about 15 miles away at the foot of the hills. On my return I called on the wife of the C.O., a thing I ought to have done long ago. Tomorrow I should get my last letter from you dated by you Nov 12 as there is no other mail in until Monday. I got bitten by a mosquito at Jerusalem & itch like the dickens & am getting full use of the iodine. Tomorrow I play hockey for this company against the band of the 9th lancers.
Goodbye dear one till we meet on the 28th at about 3pm.
Image: Alastair and Dorothy Denniston with their children Robin and Margaret (Y) in the 1930s. Credit: Denniston Family.
