LIEUT.-COL. J. H. PATTERSON, D.S.O. _Frontispiece_ "I HAD AN ABLE AND ENTHUSIASTIC STAFF" Facing page 34 LIEUT. VLADIMIR JABOTINSKY " " 44 THE REV. L. A. FALK " " 46 JERUSALEM " " 62 THE BATTALION ON PARADE " " 64 TOMB OF RACHEL, NEAR BETHLEHEM " " 64 CHOIR OF THE JEWISH REGIMENT " " 70 THE WAILING WALL AT JERUSALEM " " 92 THE JERUSALEM-JERICHO ROAD " " 96 NEAR THE WADI KELT " " 96 THE AUJA ("A PLEASANT, SWIFTLY FLOWING STREAMLET") " " 140 ES SALT (THE ANCIENT RAMOTH GILEAD) " " 140 ROMAN ARCH AT AMMAN " " 144 IN THE OLD CITADEL AT AMMAN " " 144 PART OF THE GREAT AMPHITHEATRE AT AMMAN " " 146 CIRCASSIAN CART AT AMMAN " " 146 "HERE THE TENTS OF ISRAEL WERE PITCHED" " " 174 GROUP OF OFFICERS AT RAFA " " 180 RUINS OF BAALBEK " " 210 MY CHARGER BETTY " " 210 RUINS OF THE OLD CITY OF TIBERIAS " " 244 INTRODUCTION In the darkest days of the War, the British Cabinet decided that it would be good policy to create a Jewish Regiment, and accordingly, in August, 1917, the first Jewish Battalion was formed. From that day forth, as a matter of duty and loyalty to King and Country, it was clearly incumbent on all those in authority to treat this new unit with justice, and do everything in their power to make it a success. It is to be deplored that this Jewish Battalion--this ewe lamb of Israel--did not receive, while on Active Service in the Holy Land, that measure of justice and fair play that was its due. In common with the vast majority of my countrymen I have the "fair play" sense strongly developed. I am always prone to be on the side of the under dog--more especially when I see that the poor devil is getting more kicks than in all fairness are his due. In Palestine, unfortunately, I was constantly called upon to ward off unfair blows aimed at the Jewish Battalion under my command by certain members of the local staff of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. I have passed over many of our sufferings in silence, and no record of them will be found in this book, but I am afraid they have left an indelible mark in the mind and heart of every man who served in the Jewish Battalion under my command, and I fear that the evil effects of the local Military Administration will reverberate throughout Palestine for many a long year.