Welcome to Issue 7. This has been a long time in ... - HaRakevet

14. A TRIP ON THE HEDJAZ RAILWAY IN 1942. By Theo Pelz.
In 1942 1 was serving with No. 4 Company of the Palestine regiment. We
were stationed in Atlit (oposite the immigrants camp;, and our duties
included escorting W.D. supplies etc. in the Middle East.
We left Atlit on 31st. August 1942 at 1/20 hours by truck, and
arrived at Nesher (the present Army Camp North of the highway) at 1020
hours. We were detailed to two (?) open bogie cars loaded with aviation
gasoline for Mafraq in Transjordan, and left Nesher next morning for Haifa
East behind one of the Krauss 0-6-0 tank locos. The day was spent in Haifa
East, and the freight train taking us to Samakh left only at 2200 hrs. I
do not recall what type of loco was in front. I had intended to keep awake
and watch the countryside, but I frequently dozed off and do not remember
much of the night trip. Sometime past midnight we stopped at a station. A
ghaffir (auxiliary policeman; was standing in front of the station
building, and I asked him where we were. The reply was: "This is Shatta
station". The building is now used as a prison.
We then descended into the Jordan valley, stopping at Jisr el
Majamiya, passing Naharayim Halt after crossing the Jordan bridge, crossed
the Yarmuq bridge, and arrived at Samakh sometime between two and three in
the morning. This is where the engines were changed, since the French C.
F. H. took over there. The journey continued, as far as I can remember
now, behind a Jung loco. 1 was still dozing on and off, and awoke only at
El Hamma, last stop in Palestine. I still recall the luxuriant vegetation
and copious flow of water in the Yarmuq River, leaving Palestine the next
stop was at Wadi Khaled where we saw a Hohenzollern tank loco and a fine
French railcar with, I believe, teak outside and blue plush seats. This
was probably an inspection car. We passed Shajara and Makaren with the
driving wheels slipping badly, especially near the former station, climbed
through the first loop along a northern tributary of the Yarmuq, and
stopped at Zeizoun. This was probably where we took water, since it was
the last station before the long climb to Muzzerib and the Syrian plateau.
This was a hard job; leaving Zeizoun we crossed the large steel bridge
which Lawrence had failed to blow up in 1916, climbed past Tel-esh-Shehab
Halt without stopping (there was just a signboard there), and finally
arrived at Muzzerib where the old trackbed of the defunct D. H. P. line
was still visible. We finally reached Deraa at 0945 hours. Much shunting
was being carried out in the station, the shunter using a horn just as in
France at that time. I only stepped outside for a short time to buy some
fruit in the bazaar, remaining most of the time with the other men (three
or four commanded by a Lance-Corporal). We had our meals on the tarpaulincovered
four-gallon tins. People used to relieve themselves during the
journey by standing on the couplings!
Deraa was left at about 1640 hours. The first stop was at Qum-Guarz
where the line to Bosra branches off to the East. Our loco this time was
a Hedjaz Railway Hartmann type, since this section of the line was
operated by the Palestine Railways. The Syrian-Transjordan border was
passed at Nassib, this being a simple stone blockhouse with no sidings,
Then there was a stop in the desert, apparently to make steam. This was
not surprising; engines were still coal-fired at that time (conversion to
oil fuel was carried out only in 1943). I do not know where the coal came
from, probably South Africa or India. Anyhow, we arrived at the next
station, Mafraq, at about 1900 hours. It was still light at that time,
the date being 1st. September. Our wagons were shunted into the RAF
siding, and we were given a tent for the night.
Leaving Mafraq next morning by truck at about 0920hrs., we passed
Irbid, Samakh, Tiberias, Nazareth and Haifa, before arriving back at
Atlit shortly after 1500 hours.