Mexborough & Swinton Times, October 7th, 1932
Hands Across the Sea.
Among the Arabs
Wombwell Man with Palestine Police
“Dog Shoots”
For publication in hands across the sea has been handed to us a letter from Mr. Jack Carter, a member of the Palestine police force, Stationed at Karkur. Constable Carter is a young brother of Mr. Lister Carter, a wartime aviator, whose photograph we gave in a recent issue along with a thrilling story of his exploits.
The brothers are sons of a former member of the Barnsley Borough police force. Mr. Jack Carter’s home is in Caxton Street, Barnsley, but he is well known in Wombwell around which district he travelled in his vocation as a butcher up to 6 or seven years ago.
At the age of 18 he joined the guards and three years ago he took position in the Palestine force. His duties consist partly of policing the desert and not infrequently he is engaged upon a roundup of desperadoes.
In his letter, dated 16 September, Constable Carter states that he has just come off a special job on which he has been engaged for a month. He was stationed a good distance from Karkur in charge of penal labourers engaged on making and repairing roads. He was the only “cop” on the job.
He states: “The village in which I stayed was called Um-el-Zeinat. I got on well with the Arabs and when the job was finished they wanted me to resign from the police force and go and take over Mukhtar, which means the head-man of the village. They promised to give me a wife for nothing (they generally had to pay about £200 for one); also a house and £200.
I am glad I had this special job because it improved my Arabic. One had to speak in the native language because there was not a person in the place who knew English. The District Officer and the District Superintendent of Police complimented me on the work and asked that I should be recommended. So I am waiting to see if I get it.”
Referring to off-duty pastimes Constable Carter writes: “Last night we had a dog shoot and it was great sport. There was abundant ‘game’ in the shape of dogs and cats.
I am now expecting a transfer to a called Zikhiron Ta’agov, a Jewish Colony started by Lord Rothschild. Just now you cannot see twenty yards from the billet as there is a sandstorm blowing.”
Constable Carter shows interest in affairs at home, enquiring about the position at Darfield and Houghton Main Collieries and mentions that he is saving £5 a month in order to come home on leave next summer. He says he likes England better than Palestine but adds “It is better having this job than being out of work.”