Sunday 17th March 1940

Ling was going to Jerusalem today and I wanted another rosary, so last night I said to him, as we sat in the mess: “Tomorrow, go to the Mount of Olives; there you will find an Arab. Buy a rosary from him, for 15 or 20 mils or 10 cigarettes and let me have it” Stan laughed and I, being ignorant, wondered why.

“Go to the Mount of Olives; there you will find an Arab…” he grinned. “About two thousand years ago, they said to a man, “Go to the Mount of Olives; there you will find an ass”…. Now again on Palm Sunday…”
“Palm Sunday?” said I.
“Yes, you silly bugger”
“Oh” I said.