Roll of Honour - Palestine 1938 - 1939 - Worcestershire Regiment

This section provides details of all those men of the Worcestershire Regiment who gave their lives during action in Arab Revolt in Palestine (covers period 1938 to 1939).
 
In April 1936, riots broke out in Jaffa this was the beginning of a three-year period of violence and civil strife in Palestine that is known as the Arab Revolt. The Arab Higher Committee, headed by the Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini, led the campaign of terrorism against Jewish and British targets. In August 1936 the British took military action against Arab terrorists following which there was a period of peace. However, by September 1937 the Arabs resumed their attacks. This campaign of violence continued through 1938 and then tapered off, ending in early 1939.

In September, 1938, the 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment, which was then stationed in Aldershot, received orders to move to Palestine. The Battalion landed at Haifa on the 26th September 1938, and the same day moved in Motor Transport down the coast road through Tel Aviv and Jaffa to Sarafand.  The Battalion was given the task of “maintaining public order and security in the Bethlehem and Hebron sub-districts “, a task of some magnitude, involving, as it did, an area of some eight hundred square miles.

The Battalion had only been in Palestine 2 days when they suffered their first casualties, one of which was Private Hare who was seriously wounded at Beit Sahur, he died later in hospital.

At Bethlehem the Battalion was billeted in the monasteries adjoining the historic church of the Nativity.

The
1st Battalion eventually left Palestine at the end of August 1939 and set sail for action in Sudan.
Surname Forename/s Number Rank Location DOD Battalion Age
Darby Joseph 5251346 Pte. Jerusalem 07/09/1939 1st 20
Davidson John G. 4267767 Pte. Jerusalem 18/12/1938 1st 29
Dwyer Anthony 5250987 Pte. Al Walaja 11/10/1938 1st 20
Hare Bartle 5770527 Pte. Jerusalem ??/09/1938 1st 25
Hayes Charles G. 5249722 L/Cpl. Hebron 13/08/39 1st 22
Potter Harry 5251351 Pte. Jerusalem 22/07/1939 1st 19
Ryan Patrick Michael 5333597 Pte. Artuf 17/11/1938 1st 26

 Notes:  Pte. Darby, Pte. Davidson, Pte. Hare and L/Cpl. Hayes all died of wounds.
 

Private Harry Potter

On the evening of 22nd July 1939, “D” Company, returning from As Samu, engaged an armed band at Kilo 39 on the Hebron-Beersheba road. This gang had earlier ambushed an R.A.F. armoured car. During the engagement Private Harry Potter (5251351) was killed and Privates Darby, Warwick, Pearson and Simmonds were wounded. Private Joseph Darby later died of his wounds in hospital in Jerusalem on 7th September 1939.


Private Harry Potter

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