An intriguing insight into how First World War British soldiers in Palestine spent their leisure time has been revealed by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).
An excavation near Ramla uncovered hundreds of bottles near a building where the soldiers were garrisoned during the campaign against the Ottoman Turks, who controlled the region.
The building where the objects were found appears to have caught fire and collapsed, according to excavation director Ron Toueg. He said: 'This structure was used for agricultural purposes in the Ottoman period, and during World War I the British converted it for military use and soldiers were housed in it. Inside the building we discovered dozens of uniform buttons, belt buckles, parts of riding equipment, and other artefacts that were the property of the British soldiers.'
Around 70 per cent of the material discarded in a refuse pit nearby were bottles. Toueg said: 'It seems that the soldiers took advantage of the respite given them to release the tension by frequently drinking alcohol.'
IAA researcher Brigitte Ouahnouna, a researcher in the glass department of the Israel Antiquities Authority said: 'Interestingly, the glass bottles, which contained mainly wine, beer, soda and alcoholic beverages such as gin, liqueur and whiskey, came from Europe to supply soldiers and officers in the camp. It is a fascinating testimony of the everyday life of the British military camp a century ago.'
Another item of interest was the tip of a swagger stick carried by a senior Royal Flying Corps officer, believed to be the first of its kind ever found in Israel.
British forces were in the region from November 1917 under the command of General Allenby, before he led his troops in the capture of Jerusalem the following month.
Famously, Allenby dismounted his horse and walked into the city to show respect for its sacred character.
