It was the time of the 1st Israeli War, and after initial success by the Arabs, the Israelis had fought back and were pushing the three Arab nations back on all fronts. They were advancing across the Sinai Desert and getting close to the Suez Canal which we were guarding, so two British Infantry Brigades got between two warring armies and brought the war to an end.

It was a couple of weeks after hostilities, when we had the whole Sinai to ourselves, and I was sent South in a jeep to deliver a message to one of our infantry companies, and was returning late afternoon, across the wilderness, when I discovered the body of a young Arab soldier, He had fled a battle, going South instead of West, became hopelessly lost and died of thirst. I retrieved his meagre belongings, and buried him. As it was now dusk, and dangerous to travel that terrain in the dark, I lay on the sand beside the jeep, and tried to sleep, but it was difficult as large birds had half eaten his head, and I kept seeing that gruesome sight. His mound was not too far away. I dreamt in my sleep that I was going to guide his spirit back north to civilisation, and he was sitting near me waiting for daylight. Also in that dream, I had a visit from a camel riding Bedouin, like a black spectre, who threatened me with his rifle, but then rode off into the night. I have written a poem at long last of that incident all those years ago.

This is part of an Egyptian Trilogy, all relating to the same incident, the first being, 'Private Abdul Latif, Egyptian Soldier,' and the third, ' A Soldiers Last Request,' and should be read in that sequence.

The sky was a velvet darkness, studded with diamond light,
the moon a silver lantern, bathing everything in sight.
The desert sands were drifting, as they always did by day,
and the Arab, he came riding,
riding - riding.
The Arab, he came riding, up to where I lay.

He was dressed in black completely, with a veil from nose to chin,
robes flowing all discreetly, and boots of fine goat-skin.
The desert sands were drifting, as they always did by day,
and the Arab, he came riding,
riding -riding.
The Arab, he came riding, up to where I lay.

He stopped and raised his rifle, pointing it at me,
in fear I lay, as in a dream, but this surely cannot be.
The desert sands were drifting, as they always did by day,
and the Arab, he came riding,
riding -riding,
The Arab, he came riding, up to where I lay.

He then looked just beyond me, seeing something out of sight,
his rifle dropped, his veil fell down, his teeth showed, smiling white.
The desert sands were drifting, as they always did by day,
and the Arab, he'd come riding,
riding - riding.
The Arab, he'd come riding, up to where I lay.

He then salaamed, and bowed his head, this spectre of the night,
then rode away, this thing of dread, that had given such a fright.
The desert sands were drifting, as they always did by day,
and the Arab, he'd gone riding,
riding -riding.
The Arab, he'd gone riding, oh! so far away.