He was at the centre of what became known as the Western Wall controversy in 1928, when following an order from the Chief Commissioner, Mr Keith Roach, his men removed a screen that worshippers had put up against the Wailing Wall. During the inquiry into his actions he was transferred, as commander, to Megiddo Prison. His staff consisted of one Jewish deputy officer and 45 Arab policemen in charge of 500 convicts. He was in Meggido when the 1929 pogroms broke out and assisted the kibbutz of Mishmar Ha'Emek which came under attack from local Bedouin. It was at this time he first contracted malaria.