After the approval of the Partition Plan by the United Nations on November 1947, Britain announced the end of its Mandate over Palestine. The deadline for leaving the country was set for August 1st, but was brought forward to May 14th. The last High Commissioner of Palestine was Sir Alan Gordon Cunningham. Part of the British army began to evacuate the country already in February, but Cunningham's departure from Palestine officially marked the end of the Mandate. He left the country on May 14th, after lowering the British flag in the port of Haifa.
The letter below was sent by Eliyahu Dobkin, the Head of the Jewish Agency Executive, to Sir Alan Cunningham, a day before his leaving. Dobkin writes a very warm letter to the High Commissioner in which he greets him before his departure and expresses his hope that even though the High Commissioner is leaving Palestine in a difficult situation, Cunningham will remember his period in the country in a positive way. Dobkin apologize on behalf of the Chairman of the Jewish Agency Executive, Berl Locker, that he could not say goodbye personally.