Jewish Brigade of British Army
Jewish Brigade of British Army
Does anyone have any photographs and/or information about the Jewish Brigade of the British Army formed during World War II ? I'm having trouble particularly finding photographs. I'd appreciate it if anyone could help. Thank you.
Re: Jewish Brigade pics
This link has some photos:
http://motlc.wiesenthal.com/albums/palb ... 114p3.html
Your best bet to find more would probably be to contact the Imperial War Museum in Britain, or the IDF Military History branch.
http://motlc.wiesenthal.com/albums/palb ... 114p3.html
Your best bet to find more would probably be to contact the Imperial War Museum in Britain, or the IDF Military History branch.
I'm not too familiar with them, but I believe they saw combat in Italy. Though they had relatively little combat experience, many of those in the brigade returned to Israel after the war and helped organize the Palmach (the military branch of the Hagana), which, after the war of independence, would become the IDF.
Oskar
Oskar
Try "The Brigade: An Epic Story of Vengeance, Salvation, and World War II" by Howard Blum.
/MarcusAlthough the official history of the Jewish Brigade Group (a unit of some 5,000 Jews who fought with the British Eighth Army in Italy in the waning months of the conflict) has been written, Blum (Wanted! The Search for Nazis in America) breaks new ground by looking into the clandestine operations that occurred after the shooting had stopped. Once they learned the true extent of the holocaust, soldiers of the brigade began using intelligence reports to pinpoint the location of former SS officers and camp guards. The enraged Jewish troops took vengeance into their own hands, eventually slaying hundreds of Nazi death dealers. Blum follows the story of three men Israel Carmi, Johanan Peltz and Arie Pinchuk in detail, interviewed dozens of others, read unpublished personal memoirs and had Hebrew-language documents translated for him. During the war, the more daring Jewish soldiers formed a secret unit that appropriated British supplies trucks, weapons and food and diverted them to ships heading illegally for Palestine The plan included the "repatriation" of thousands of war orphans, who were clandestinely taken from displaced person camps and smuggled to Palestine. The underground Jewish Haganah figured prominently in these operations, which contributed directly to the creation of Israel. Blum, twice nominated for a Pulitzer as a New York Times investigative reporter, and now a Vanity Fair contributing editor, presents the material masterfully, building suspense and carefully documenting all the action. 16 pages of photos not seen by PW. (Nov. 2)Forecast: A BOMC and Traditions Book Club alternate, this book should get a push from Blum's journalistic cronies. Rights have been sold in Germany, Holland and the U.K., and to Miramax. Blum's The Gold of Exodus is currently in development with Castle Rock.
Another book on the topic is "The Jewish Brigade: An Army With Two Masters, 1944-45" by Morris Beckman.
/MarcusIn the latter stages of World War II, the British government authorized the recruitment of a Jewish brigade, to be staffed primarily by Palestinian Jews, many of whom had fled Europe a step ahead of the Nazis. Beckman, a veteran of the British navy during World War II, shows how the brigade fought courageously and effectively in Italy in 1944^-45. This is not a uniformly uplifting story, though. Many brigade members, outraged by Nazi persecution of Jews, took part in brutal reprisals against captured Germans. After the war, some members formed small "revenge cells" that hunted down and executed Nazis they believed had committed war crimes. Beckman effectively illustrates the ambivalence of these fighters; they had to fight in a British unit while anticipating the coming fight against British forces supporting the Arab position in the Palestine Mandate. Eventually, many brigade officers rose to prominence in the Israeli Defense Forces. This is a very readable, compact, and informative survey of an obscure episode in Jewish history.
History channel documentary
A few years back the history channel broadcasted a 2 hour documentary on the Jewish Brigade. They had some film of the brigade and they interviewed many of the veterans who served in it. Maybe you could search the history channel website and buy it on VHS.
Apologies for the delay
The Jewish brigade had only two commanders; Lt Col Growese who was acting commander on two occasions and Brigadier Benjamin.
The Brigade consisted of the 1st,2nd & 3rd Palestine Regiments with attached units. It's only major battle wa between April 14th to April 21st 1945 in the Bologna area of Italy.
The actual Brigade was formed on September 28th 1944 but didn't begin to function till October 6th 1944
Andy from the Shire
The Jewish brigade had only two commanders; Lt Col Growese who was acting commander on two occasions and Brigadier Benjamin.
The Brigade consisted of the 1st,2nd & 3rd Palestine Regiments with attached units. It's only major battle wa between April 14th to April 21st 1945 in the Bologna area of Italy.
The actual Brigade was formed on September 28th 1944 but didn't begin to function till October 6th 1944
Andy from the ShireRe: Jewish Brigade of British Army
Postscript
Wiki links http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Categ ... sh_Brigade
Wiki links http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Categ ... sh_Brigade
Re: Jewish Brigade of British Army
Hi
When the idea for wholly Jewish units to be formed was floated in October 1940, it was envisaged that around 10,000 could be recruited
via the offices of Dr Weizmann, of which no more than 3,000 would come from within Palestine. The remainder would be recruited from
around the world but hopefully many from the US.
The Jews were to be trained in the UK, with those from Palestine coming via returning empty cargo ships from the ME.
Were any Jews actually transported for training to the UK or was it eventually undertaken in the ME?
Also did Dr Weizmann mange to recruit any US Jews for service into the British Military?
Regards
Andy H
PS: I don't have either of the books highlighted in this thread.
When the idea for wholly Jewish units to be formed was floated in October 1940, it was envisaged that around 10,000 could be recruited
via the offices of Dr Weizmann, of which no more than 3,000 would come from within Palestine. The remainder would be recruited from
around the world but hopefully many from the US.
The Jews were to be trained in the UK, with those from Palestine coming via returning empty cargo ships from the ME.
Were any Jews actually transported for training to the UK or was it eventually undertaken in the ME?
Also did Dr Weizmann mange to recruit any US Jews for service into the British Military?
Regards
Andy H
PS: I don't have either of the books highlighted in this thread.
Re: Jewish Brigade of British Army
Jabotinsky had he lived would have certainly done his best to recruits for a Jewish Army....
Re: Jewish Brigade of British Army
The main element of the bde were three battalions of the Palestine Regiment. 200 Field Regiment, which unusually was an integral part of the brigade, had very few Jews in it.