Jewish Brigade of British Army

[PF]

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forum ... +%2Blegion

[gambadier]

The reliable source is the relevant UK Official History, ie Lt Col HF Joslen, Order of Battle of the Second World war 1939-1945 Volume 2. Page 453 deals with the "Jewish Infantry Brigade Group" (its correct title). Formed 28 Sep 44 but did not start to function until 6 Oct 44.

Egypt 6 Oct 44 - 31 Oct 44
At sea 31 Oct 44 - 5 Nov 44
Italy 5 Nov 44 - 27 Jul 45
NW Europe 30 Jul 45 - 31 Aug 45 (moved by road between theatres)

Higher HQs:-
15 Army Gp 5 Nov 44 - 16 Nov 44
201 Sub-area 17 Nov 44 - 27 Feb 45
5 Corps 28 Feb 45 - 3 Mar 45
8 Indian Inf Div 3 Mar 45 - 30 Mar 45
10 Corps 31 Mar 45 - 1 May 45
8 Army 2 May 45 - 15 May 45
5 Corps 16 May 45 - 19 May 45
78 Inf Div 19 May 45 - 25 Jul 45
13 Corps 25 Jul 45 - 30 Jul 45
21 Army Gp 30 Jul 45 - 2 Aug 45
L of C 21 Army Gp 3 Aug 45 - 31 Aug 45

Only recorded battle is Bologna 14 Apr 45 - 21 Apr 45

Units were:-
1, 2 & 3 Bns Palestine Regt
200 Fd Regt RA
1 (Pal) LAA Bty RA
643 (Pal) Fd Coy RE
178 (Pal) Coy RASC
140 Field Ambulance RAMC
Jewish Inf Bde Gp Ordnance Field Park section
Jewish Inf Bde Gp Provost section
Jewish Inf Bde Gp Postal Unit

Commander Brig EF Benjamin

[Andy H]

Hi

Some excellent information here:-
http://www.jwmww2.org/show_item.asp?ite ... itemType=0

not only on the Jewish Bde, but also the various other Jewish units in the British Army.
The auto translation isn't perfect but its easy to read despite that

Regards

Andy H

[PF]

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead.aspx? ... &order=asc
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead.aspx?cpage=1
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead.aspx?cpage=1
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead.aspx?cpage=1

[Sid Guttridge]

Coincidentally, I bought The Jewish Brigade by Morris Beckman in a charity shop today.

The British were reluctant to raise Jewish combat units as they were not at all sure where their loyalties lay. In this they had reason, as Jewish organizations back in Palestine had considerable influence over the brigade and it probably killed more Nazis by assassination after the war than it did German troops during the two months it campaigned in 1945.

It was probably only employed because the invasion of southern France in August 1944 stripped the Italian Front of half a dozen or more divisions. The Allies therefore pushed Brazilians, Japanese, Puerto Ricans, West Indians, Italians, etc. into the theatre to fill the gap.

The prologue has some interesting figures. It claims that "By the summer of 1944 1.3 million Jews were fighting with the Allied forces against the Germans and Japanese. They included 600,000 Americans, 500,000 Soviets, 70,000 British and Commonwealth servicemen, and 15,000 Polish free forces......In addition, some 35,000 Palestine Jews fought as volunteers in a variety of units in Europe and the Middle East.... classified as colonial troops, they wore the Palestine shoulder flash".

If true, the ±3,000 men of the Jewish Brigade were an insignificant (0.25%?) of the total Jewish contribution and under 10% of the Palestine contribution.

The real value was to give Palestine Jews a very belated presence in the Allied order of battle in their own name, partially independent of other peoples' armed forces and on a basis approaching equivalence to a British Dominion.

Cheers,

Sid.

[Sid Guttridge]

Coincidentally, I bought The Jewish Brigade by Morris Beckman in a charity shop today.

The British were reluctant to raise Jewish combat units as they were not at all sure where their loyalties lay. In this they had reason, as Jewish organizations back in Palestine had considerable influence over the brigade and it probably killed more Nazis by assassination after the war than it did German troops during the two months it campaigned in 1945.

It was probably only employed because the invasion of southern France in August 1944 stripped the Italian Front of half a dozen or more divisions. The Allies therefore pushed Brazilians, Japanese, Puerto Ricans, West Indians, Italians, etc. into the theatre to fill the gap.

The prologue has some interesting figures. It claims that "By the summer of 1944 1.3 million Jews were fighting with the Allied forces against the Germans and Japanese. They included 600,000 Americans, 500,000 Soviets, 70,000 British and Commonwealth servicemen, and 15,000 Polish free forces......In addition, some 35,000 Palestine Jews fought as volunteers in a variety of units in Europe and the Middle East.... classified as colonial troops, they wore the Palestine shoulder flash".

If true, the ±3,000 men of the Jewish Brigade were an insignificant (0.25%?) of the total Jewish contribution and under 10% of the Palestine contribution.

in my opinion, the primary value was to give Palestine Jews a very belated presence in the Allied order of battle in their own name, partially independent of other peoples' armed forces and on a basis approaching equivalence to a minor British Dominion like Newfoundland.

Cheers,

Sid.

[gambadier]

It's interesting that a lot seemed to have been in the Pioneer Corps, presumably many of them were refugees and there were residual doubts about their loyalty. The PC was of course huge, and essential when there was very little by way of mechanical handling equipment, hence boxes rather than pallets, all of which had to be manhandled at various points in the global military logistic system. The Germans had it so easy with internal lines of communications and comprehensive railway network.

Those familiar with Ahrenfeld's Official History of Psychology in the British Army will also be aware that the Pioneer Corps was the home of the large number of fit but low IQ men (normal population distribution). 'Stable Dullards' being in armed companies and 'Unstable Dullards' in unarmed companies.

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi Gambadier,

The British also recruited Arab Palestinians as pioneers. A disproportionally high number of the men left behind to fall into German hands in Greece in April 1941 were such Palestinian Arabs.

Given their problems in Palestine in the 1930s, perhaps the British thought it inadvisable to allocate either local Arabs or Jews to combat arms.

Cheers,

Sid.

[Bill Murray]

Just because I have them, a few photos.

Bill

[Bill Murray]

A few more.
Bill

[AmYisroelChai]

Before there was a Jewish Brigade in WW 2, there was the Zion Mule Core, which was formed in 1915 by the British and filled by Jewish men, mostly forced refugees from Ottoman Palestine. The Corps saw action at Gallipoli. For more info there is an excellent article at http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jso ... ipoli.html