h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Frank
My brother Mick has asked me, on his behalf, to send you the following item that he thought might be of some interest.

I originally served some years in the Royal Fusiliers (all over the British Isles),then in Anti Tank and finally in Field Artillery. I became frustrated however, at what I felt was my relative inactivity in the fight against the Nazis and I volunteered for the newly formed Jewish Brigade.
I took a group of fellow Jewish British soldiers over to Italy. We arrived in Naples on Jan.13 1945 and after 8 days in Eboli we joined the Jewish Field Regiment at St.Bartolemeo 10 kilometres from the front.
Our regiment was to be part of the Jewish Brigade which consisted of 3 Battalions of excellent Infantry who had already fought superbly in action.
In March 1945 while we were fighting with the 8th. Army our Brigade celebrated the Jewish festival of Passover and our Brigade Commander Brigadier Benjamin sent the following message to Jewry world-wide.
“Greetings from Brigade HQ now in the lines of the 8th.Army on the
Italian Front. To all Jewry.As in the time of the Pharaohs, our people show their strong will for freedom and liberty and readiness to fight resolutely in the trial of battle. Their spirit is unconquerable. To no other soldier is there more justification to be here in the front against Fascism. Pray God that this Passover may bring the dawn of freedom and liberty to all humanity”.

We then fought all the way up through Italy, via Forli, Faenza,and Cassino, right up to the Treviso Pass. The action in Italy cost 30 lives and 70 wounded and resulted in the award of 21 military distinctions and 78 mentions in dispatches .As the Brigade entered the concentration camps they helped their brutally treated brethren and subsequently became the founders of the Israeli Defence Force.
I was subsequently withdrawn, along with other British personnel, and finished the war as BSM Instructor of Gunnery at the Deolali Officers Training Depot in India.

This is a very condensed version of the history of the Brigade but I can recommend to you a good book by Morris Beckman called The Jewish Brigade. Like yourself Frank, I deplore what is happening in Israel at the moment. I have a vested interest, with a grandson an officer in the IDF and all I want to see is peace with the Palestinians, with a State of their own and a world free of Terrorists and suicide bombers,
With all best wishes
Mick

Hello Ron and Mick,
My eldests sons name is Michael by the way.
Thanks for the info as I really am interested. I did meet with Palmach soldiers and some of the Haganah we talked as soldiers do and I discovered most were trained in the Jewish Brigades. I wanted to know more but there seemed a dearth of information.
I shall delve in and see what I can find.
Regards Frank.