Page Six

THE JEWISH NEWS

Friday, March 30, 1945

The Best Kept

Secret of The War

By PIERRE VAN PAASSEN

Condensed from "The Forgotten Ally" published by the Dial
Press and reprinted at the request of many readers of The
Jewish News and by special arrangement with the publishers.

IN

the summer of 1942 the
situation of the British Army in Egypt
was little short of desperate. It had
lost more than half its man power and
the better part of its mechanized
equipment to Marshal Ifommel, who
was boasting openly that before six
weeks were over he would be sleep-
ing peacefully in the royal suite of
Shepheard's Hotel in Cairo.
R.ommel's scout planes were over
the Nile Valley and over Suez within
20 minutes after rising from the des-
ert bases. Through his field glasses
the Marshal could see the needlepoint
of Pompey's Column in the heart of
Alexandria, only 70 miles away.
Britain at Bay
England stood alone. Let us have
done with the preposterous myth that
the Arabs were eagerly waiting for
an opportunity to rush to Britain's
aid. The truth is that the so-called
Arab world was waiting to stab Bri-
tain in the back. The Arab chieftpins
could not spare a single trooper,
camel or donkey when Rommel stood
at El Alamein. Almost as many British
troops were required to patrol the
doubtful Arab_ areas as there were
actually facing Rommel's Afrika
Korps.
People are now apt to forget that
the objective of the Axis was to cut
the British Empire in two by bring-
ing about a juncture of. German-
' Italian naval power with that of
Japan, via the Mediterranean and
the Suez Canal. For the German
High Command, it was merely a ques-
tion of one more (determined push in
June, 1942.
At that moment, it may now be
revealed, the British High Command
thought the game was up. Winston
Churchill personally telegraphed the
military authorities in the Near - East
to construct a set of bridges across
the Tigris and Euphrates. Rivers in
Nag. The bridges were needed for
retreat.
Vital Bridges
But where could they get the ma-
terials, the technicians, the crews of
workers to build those bridges? The
-British Army in Egypt could not spare
a single engineer. It was at this mo-
ment that a Jew from Czechoslovakia,
a business-man who now lives in
Palestine, happened to come into the
office of the British military com-
mander in Jerusalem. He found the
commander. greatly worried, and ask-
ed what the trouble *as. The Com-
mander explained the . situation. "I
am. *afraid we are caught," he said.
"No," said the Jew "we are not. I
will build those bridges for you. I
built two of the largest bridges in
Europe—one over the Danube and
one over the Moldau in Czechoslovak-
ia."
"Great God, man" exclaimed the
Englishman, jumping up from his
chair, and seizing the Jew by the
arm. "Do you know what you are
saying? Where will you get the
men?"
"Where will you get the material?"
"Leave it to me!"
It was left to him, and the bridges
were. built.
A month before the British forces
invaded Syria, where the Vichy re-
gime was smoothing the way for a
German invasion, 12 Jewish boys ans-
wered the secret call of the British
military authorities to blow up the oil
installations in the Syrian port of
Tripoli. British soldiers could not be
sent, since France and Britain were
not at war. The Jewish boys who
volunteered were -told that not only
must they not expect a reward in the
event that they succeeded in the raid,
but that Britain would have to repu-.
diate and even denounce them as spies
and saboteurs if they were caught.
Final Sacrifice
They worked out their plan, slip-
ped into the crowded harbor of
Tripoli in a small boat, got ashore and

••-•

OM, 40,.. • 41.

Author of "The_Days of Our Years" and "The Time is
• NOw." This one-time student for Holy Orders is one
of the world's notable publicists who has spenta life-
time analysing world problems.

once more prevented a German at-
found their way to the oil installa-
tions. They overpowered some guards,
tempt to turn General Bernard Mont-
gomery's flank.
and started their work of demolition.
Ten more days passed, and each
The alarm was given at once, and
day the enemy renewed the attack.
they were surrounded while setting
Then the water well was wrecked
off their explosives. It is not known
by a Stuka bomb, and the agony
whether they were formally executed
commenced. Major. Liebman banded
or cut down on the spot. After the
his men closely together around a
British occupation of Syria, remnants
central dugout, „to- - make .their last
of their bodies were found near the
stand. Two men went out of their
shore and identified by Hebrew let-
minds on June 25, two more the next
tering on the clothing. Only then
day. Three men rushed off shriek-
were their parents informed of their
ing- into the desert. The bombard-
death and sacrifice. And the parents
ment continued. The men's thirst
were informed at the same tithe• not
grew unbearable. Some drank gas-
to expect any pension money as the
boys had not been
regular British sol-
diers.
When the First
Brigade of the Free
French, was trap-
ped by Rommel at
Bir Hacheim in
Libya, i n June,
1942, the French
clamped themsel-
ves to the bare
rocky soil, and per-
formed the miracle
of- holding the line
f o r Montgomery
for a whole month
during the most
critical stage of the
battle of Libya.
During the same
period, a company
of Jewish engin-
eers, of the King's
West African Rif-
les, went through
the same experi-
ence at Mechili,- 50
miles to the east.
Epic Resistance
The Jewish corn-
pany, under Major
-United Palestine Appeal Photo
Felix Liebman,-
were to lay down
Members of the Jewish Brigade taking time out for
a mine field on a
religious services in the Middle East. Recruiting activ-
surface four miles
ities in Palestine are being conducted by the Jewish
Agency for Palestine. Recruiting has been intensified -
by three. They
in order to send the Brigade into active service for the
had scarcely begun
knockout blow in Berlin. •
their work when
the Germans spot-
oline and perished. Others drank
ted them. sixty heavy bombers at-
their own urine and went mad with
tacked them and blew up half their
the pangs of greater thirst.
trucks. The Stukas returned the fol-
Forty-five men were left on July
loWing morning and twice the next
1, a handful of unrecognisable scare-
day. Major Liebman heliographed
crows. On July 2 they faced their
the nearest British post for some
last assault, lost two more men, and
anti-aircraft guns. He was told that
put the Italians 'to flight once more.
these, plus reinforcements, would be
At ten o'clock a lookout man warned
sent. - .But they never arrived. .
Major Liebman that a column of
three days' time Mechili was sur-
trucks was approaching, led by an
rounded on three sides by a ring of
automobile bearing the tricolor of
enemy . tanks, and the . engineering
France. The commander staggered
garrison was cut off from the outside
to his feet and waved. The French
world.
troopers approached. They were the
. The next day, the tanks came rum-
remnant of the Free French from Bir
bling forward, 60 in one column and
Hacheim who had received orders to
25 in each of two others. The Jews
withdraw the night before. The Jews
held Their fire until the . first metal
stumbled into the open, looking like
monster. reached the barbed wire
tortured ghosts. General Koenig of
stakes. Then they let go. Two tanks
the Free French walked up to Major
blew up when they struck mines; 19
Liebman and, praising his heroism,
were hit by -anti-tank fire. One Jew-
embraced him.
ish sergeant alone accounted for sev-
en of them.
Salute the JeWish Flag
_ The Jews were given water. One
Unexpected Resistance
Jewish soldier took down the blue-
Meeting such unexpected resist-
and-White • flag of Zion, and was
ance, one tank column turned tail.
ab'out to place it in its holder when
The Jews rushed out, bombarding the
General Koenig questioned him.
"We are not permitted to fly that
retreating tanks on their vulnerable
flag," explained Major Liebman. "It's
tail with hand grenades, bottles filled
against regulations."
with gasoline and tommy guns. Some
"Pardon," said General Koenig, "I
of the Jews jumped: on the tanks,
am in command here. I don't care
firing their revolvers into the lookout
a damn about regulations. That flag
slits. In this way, five more enemy
goes on my car front, next to the
machines were accounted for. _
tricolor." And turning to his men,
The following day the Germans
the French officer shouted: "Legion-
subjected Mechiji to a merciless
naires3-__ the Jewish flag! Salute!"
aerial bombardment. They repeated
This Jewish military epic was made
the assault twice a day. For seven
public by General Koenig himself.
days the bombs rained down, turn-
Just as General Montgomery was
ing the mine field into a wailing hell
ready • to start his own big push, he
of steel in which it did not seem
called for a division behind' Rom-
possible for human nerves or human
mel's lines. The job was taken on by
life to endure. 'On June 20 the tanks
a Jewish suicide-task force, led by
returned. The weary, hungry de-
Commander Osterman-Averni. The
fenders clambered out of their fox-
Jews put aboard two destroyers;
holes and manned the guns. Again
then, in the darkness off the coast,
they repelled the assault. -'But at the
they climbed down rope ladders into
end of the day, only 90 men were
rowboats. They waded ashore out-
left of the original 500. They had
side Bardia, 85 men in all, and finally
destroyed another 41 tanks, and had
reached a road. As dawn was break-

ing they walked boldly down the
road, and were passed by several lor-
ries. But the Nazis did not even
dream that an enemy party was
marching right in their midst towards
Bardia.
The Jews saw their chance, made
off across a field, dealing with sever-
al enemy' blockhouses. Their small
garrisons were given "silent treat,
ment." They reached a well-built
concrete blockhouse. The garrison
was still asleep. The enemy soldierS
were dispatched while they lay in
their cots. The Jews set up their
machine guns and waited.
British Push On
An hour after dawn, a deafening
roar heralded the artillery barrage
of their own guns, indicating that the
British "push" was on. When the
enemy soldiers started coming up, the
group opened fire. At first the Ital-
ians thought their own men were
firing on them by mistake. When
they realized the truth, an enemy at-
tempt to recapture the blockhouse
was repulsed by a well-aimed mass
of hand grenades.
By this time, British shellfire was
coming dangerously close, so the
group flashed signals to their own
observers overhead, and thereafter
the British artillery outside Bardia
began giving the blockhouse a wide
berth. Here's how one of the officers
tells it:
"We then redoubled our fire on the
enemy rear, and their officers, be-
lieving themselves surrounded by su-
perior forces, hoisted white flags.
The town of Bardia was ours. But
we dared not leave our positions, for
the enemy might then have realized
how few we were, regretted their
surrender and turned on us. By mid-
afternoon the first wave of British
infantry moved into Bardia without
firing a shot.
"We did not raise hell in Bardia,
it is true. We did better; we captured
everything intact and 9,000 enemy
prisoners to boot."
It was a group of 50 young Pales-
tine Jews that opened the way for
the Allied invasion of Syria, by cap-
turing the bridges and outer fortifica-
tions of Fort Gouraud. They held off
the enemy for seven -hours, repulsed
ten mass attacks by the Vichy French;
and they were down to their last
grenade, when Australian reinforce-
ments arrived, and the Vichy French
surrendered.

Jewish Task Forces
Jewish suicide-task forces landed
in Tobruk and helped Capture the
City. Twenty-five hundred Pales-
tinian Jews served with the R.A.F. as
pilots, bombardiers and observers.

61 5
-EWPSN . BRIG DF. GROL r

.

Emblem of the Jewish
Fighting Brigade whose 23
units have been prepared for
action under the leadership of

Brigadier Ernest F. Benjamin.

Six thousand more Jews . were in the-,

ground crews. Jewish engineers built
Montgomery's impregnable forts at El
Alamein. All the anti-aircraft. sta-
tions in the Holy Land were manned
by Jews.
But never once did British offi-
cialdom mention Jewish heroism. • Not
a . single British newspaper gave its
readers the merest inkling of the
strategic importance of Palestine and
the role it played in the battle' of the
Near East. Palestine Jewry's efforts, •
in the war must be considered . the
best -girded military -secret- of .a111,
•

