 |
No 3 (Jewish) Troop, No. 10 Commando
By Martin Sugarman
(Archivist, British Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen
and Women – AJEX - Jewish Military Museum, London)
(Updated February 20, 2007)
During the First and Second
World Wars, British and Allied nations Jewish Servicemen and Women
played a part in those struggles in excess of the proportion to their
numbers in the general populations. Many will know of the Zion
Mule Corps (1915-16),the Jewish
Legion (38th-42nd battalions, Royal Fusiliers - 1917-19) in the
First War, and the Jewish Brigade
(1944-46), the 51st (mainly Jewish Palestinians) Middle East Commando,
the SIG Commando in North Africa, the Jewish members of SOE, and other
Jewish groups of World War Two.
One of the best kept secrets
of World
War II, however, has been the nature
of the existence of No. 3 (Miscellaneous
or "X"
Troop) of the unique No. 10 (Inter-Allied)
Commando/Special Services Brigade. The reason?
They were virtually all German speaking Jewish
refugees mainly from Germany and Austria
(but also some from Czechoslovakia, Hungary
and other European countries).
The excellent books by
Ian Dear – a
seminal work on No 10 Commando ("Ten
Commando 1942-45", published by
Leo Cooper Ltd 1987) – and Peter Masters
(see below) are the only thorough, published
studies of this amazing group of men of the
famous "Jewish” No. 3 Troop .
Before this, virtually nothing had been published
about them. It is not my aim therefore to
repeat what Ian Dear and Peter Masters have
so wonderfully and ably already researched.
Suffice to say that there were French,
Dutch, Belgian and other "National" Troops
(totalling at its largest about 1000 men
altogether), and then the Jewish Troop. Even
now many of 3 Troop cannot speak for a variety
of reasons, of the nature of their exploits,
and others have of course died. But X Troop
were, even by the standards of No 10 Commando,
a particularly extraordinary bunch having,
as well as the normal skills of all Commandos,
in explosives, parachuting and so on, extremely
high intelligence and education, and were
indeed by far the most highly trained group
in the British Army, especially in fieldcraft,
camouflage, compass marching, street fighting,
housebreaking and lockpicking ("One
Day in York" Michael Arton, Hazelwood
Press, 1989) . Many were attached to the
SSRF (Small Scale Raiding Force, part of
SOE), SBS and SIS and most files on this
aspect of the war remain closed.
All together 88 men passed through their
ranks, of whom 19 became officers - many
commissioned in the field for specific acts
of bravery - and the rest sergeants and above.
Twenty one (24%) were Killed in Action and
at least another 22 wounded (of the 44 men
from No 3 Troop who fought in Normandy ,
27 were killed, wounded or taken prisoner!).
They won one MC, one MM, one Croix de Guerre,
one MBE, one BEM, one Certificate of Commendation
and three Mentioned in Despatches. The numbers
of awards are derisory considering their
exploits and the inevitable death sentence
they faced if captured - not to mention the
danger to any of their suriving relatives
in Nazi Europe. Many details of the men were
known to the Gestapo and reprisals would
have been immediate.
But this paucity of decorations is explained
by the fact that the Troop never fought as
a unit; they were often detatched to serve
with other Special Forces in order that they
could use their special skills (in silent
reconnaissance, capturing and interrogating
prisoners in the most hazardous of situations,
often alone behind the lines and usually
at night. They also were particularly knowledgable
about German military units and training,
as well as weapons). For this reason, a Commanding
Officer was loath to recommend for awards
men who did not belong to HIS unit, and especially
as there was probably an unwritten "ration" of
awards per raid or per unit (letter from
Lt. Peter Masters aka Arany, No 3 troop,
to the author 25/1/95).
However, at Ashton Wold in Northamptonshire
the Hon. Miriam Rothschild planted a grove
of trees in the grounds of her beautiful
house in memory of those of No 3 Troop who
were killed, for her husband, George Lane
aka Lanyi, was the first officer and MC of
No. 3 Jewish Troop, 10th Inter-Allied Commando.
The 3 Troop CO was a quiet Welsh, Cambridge
languages graduate, Capt. Bryan Hilton Jones
(later promoted to Major and 2 i/c of the
whole of No 10 Commando but tragically killed
in a road accident in 1970) and son of a
doctor from Caernarvon . All his men came
as volunteers from the Alien Companies of
the Pioneer Corps from July 24th 1942 , arriving
for training at Irvine in Ayrshire (many
had been interned in 1940 following the "anti-aliens"/invasion
hysteria, but later released to serve in
the forces, some in France at Dunkirk ).
As Peter Masters wrote, "Getting back
at the Nazis was an ever present motivation " in
No 3 Troop "...our Jewish Commando was
the very antithesis of the 'lambs to the
slaughter' allegations".
Volunteers reported to the Grand Central
Hotel, Marylebone for selection, and thence
to No 10 Pioneer Corps training centre in
Bradford . From Autumn 1942 they trained
at Aberdovey, Wales , or Achnacarry ( Scotland
) then Eastbourne and Littlehampton, men
being detatched as required to go on raids
with other Commandos, SOE, SIS, etc.
The men had to take English "Nommes
de Guerre" and new identities,false
personal histories, regiments, next of kin,
and so on (most chose to keep the same initials,
though) to at least have a chance of not
being found out if captured by the Nazis,
as being Jews. The casualty officer at the
War Office (Dawkins, a senior Civil Servant)
was one of very few who new their real and
assumed identities and kept parallel lists
of the names of 3 Troop.
They wore the No. 10 Commando shoulder
title (or sometimes the No. of the Commando
to which they were attached) and the Combined
Operations arm flash. On their green berets
they could not wear the Pioneer Corps badge
as this would have betrayed their origins,
so they wore the badges of the Queen's Own
Royal West Kents, East Kents (Buffs), Royal
Sussex, Hampshire Regiments or the General
Service badge (letter to author from Ian
Dear 28.10.94).
In "Top Secret" letters from
Combined Operations HQ (Defence 2/780 - PRO)
Major General R G Sturges, GOC Commandoes
and Special Service Group, wrote in April
1944 and February 1945 that No 3 Troop had
been "trained for and employed on work
of a highly combatant nature and are volunteers
....their behaviour and work has always been
most satisfactory....this is a good sub group,
well able to look after itself, and has done
excellent work".
Writing a Secret report on No 3 Troop after
the war from his home at Crug, Caernarvon
in April 1946, Bryan Hilton-Jones said that
No 3 Troop "were conspicuously successful
and earned high praise all round, the best
illustration of which is that many were Commissioned
as officers into the Commandoes to which
they had been attached...... They were the
most interesting and worthwhile branch of
No 10 Commando". After D-Day, Capt.
Griffith (aka Glaser) became the first Jewish
CO of the Troop until he was killed at the
River Aller crossing on 11.4.45.
In September 1945 the whole
Commando was disbanded, but many of No 3
Troop continued in sensitive and secret work
in the Occupation Forces, tracking Nazi Resistance
groups, war criminals, translating captured
documents etc. Perhaps the last word should
go to Major Hilton-Jones when he wrote, “Despite
many and serious difficulties, this band
of ‘enemy alien’ volunteers earnt
for itself a not unflattering reputation,
the achievement of which was in no small
measure due to the sincerity and wholeheartedness
put into his service by every member of the
troop. For them perhaps more than for any
others it was a question of self-respect
and self-justification.”
Below, then published for
the first time , is the No 3 (Jewish) Troop,
No 10 Commando, muster roll. Long may they
be remembered (Updated
13/02/.07 3Troop -
and earlier with detail from PRO WO/106/6155
with thanks to Tony Williams, MBE)
Number
and real name on enlistment |
“Nom
de Guerre” with number
and final rank |
Date
of Birth |
Notes |
13802871
Lanyi, Georg (Djury). H |
285687 Lane
, George, MC, MM (Lt.) and 1st Troop
Sgt. |
18.1.1915 Hungary – Olympic
Polo 1936 |
1st
officer, MC Operation Tarbrush,
citation page 169 Ian Dear. Former
husband of Miriam Rothschild; interrogated
by Rommel as a POW. Lives London.
Also in SOE. |
1380228
Arnstein, Alfred Valentin |
6387035/13118501 Anderson,
A.V. (BNA 13053690) |
11.1.1919 |
RWK
Reg - rtu’d England |
13807122
Abramovicz, R./Abrahamowicz |
Pte
6436363 Richard George Arlen/Arnold,
Royal Sussex |
4.1.1923 |
KIA
Franceville Plage, Normandy 7.6.44
aged 21 yrs. son of Salmon and
Berthe, Bayeux memorial,
no known grave. |
13804535
Arnstein, Hans Richard/Arenstein |
L/Cpl
6436352/ 13118502 Andrews, Harry – Royal Sussex |
18.2
1922 |
KIA
19.8.44 or 11.8.44, son of Max
and Gertrude of Sao
Paulo, Brazil buried Ranville Normandy -
letter from mother to Jewish Chaplain
requesting Star of David on grave
after cross was erected! ++ |
13805191
Ascher, Claus Leopold Octavio |
6436355/13118503 Sgt
Anson, Colin Edward |
13.2.1922 |
WIA
Italy, RSR; lives Watford |
13807400
Baumwollspinner, Gotthard |
6305477/13118507
Barnes, Robert Gerald |
4.12.1918 |
BEM,
WIA, died postwar |
Georg
Bauer |
George
Bower |
Austrian |
PLL
(Peter Leighton-Langer) |
13801297
Billman, Karl Walter |
6305473/13118508 Lt
Bartlett, Kenneth W/ 320207 |
21.4.1912 |
Buffs
- lives Munich |
13804390
Sruh, Gottfried “Friedl” Conrad
* |
6305460/13118708
Sgt Broadman, Geoffrey Max aka
Toni Ruh? |
27.6.1917 |
WIA
Normandy – lived Lydbrook,
Glos. Allegedly only survivor of abortive
Vermork raid in Norway by
RE ! (P. Leighton-Langer book) – att.
4 Comm. |
13805994 Carlebach,
Peter |
6305480
Carson, Peter Andrew |
27.10.1919
- Berlin |
Dunera
boy – invalided out after
accident at Seven Sisters cliffs – lives Edinburgh. |
Cohen,
F T |
Collins 5550156 |
Germany 2/3/23 |
JL
(Jack Lennard) Archives |
|
Curtis 6305489 |
Germany 23/9/23 |
JL |
Hirsch |
Dudley, LA -
6387043 |
Germany 1/8/19 |
JL |
|
Dunn,
D - 6387046 |
Germany 2/7/26 |
JL |
Max
Dobriner |
Geoffrey
Dickinson/Dickson |
16.3.26 |
Peter
L Langer |
13802951
Hansen Einar Reska *
(Danish) |
6436367/13118602
Davies, Jack |
10.9.1920 |
MiD
Tarbrush |
13802948
Dungler/Dandler, K. |
6305482/13118510
Cpl. Douglas, Keith |
9.8.1921 |
Walcheren -
died postwar |
Eugen
Litvak |
Leslie
Dale |
|
|
Daikes |
|
|
PLL – Walcheren |
14216528
Nomburg, Harry – 5th PC,
Denbigh – wife in Haifa, Israel |
Sgt
Drew, Harry |
17.11.1923 |
WIA
Normandy – att. 12,6, 3 Commandos – lived New
York,
died 1997 |
13807299
Goldschmidt, Werner |
6436360/13118517
Capt. Dwelly, Vernon J. (“Ducky”) |
29.10.21 |
Dunera
boy, Walcheren,
Novota (California) – att.
4 Comm. unarmed combat instructor |
Ernest
Karl Eduard Eberstadt |
David
Edward Charles Eversley |
1922 Frankfurt |
Later
in SOE – PLL |
|
Lt.
Bunny Emmett |
|
RAF
and R Tank Reg – 4 Comm.
at Walcheren -
PLL |
|
Farley |
|
|
13051439
F Fleischer |
Fletcher,
Frederick |
Austrian – 1st Bat.
Worc., att. 6 Commando |
KIA
Le Plein 11.6.44 – PLL – b.
Ranville, son of Rudolf and Hedwig
of Cricklewood |
13803417
Engel, Hans Gunter |
6436357
Envers H.G. (John) |
7.11.1922/
or 7.4.22 Breslau |
WIA
Normandy 19.8.44 – lives Toronto – att.
4 Comm. |
13801057
Freytag Ernst Herbert |
6305479/13118514 Sgt
Farr, E.H. (Tommy) |
26.2.1919 |
Born Berlin – Walcheren amd
Op Premium at Wassenaar |
13804661
Feder/Feter, Ernst Wolfgang |
6436370/13118511 TSM/WO1
Fenton, Bryan Leslie |
20.4.1921 Berlin |
Maas crossing – Lives Kusnacht, Switzerland |
13807080
Fuerth, Hans George |
6305463/13118515 Lt
Firth, Anthony |
7.9.1918 Halle |
Dunera
boy - lives Toronto |
Otto Zivolava |
Gautier,
Jean |
b. Austria |
JL |
13807365
Frank, Max Gunther |
Cpl.
6387027/13118512 Franklyn, George
Mack, Royal West
Kent |
30.4.1923 |
WIA
Sicily, KIA D-Day 6.6.44 - aged
21 yrs. son of Ernst J. and Carla
of Huddersfield -
buried Hermanville. Cross on grave – error??? |
13805167
Frey, Hubert Clarence |
5550127/13118513
Cpl. Fraser, Evelyn Harold |
23.3.1920 |
Invalided
out after accident at Seven Sisters
cliff - lives Auckland,
NZ |
13801130
Kagerer-Stein, Eugen Von |
Sgt
5550126 Eugene “Didi” Fuller,
Hants Reg. – att. 47 Comm. |
19.12.1913 |
Austrian
aged 30, WIA D-Day, KIA Normandy,
13.6.44 buried Ranville. Att. 47
RM Commando, son of Alfred and
Anna, husband of Cicely of Balcombe, Sussex. Cross
on grave – error (???). |
13800982
Goldstern Konstantin |
6387015/13118518
Garvin Robert Kenneth |
11.1.1917 |
Died
postwar Wales |
13807042
Guttman, Hans Julius |
6387014
Gilbert, Ronnie, MBE |
28.9.1919 |
WIA
Normandy, lives Norbeck, Blackpool |
13801168
Geiser, Kurt H. |
Troop
Sgt Maj. Gordon, Henry E.A. |
3.4.1915 |
Lives
Walton Thames, related to Liebknecht
family of German Socialists |
13805610
Goldschmidt, Konrad Levin J. |
6387031
Sgt Grant, Hubert Brian aka Groves |
5.8.1917 |
WIA
lost leg fighting
in Italy with
9 Comm. – retired
Judge living in Cumbria. |
13804337
Gumpertz, Kurt Wilhelm,
Hants. Reg. |
5550144/13118520
Graham, Kenneth Wakefield – att.
4 Comm. |
27.6.1919 |
KIA Normandy 12/13.6.44
- buried Hermanville, aged 24.
Son of Karl Wilhelm and Else, husband
of Elisabeth of Highbury, London.
No religious symbol
on grave in error. |
13805014
Gans, Manfred |
6387019
/13118516 Capt. Gray, Freddy (BNA
13041024) – 41 RM Commando |
27.4.1922 |
RWK
Reg – Walcheren,
lives Leonia, New
Jersey – WIA
5 times!! |
13802030
Glaser, Kurt Joachim |
322333/6387018/13118519 Capt./Lt. Griffith,
Keith James/John , RWK – att.
45 RM Comm., later CO 3 Troop |
3.9.1918 |
KIA
Germany 11.4.45 crossing Aller River aged
26 yrs.- fought in Spanish Civil
War. Buried Becklingen, Germany -
son of Dr Willy and Maria Therese
of Epsom, Surrey.
Cross on grave in error. |
13700295 Reich/Weich/Weil
, Salo Robert |
6436350/13118714 Cpl.
Hamilton, Robert Geoffrey. |
1.8.1916 |
Austrian,
KIA Walcheren, 1.11.44 Westekappelle,
att. 41st RM Comm. Buried
Bergen Op Zoom, Holland,
aged 28. Royal Sussex Reg.
Son of Jacob
and Sabine of Vienna, Austria. |
13801533
Hajos/Hajosch, Hans Ludwig |
6380736/13118601 Sgt.
Harris, Ian MM |
1.1.1920 |
WIA
Normandy 3 times!! MM 6.4.45 -
citation Ian Dear p.318
and in Peter Masters book – att.
45 Commando - lives Reading. |
13801503
Herschthal, Fritz |
5550136/13118604
Hepworth, Freddy – att. 45
Comm. |
11.12.1920 |
Died USA 3.2.95 |
13801397
Herschthal, Walter |
5550145/13118605 Hepworth,
Walter/Douglas |
16.1.1918 |
Died
postwar Australia |
|
|
|
|
13805632
Nathan, Eli/Erich Wolfgang |
6305467/13118702 Lt.
Howarth/Howard, Eric William, Royal East
Kent.
Later CO 3 Troop |
16.10.1922 |
WIA
D Day, commissioned in the field
for bravery - KIA Osnabruck, Germany,
3.4.45, aged 22. Buried Reichswald Forest,
son of August Victor and Margaret
Clara Elisabeth nee Gayler of Streatham
Hill, London.
Cross on grave in error. |
13802194
Hirsch, Stephan |
5550149/13118606
Cpl. Hudson, Steven Keith |
5.6.1918 |
Hants.
Reg. |
13800841
Knobloch, Guenther Hans |
6436349/13118610 Lt
Kendal, Harold George “Nobby” |
9.12.1907 |
Died
postwar Vancouver – Sicily with
Belgian Comm., Poles at Cassino,
founded 8th Army ski
patrol, with 2 Comm. at Vis,
Intell. Chief 8th Army. |
13805755
Kirschner, Andre Gabriel |
6436361/13118609 Lt
Kershaw, Andrew G. |
31.10.1921 |
Died
postwar USA |
13804297
Loewenstein, Otto Julius |
5550146/13118620
Lt. Kingsley, Roger James |
2.2.1922 |
OBE,
MID Germany -
att. RM Commandos – lives Manchester |
Arthur F.
Lowy |
|
|
|
13800170
Kellman, M. |
6436351
Kirby, M.J. “Ernest”. |
26.12.1903 |
|
|
Keren |
|
JL |
Koenigswater |
|
|
JL |
13807180
Lewinsky, Max |
Pte
6387023/13118619 Laddy/Laddie,
Max, Royal West
Kent |
19.8.1911 |
KIA
D-Day 6.6.44 in landing craft with
Webster, b. at Hermanville, memorial
at Aberdovey where he lived with
Welsh wife. Aged 33. Cross on grave. |
Guttman |
Lewis |
|
|
13805511
Katz, Weinhart Paul Oscar |
13118608
Heathcote, Pte. Michael Paul |
|
|
Peter
Liebel |
Peter
Leigh-Bell – AJEX card says
1st bat tanks RAC |
|
|
13805333
Leven, Peter Guenther |
13118616
Long, Peter |
|
|
Luchtenstein |
Ludlow |
|
|
13800037
Landau , Ernst |
6436353/13118614 Lt
Ernest Robert F. Langley |
18.19.1903 |
Died in UK 1957 |
13801850
Levy/Loewy, Moritz/Max |
6436346/13118701
Cpl. Latimer, Maurice |
13.9.1921 |
Czech,
fought in Spanish Civil War, WIA
Dieppe Raid,Normandy and Walcheren -
died postwar UK |
13801313
Lenel, Ernst Richard |
6387016/13118615 Sgt
Lawrence, Ernest Richard, Royal West
Kent |
26.10.1918 |
MIA
presumed KIA 22/23.6.44 – Bayeux
Memorial, Normandy,
aged 26 yrs., no known grave. Son
of Richard S. and Emilie nee Maas. |
Lenel,
Victor |
|
|
Brother
of Ernest, above |
13803539
Wolff, Walter L. |
6387033
Marshall, Alan W. |
3.4.1922 |
Died
postwar UK |
Mayer |
Melvin
P H 5550137 |
Germany 12/3/22 |
JL |
|
Moss, J
- 5550131 |
Germany 23/5/21 |
JL |
13803503
Weinberg, K. |
6387028
Sgt Mason, Gary |
2.1.1920 |
R
Mass, Belle Isle raid. |
13804450
Arany, P.F. |
6387025
Lt. Masters, Peter F. |
5.2.1922 |
Ox & Bucks,
WAF Force, lived Maryland -
author of “Fighting Back” – died
3/05 |
13804473
Kury, Manfred * |
6387030/13118613 McGregor,
Jock/Jack Fred |
24.5.1921
or 18.9.03? |
Died
postwar UK |
13801895
Blumenfeld, M.J. Ludwig George |
6387026/13118509
Lt Merton, Michael James |
21.6.1920 Berlin |
Att.
2 Comm. and with Poles at Cassino .Appledore, Kent |
|
Monahan |
|
|
13801467
Levin, Hubertus |
5550135/13118617
Lt Miles, Patrick Hugh. |
22.1.1920 |
SSRF/SOE
Operation Huckaback on Herne, CI.
Pebworth, Warwicks. |
13801092
Meyer, Kurt |
5550147
L/Cpl Moody, Peter |
28.9.1918 |
Hants
Reg. KIA Normandy 13.6.44, aged
25 years - son of Fritz Max and
Margeretta of Birmingham – buried Ranville, Normandy. |
13805553
Zweig, Werner |
6436347/13118718 Sgt
Nelson, Vernon |
5.11.1922 |
WIA
Italy - Cert. of Commendation – 40
RM Comm./46 RN Comm. |
|
