The Historama
Alex Ben-Arieh
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Tel Aviv, Israel 61321
Phone: +972-547-680-086
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Israeli Haganah & Palmach Militaria

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HAGANAH HAT and TUNIC BADGES, PINS and EMBLEMS:


Click to Enlarge		 Hagana member's pin: numbered metal pin issued by the Haifa branch of Israel's pre-State armed force, the "Haganah" ("Defence", in Hebrew), circa. 1949-50 to commemorate the wearer's participation in that region's operations during the 1947-49 War of Independence. Numbered "104" on the reverse; thick plancheted; not maker-marked. Weight: 2.70g.

The emblem of the sword surmounted by an olive branch was the symbol of the Hagana's platoon commander graduate's course ("Kurs Mem-Memim"), and became the Hagana's overall emblem. When the IDF was founded, it's emblem embodied that of the Haganah, and it continued the tradition of issuing the sword-and-olive branch emblem to graduates of its officers training course.

Following the War of Independence local branches (at city-level) of the "Haganah Members Association" (veterans group) issued localized pins like these, all eschewing to some degree the use of the Hagana's emblem in the center. Scarce.

More pictures: front of pin, back of pin at angle, back of pin, back of pin, measured
Item Code: 0120031 Price: €100


Click to Enlarge		 Service pin of the "Carmel Brigade", 1948. The Brigade originated as one of 6 regular 'Hagana' brigades created with the informal outbreak of the Israeli War of Independence in November 1947. This specific brigade, the 2nd Brigade was designated the "Levanoni" (i.e. Lebanon) Brigade (also known as the "Northern" Brigade), and commanded by Moshe Carmel with responsibility for defence in the area northwards from the town of Zichron Yaakov.

At the end of February 1948, "Levanoni" was split into 2 brigades - "Golani" and "Carmeli", the latter being assigned the region of Western Galilee, Haifa and the Carmel mountain. It comprised the 21st-24th battalions composed of area residents, Technion students, and members of the pre-State 'National Guard' ("Mishmar Ha'am") - in total 2,238 soldiers, first commanded by Moshe Carmel and then by the future, 3rd Chief of Staff, Mordechai Makleff. The Brigade took part in all the operations in this area during the War, including the capture of Haifa and former British basis in the region. After the war the Brigade became a reserve unit in the IDF.

This pin depicts the emblem of the Brigade - the Carmel mountain by seaside with the sunset, and the reserve is a safety pin. Not maker marked; weight: 1.95g. Interestingly it is inscribed "The Carmel Brigade" (Khativat HaCarmel) instead of by its common name Khativat "Carmeli". Nice toning with light oxydation on the top right corner.

More pictures: front of pin, back of pin, side angle of back of pin
Item Code: 0120046 Price: €135


Click to Enlarge		 Hagana/Israeli Army (IDF) 5th "Givati Brigade" unit pin with name in Hebrew on base ribbon ("Khativat Givati"), circa. 1947-50. This is a variant of another emblem badge of this unit, which does not bear the name-ribbon (see item 0120022, below); this piece is stamped on thicker metal though is smaller than the other version and lighter in weight - weight: 0.95g.

More pictures: front of Givati pin, back of pin, measured, back of pin, at angle
Item Code: 0110054 Price: €28


Click to Enlarge		 Haganah/Israeli Army (IDF) "Givati Brigade" unit pin, circa. 1947-50; has simple pin soldiered on back; weight: 0.95g.

In its original incarnation the Givati Brigade was one of the IDF's first 6 infantry brigades, formed in 1947 as the 5th "Givati" Brigade and composed of foreign volunteers ("Machal-niks"), field troops of the Haganah ("Khish") and a battalion of underground Eztel/Irgun organization members. During the War of Independence the Brigade fought in the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem area, protected armored convoys to beseiged Jerusalem, and whose reconnaisance/jeep company (commanded by Tzvi Tzur, the future Chief of Staff) distinguished itself and became known then and until today as "Sampson's Foxes" ("Sho'aley Shimshon"). The Brigade was disbanded in 1956, reorganized as an infantry reserve unit which underwent a few incarnations and is now known as the 84th Givati Brigade.

More pictures: front of badge, back of badge
Item Code: 0120022 Price: SOLD




PALMACH HAT and TUNIC BADGES, PINS and EMBLEMS:


Click to Enlarge		 Rare Palmach breast emblem badge. Small white metal pin bearing the emblem of the Palmach - the "shock companies" of Israel's pre-State 'army' and forerunner to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Haganah ("self defense").

The pin was issued to everyone who was a Palmach member prior to 29 November 1947, the date on which the UN General Assembly passed a resolution to partition Palestine (i.e. the unofficial start of the 1947-49 Israeli War of Independence). The pin was usually worn on the flap of the left pocket of an army shirt/tunic, sometimes with cloth backing, though rarely seen worn. The Palmach existed as an independent armed force even after the IDF was created, until November 1948, when it was absorbed into the Israeli Army; it numbered about 6,500 fighters of whom 1,500 fell in the War of Independence. The Palmach pin was later replaced in 1951 by the blue and white War of Independence ribbon.

The pin is roughly 2cm tall and 1cm wide, with a simple safety pin soldiered at the back; not maker-marked; weight: 1 gram. In Palmach fashion, the pin is simple in manufacture but intricate in design. Of significance is that the Palmach had no other "official" wartime insigniae or issued badges except for this pin: this is the only officially issued identifying emblem worn by members of the Palmach.

The significance of the Palmach ("Plugot Makhatz" - PalMach), founded in 1941, is two-fold: militarily it represented the epitome of pre-State Israel's pro-active doctrine of "coming out from behind the fences" and attacking the enemy on his terrain, its battle cry being "after me!"; the Palmach was commando trained and contained special foreign language companies (like German and Arabic). The Palmach contained land, air ("Pal-Avir") and sea ("Pal-Yam") forces. Eventually subsisting on the Kibbutz (Zionist communal farm community) movement under the tutelage of Yitzhak Tabenkin, the Palmach also absorbed and reflected the socialist ideal of Zionism, of working the land and living in a spartan socialist manner. The fusion of the military and socialist ideals of Zionist at that time turned the Palmach into an icon, whose membership was a way of life. Palmach culture in turn heavily influenced Israeli culture in every sphere, and many former Palmach members (Moshe Dayan, Yigal Allon, Yitzhak Rabin, Chaim Ghoury, Rechavam Zeevi) became prominent in Israeli political and cultural life, across the political spectrum.

More pictures: front of Palmach pin, pin reverse at side angle, reverse of pin, "Yiftach Brigade" commander Shmuel ("Moulah") Cohen wearing Palmach pin (on cloth backing)
Item Code: 0120057 Price: €275


Click to Enlarge		 Silver (.925) tallion of the 4th Battalion of the "Har'el Brigade" of the Palmach (the pre-State Israeli special shock company formation): this is a uniface tag featuring the Palmach emblem of a sword across two ears of corn and the name "Palmach" at the base; it incorporates the 4th Battalion's name with the word "Portzim" (Hebrew for "penetrators" or "breachers") in Hebrew on the sword itself. The 4th "Portzim" Battalion together with the 5th "Shaar Ha'Gay" and 6th "Jerusalem" battalions formed the Har'el Brigade, which during the War of Independence, was commanded by Yitzhak Rabin and fought around Jerusalem, penetrating the seige imposed by the Arab Legion on the city.

Though undated, the tallion is probably a period piece: its make in silver attests to the importance of the lifting of the Jerusalem siege; there is no commemorative date suggesting it was made afterwards on a special date; and in the IDF there is also a strong tradition of private issues of badges and emblems ordered by individual units and these are worn by serving or former members. In excellent, preserved condition.

More pictures: front of emblem, reverse side of emblem
Item Code: 0120021 Price: SOLD


Click to Enlarge		 Rare service pin of the 9th Palmach "Mechanized Attack Battalion" ("Gdud Pshita Memuchan"), 1948-49. This force, known commonly as the "Attack Battalion" ("Gdud Pshita") is well known in the annals of Palmach military history and closely identfied with a mobile-commando force called the "Negev Beasts" (or "Negev Animals"; "Khayot HaNegev" in Hebrew).

The origins of the "Negev Beasts" derive from a Palmach reserve force from Haifa, composed of students, and other Palmach members from that region. This force was assigned to the 2nd Battalion (of the "Negev Brigade") of the Palmach as a reinforcement in Decmeber 1947, when Arab attacks on southern locations intensified. The force was then split into two platoons - the second of which, commanded by Simcha Shiloni, was sent to Kibbutz Mishmar HaNegev and given reinforcements from the Mobile Guard ("Mishmar HaNa") of the Jewish Settlement Police. This unit was assigned the protection of water lines and transport arteries in the western Negev up to Beersheva. Lightly armed initially and posessing 3 improvised armored vans, this mobile force formed the basis of the "Negev Animals", who drew their name from their unshaven, swarthy appearance. Their emblem was a camel.

In April 1948 the "Negev Beasts" conducted day and night operations to open transport arteries for Israeli forces and to sabotage the transport lines of the enemy. With the approching invasion of the Egyptian Army in May 1948, this force was augmented by an additional platoon (called "Beeri") and 4 deserters of the British Army, and the whole force became a company positioned against the Egyptian Army.

After a series of fierce engagements, in June 1948, the Negev Brigade drew from its ranks two armoured jeep companies, a motorized infantry and a halftrack company and attached them to the "Negev Beasts" to form the 4th battalion of the Brigade, the 9th Mechanized Attack Battalion ("Gdud Pshita Memukhan"). The jeep companies became an "attack force" and the "Negev Beasts" absorbed 10 halftracks into its ranks along with the motorized infantry. The new battlion participated in major operations in that region until withdrawn for rest and refitting in August.

At this time the battalion absorbed the "French Commando", foreign Jewish volunteers and veterans of the Palmach sea force, the "PalYam". By this time the battalion reached a strength of 500, including 70 women. The battalion subsequently reentered the field of battle, received Chaim Bar-Lev (the future Chief of Staff) as its commander, participated in the major operations of that period, and by December had also penetrated into the Sinai Peninsula. In February-March 1949 the battalion undertook reconnaisance missions for the conquest of the Southern Negev, and participated in the capture of area soon to be called Eilat. Afterwards, and beyond the end of the War of Independence, the battalion served frontier guard duties. In September the battalion was assigned to the new 7th Armoured Brigade of the IDF and the "Negev Brigade" became a reserve force.

Beyond its connection to a unit with much battle glory, the pin is unique for its design which commemorates specifically the purpose of the unit and does not eschew any image associated with the Palmach (i.e. battalion number "9" or the image of a sword across two ears of wheat - the Palmach emblem) - as other Palmach unit emblems do. The sword and olive branch in the background are the symbol of the Palmach's parent armed force, the Hagana, and this symbol became in 1948-49 both part of the new IDF's emblem and the symbol of the IDF's officers training course. Size: 1.5cm x 3cm; weight: 2.35g.

More pictures: front of pin, side view of reverse, reverse of pin
Item Code: 0120055 Price: €400


Click to Enlarge		 War of Independence pin for the Palmach's 5th Battalion "Shaar HaGay" (pronounced "Sha'ar ha Gai"), 1948-49; weight: 5.45g; size: 3cm x 4cm; with fastened safety pin on reverse and incused back. The shield depicts a rising sun above the Judean Hills (around Jerusalem) and an armoured car, sumrounted by the Palmach's emblem of a sword across two sheaths of wheat.

Numbering 4 battalions with 12 companies (2,100 men and 1,000 reservists) on the eve of the War of Independence, the Palmach immediately expanded its ranks with the formation of the 5th and 6th battalions (under Shaul Yafe and Tzvi Zamir - the future head of the Mossad - respectively).

The 5th battalion was unique in the annals of the Palmach for its highly improvised creation: formed shortly after the United Nations vote to partition Palestine (29 Nov. 1947) between December 1947 and January 1948, the force was an amalgamation of Palmach reservists from Tel Aviv, members of the "Hagana" field companies ("Hish"), new recruits and volunteers from cities, kibbutzim and moshavim, and in the course of the War (1947-49), new immigrants as well as Holocaust survivors - all lightly/poorly trained with no prior organization; the battalion's commanders had similarly no previous familiarity with their troops.

Assigned to the Palmach's "Harel Brigade" (under the command of Yitzhak Rabin), and perhaps overshadowed by the Brigade's repute, the somewhat unknown 5th Battalion was a surprising linchpin in the Palmach's wartime operations: during the 1st phase of the War until April 1948 - the struggle for control of transportation arteries - the battalion was assigned to protect the coastal approaches to Jerusalem; to protect convoys delivering food and supplies to beseiged western [Jewish] Jerusalem from attacks by Arab irregulars, and also to mount reprisal attacks against villages from which the Arab forces mounted their attacks. There was only one main artery to Jerusalem and the Israeli leadership viewed its security as vital to the protection of Jerusalem; without Jerusalem, they felt, there would be no Jewish State.

The battalion participated in several famed convoy operations, including those to Gush Etzion, and the 'Great Convoy' of some 300 vehicles including the Israeli leadership to Jerusalem. All told, the battalion enabled 245 convoys of 3,100 vehicles with 10,800 tons of supplies to reach Jerusalem, delivering 90% of the beseiged city's basic needs.

From April onwards, the battalion participated in the conquests of the Katamon district, Beit Shemesh, Shuafat, Sheikh Jarakh and opening the artery to the Hebrew University and Hadassah Hospital, and earned its nickname for lifting the seige on the portion of the Jerusalem road called "Shaar HaGay" ("Bab el Wad" in Arabic). The battalion earned further distinction during the Israeli Army's third attempt to remove the Arab Legion from a critical juncture in Latrun along the Jerusalem road, when the force actually did capture a vital position there. Although it later had to abandon it, its attack limited the Legion's scope of movement and enabled the IDF to use its nearby improvised "Burma Road" route to Jerusalem. In subsequent operations the battalion even reached Rafiah, in the Gaza strip. After the War, in spring 1949, the force patrolled the dust road along the border with Jordan.

More pictures: front of pin, side angle of back, back of pin
Item Code: 0120064 Price: €350




HAGANAH UNIT MEDALLIONS, MEDALS, MOMENTOS and DECORATIONS:


Click to Enlarge
"Hagana" ('Self-Defence') service ribbon with paper award holder of the Ministry of Defence, with "Hagana Ribbon" stamped below. The ribbon is the early version with a safety-pin back and is back maker-marked by "Mori" of Jerusalem. There is light oxidation to edge of the pin.

This ribbon was awarded either to those who were members of the Hagana ("Defence") organization for a period of at least six months between 1920 and the Day of Independence of Israel, or to all members of the Hagana who were killed, wounded, arrested or took part in operations (in case the eligible person died, a member of his family - husband, wife, parent, brother, sister, child or grandchild - could request to receive the ribbon or replacement of lost or worn ribbon).

Presentation of the ribbon started in 1958, and it appears that this item is one of the first samples produced as per the envelope sent regarding it's issue to Shalom Furer: an envelope from the Ministry of Defence, Manpower Division's "Center for the Self-Defence Ribbon", sent to Shalom Furer, with mail label and stamp of the Ministry of Defence.

More pictures: ribbon with award holder, registered envelope of the mailed award
Item Code: 0020007 Price: SOLD


Click to Enlarge		 Carmeli brigade conference medal, signed: special medal issued [to Eliyahu Brigel] to commemorate an assembly of veterans celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Carmeli Brigade's operations Haifa and northern Israel-Galilee-Samaria in the War of Independence and the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Israel; a special post office cachet was also designed for this conference event.

The medal displays the official emblem of the State's 20th anniversary on one side, and the IDF emblem, conference name and date, and "1948-1968" on the other. The medal is housed in a standard black plastic foldable case, and a paper insert inside with greeting is signed by the Brigade's wartime commander: "Regards, Moshe Carmel, General; Haifa 23.05.68".

More pictures: medal case, medal with signed greeting, front of medal, reverse of medal
Item Code: 0120070 Price: €50


Click to Enlarge		 Hagana 50th Anniversary medal (ND), 1970; struck in silvered bronze; minted by the Elisha medal company in Israel; weight: 91.8g; size: 59.5mm. Obverse bears emblem of the Hagana with legend "With one hand he undertook handiwork and with the other he held a weapon - Nehemia 4/11" and "The Hagana"; on reverse a large Star of David with the image of the Hagana's founder Eliyahu Golomb and all of the various units and activities of the Hagana written on each line of the Star.

Though the medal is listed in Haffer a being from 1968, it cannot be both from this date and also in commemoration of the Hagana's 50th anniversary, as the Hagana was founded in 1970; as Golomb died in 1945 an issue date with a round number like 1970 makes more sense to commemorate both him and the Hagana. In UNC with lacquered surface; JTM-MM-7.

More pictures: obverse of medal, reverse of medal
Item Code: 0130121 Price: €35


Click to Enlarge		 Rally of the Organization of Members of the "Haganah" in Israel, in Jerusalem, 1973; struck in tombak; no makers mark; weight - 42.55g; size - 45.5mm. Issued to commemorate a Jewish New Years ("Rosh HaShana") rally which took place 2 days before the actual New Years date and also coincided with Israel's 25th anniversary: obverse depicts official emblem of Israel's 25th Anniversary, with legend in Hebrew "Rally of the Organization of Members of the Hagana in Israel, Jerusalem 27 of [month of] Elul 5733, 24.9.73"; on reverse the emblem of the Hagana with legend "From Hagana ["Defence"] to the Israel Defence Forces Promises Courage for the Peace of the Nation and the Homeland".

The "Hagana" ("Defense") was the pre-State defense force from which the IDF was largely formed (on 26 May 1948); its emblem, designed in 1942 by Moshe Pasternak Bar-Tikva ("Mundak"), commander of the Hagana's officers course as the symbol for course graduates, became after 1944 the symbol of the Hagana and was retained by the IDF as its emblem in 1948. This rally took place just 12 days before the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War. In UNC.

More pictures: obverse of medal, reverse of medal
Item Code: 0130157 Price: €28


Click to Enlarge		 Kiryati Brigade 25th anniversary commemoration token, 1973; struck in tombak; no makers mark; weight - 36.4g; size - 44mm. Obverse bears Brigade's emblem of a crenelated battlement (the word "Kirya" from which the Brigade derives its name, means "complex" or built-up structure) set upon the IDF's emblem, with legend "District Brigade Kiryati 5708 [1948] -5733 [1973]"; on reverse the official emblem of Israel's 25th Anniversary surmounted by olive branches.

The 4th Kiryati Brigade was one of six infantry brigades created from the pre-State Haganah, and was assigned the region of Tel Aviv-Yaffo to Bat Yam and Holon in the War of Independence. In VF-EF.

More pictures: obverse of token, reverse of token
Item Code: 0130158 Price: €28


Click to Enlarge		 Etzioni Brigade 20th anniversary conference, 1968; struck in tombak; no makers mark; weight - 32.5g; size - 45mm. Obverse depicts the emblem of the "Defender of Jerusalem" (an award issued to those who served in a military or governmental capacity in beseiged Jerusalem during the War of Independence) and the Hebrew dates 5708 [1948] and 5728 [1968]; on reverse the emblem of the Brigade's conference - the walls of Jerusalem with he legend "Etzioni Conference" surrounded by the Hebrew legend "On Your Walls O Jerusalem I have Set Watchmen" and "5728 - 1968".

The 6th Etzioni Brigade was one of six infantry Brigade raised from the pre-State Hagana defense force, and was assigned to defend the area of Jerusalem as well as protecting the armored convoys which brought supplies from the coastal region to besiged Jerusalem and its environs. In UNC; JTM-MM-4.

More pictures: obverse of medal, reverse of medal
Item Code: 0130159 Price: €28


Click to Enlarge		 Alexandroni Brigade 25th anniversary conference commemoration medal, 1973: struck in nickel; no maker mark; weight - 35.65g; size - 44.5mm. Obverse depicts a British mk III helmet set against the emblem of the IDF (an olive branch intertwined with a sword) and the legend "Alexandroni 1948 1973"; on reverse the Brigade's emblem on right and the regional emblem on left (the Brigade was one of six assigned a region for operation) with legend "Conference 5733 in the 25th year of Israel [independence]".

The 3rd Alexandroni Brigade was derived from the pre-State Hagana's defence force's permanent standing "field corps" and fought in the region of Samaria, participating in the breakthrough of the seige of Jerusalem (April 1948), liberating areas around Tel Aviv and the northern areas of the coastal plane before being transferred southwards to fight the Egyptians in the Negev and Falluja pocket. In AU with just a few minor nicks.

More pictures: obverse of medal, reverse of medal
Item Code: 0130161 Price: €28


Click to Enlarge		 Givati infantry Brigade 54th Battalion veterans assembly commemoration medal, 1961: struck in copper; no maker mark; weight - 57.7g; size - 42mm; thickness - 5mm. Obverse bears image of the battalion's memorial monument with legend "Assembly of Veterans of the Battalion - Succot [Jewish holiday] 5722 [1961 as Succot falls before Dec. 31]"; on reverse the battalion's emblem with legend "Battalion 54 Givati".

The battalion's monument was erected 10 years earlier, in 1951 by the architect Gustav Meyerstein, in the area where the battalion fought in the War of Independence (1947-49), near Kibbutz Negba.

The three arrows at the peak of the monument symbolize the forces of the southern front in operation "Yoav", which breached the Egyptian closure on the Negev desert. On the monument is the legend "To the wanderer on your way down to the Negev - remember us". In VF, but a solid and nicely designed token.

More pictures: obverse of medal, reverse of medal
Item Code: 0130162 Price: €75


Click to Enlarge		 Givati infantry Brigade 54th Battalion "Lag Ba'Omer" [Jewish holiday] uniface event token, 1967; bronze(?); weight: 11.9g; size: 32mm x 39mm. Obverse depicts emblem of the battalion with its number below, and legend "Lag Ba'Omer 5727 [1967]".

The Lag Ba'Omer holiday falls every year on the 18th of the month of Iyar, which in 1967 would have been about a week (28 May) before the 6 Day War, although "greater Israel" is visible on the Battalion's emblem.

The celebrated battalion event is unknown but it would have been for battalion veterans as the battalion along with the Givati Brigade itself was disbanded after the War of Independence (1947-49), though the (84th) Givati Brigade was re-established again later in 1983. Among other events the Lag Ba'Omer holiday commemorates a positive change in the fortunes of the Bar Kokhba revolt of the years 132-136, and this may tie in to the national mood of that time, prior to the War. In EF.

More pictures: obverse of medal, reverse of medal
Item Code: 0130131 Price: SOLD


Click to Enlarge		 Givati infantry Brigade liberation of Ashkelon / Israel's 20th Anniversary commemoration medal, 1968: struck in silvered tombak; no maker mark; weight: 28.75g; size: 38mm. Obverse bears the Givati Brigade's emblem with legend "Assembly of the Givati Brigade Succot [Jewish holiday] 5729 15.X.68"; on reverse the official emblem of Israel's 20th Anniversary together with the city coat of arms of Ashkelon, and the legend in stylized letters "20 Years to the Liberation of Ashkelon".

During the War of Independence the Egyptian Army operated in the region trying to spearhead a drive northwards to Tel Aviv; the Israeli Air Force attacked the city a number of times before it was freed on 4 November 1948 in operation "Yoav". In VF-EF.

More pictures: obverse of medal, reverse of medal
Item Code: 0130150 Price: €20


Click to Enlarge		 Golani Infantry Brigade 25 year commemoration and Israel Independence anniversary numbered medal, 1973; struck in silvered tombak(?) by the Shekel medal company; weight: 93.7g; size: 58.5mm. Obverse depicts the Brigade's emblem with legend "25 Years to the Golani Brigade 5708-5733 1948-1973"; on obverse a variation of the official emblem of Israel's 25th anniversary commemoration. Numbered "335" on rim. In AU with a few surficial light green oxidation marks.

More pictures: obverse of medal, reverse of medal
Item Code: 0130126 Price: €50


Click to Enlarge		 Golani Infantry Brigade 20 year commemoration medal, 1968; struck in silvered tombak(?); no maker mark; weight: 26.55g; size: 35mm. Obverse depicts sword intertwined with flame above overturned helmet, with legend "To Golani fighters, to comrades who fell, to the first and to the successors"; on reverse the Brigade emblem and legend "Golani Brigade 5708-5728 [1948-1968]".

The 1st Golani Brigade (and the 2nd Carmeli Brigade) was formed in February 1948 from one of the original 4 permanent standing brigades created in 1947, the Levanoni Brigade (the "Northern Brigade") which was assigned all of the northern sector of Israel. Golani was assigned the north-eastern sector and fought against the armies of Jordan, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. In AU-UNC, with laquered surface; JTM-MM-6.

More pictures: obverse of medal, reverse of medal
Item Code: 0130146 Price: €20


Click to Enlarge		 Oded [reserve] Infantry Brigade 20 year commemoration medal, 1968; weight: 15.75g; size: 35mm. Obverse depicts the emblem of the brigade with Hebrew dates beneath: "5708" [1948] and "5728" [1968]; on reverse Hebrew legend in stylized letters "9th Oded Brigade assembly [at] Khoreshet Tal [national park] 20.8.68".

The Oded Brigade was created from the 11th Elon battalion of the Levanoni Brigade, in May 1948: Levanoni was a regional infantry brigade charged with defending the whole of northern Israel, but to cope with the strain of the assignment it was split into the 1st Golani and 2nd Carmeli brigades (each assigned a sector of the north), and then split further in order to create the 9th Oded Brigade, which was assigned the north-west corner of the Galillee and Golan approaches. In the 1950's it was turned into a reserve infantry brigade.

More pictures: obverse of medal, reverse of medal
Item Code: 0130145 Price: €28




PALMACH UNIT MEDALLIONS, MEDALS, MOMENTOS and DECORATIONS:


Click to Enlarge		 Palmach Negev Brigade memorial monument commemoration medal, 1968-69; struck in tombak by the Shekel medal company; weight: 89.3g; size: 59mm. Obverse depicts image of the monument with legend "Monument of the Negev Brigade | Beer Sheva - 5729 - 1969"; on reverse the Palmach's emblem on right with "Palmach Negev Brigade" below, and map of the Brigade's operations at left with legend "In the beseiged Negev and in the liberation operations 5708-9 [1948-9]".

The map is detailed and on the arrows are the names of the operations they refer to. The Brigade's memorial monument was created between 1963 and 1968 by the architect Dani Karavan near the Ben Gurion University in Beersheva, and incorporates 18 characteristics (artistic allusions) which relate to the wartime experience. In AU with lacquered surface.

More pictures: obverse of medal, reverse of medal
Item Code: 0130107 Price: €50


Click to Enlarge		 Palmach 40th anniversary commemorative medal, 1981; no makers mark; weight: 32.95g; size: 45.5mm. Obverse depicts the Palmach's emblem with the dates 1941-1981; on reverse the "Hagana" emblem with its motto on left ("With one hand he undertook handiwork and with the other he held a weapon" - from Nehemia 4/11) and "Hagana 1921-1981" below.

The Palmach was formed from the Hagana in 1941 though the parent body itself was actually founded in 1920 and not 1921 - perhaps the medal designers wanted round anniversary dates for both forces. In UNC.

More pictures: obverse of medal, reverse of medal
Item Code: 0130108 Price: €20


Click to Enlarge		 Palmach Negev Brigade combat commemoration token (ND), circa. 1949-51; no makers mark; weight: 9.9g; size: 30.5mm. Obverse depicts the Brigade's emblem with title "Negev Brigade"; on reverse a list of the Brigade's operations and places of operation in the War of Independence: "Beseiged Negev, [operation] Yoav, Beersheva, Lot, Sdom, [operation] Khorev, Abu Agila, [operation] Uvda, Eilat".

The 12th Negev Brigade, established in May 1948, was a prominent military force in the War of Independence, participating in several celebrated actions and counting among its units the famed "Desert Animals" commando force. It operated in the northern and southern Negev desert during the war, and afterwards and since it is an infantry reserve unit.

Estimated date for this item is based on the listing of "Eilat" on reverse: in March 1949 when the Brigade liberated that region it was still known popularly as Umm Rash Rash (even though the name "Eilat" is from Biblical times); if listed on the token as "Eilat", it may be from the period just after the war when it started to be developed into a town. In EF: the tallion was originally silver finished but some of the finish (on obverse) has since worn off.

More pictures: obverse of tallion, reverse of tallion
Item Code: 0130109 Price: €75


Click to Enlarge		 Rare "C Company" ("Pluga Gimmel") of the Palmach assembly commemoration medal, 1963; struck in bronze(?); no maker mark; weight: 18.15g; size: 35.5mm. Obverse bears emblem of the Palmach with legend "Assembly of C Company Chanukka [Jewish holiday] 5723 [1963]"; legend on reverse reads "Palmach Heights ["Maaleh Palmach"] | (Al Yahud Aperature) | This passage was forged by C Company as a way out of a dead end during the march in the year 1944 5720 [a mistake in the Hebrew date which should read 5704] | "A wild passage between hills" [quotation from the Palmach's anthem]".

C Company of the Palmach was formed in the same year as the Palmach (1941) in the Jezreel Valley region but initially consigned to home-based training for lack of funds; in 1942, with the threat of a German invasion of Palestine looming the Company was mustered out, given proper training and assigned bases in the Valley for their service. In 1944, as part of one of their fitness hikes (from the Dead Sea to Kibbutz Revivim) the Company had to bypass one of the heights in order to avoid detection and possible confrontation with British patrols (Jewish self defence being maintained covertly at this time), and so they went through a massive valley called the "Great Wadi" and created an improvised passage upwards when confronted by an impassable water fall. This passage, known then as "Al Yahud" is now known as the "Palmach Ascent".

Tokens from the Palmach at such low unit levels, like companies, are quite scarce. In EF-AU: some residue around the details from polish; some surficial scratches on the surface (possibly from being polished).

More pictures: obverse of medal, reverse of medal
Item Code: 0130110 Price: SOLD


Click to Enlarge		 5th Battalion Harel Brigade of the Palmach veterans conference commemorative medal, 1963; struck in bronze; weight: 15.05g; size: 30mm. Uniface tallion depicts emblem of the 5th "Sha'ar HaGay" Battalion with legend "Conference of the Fifth Battalion Palmach Harel 22.10.63". In UNC, with laquered surface.

More pictures: obverse of medal, reverse of medal
Item Code: 0130111 Price: SOLD


Click to Enlarge		 Palmach Harel Brigade combat commemoration medal (ND), circa. 1949; designed by G. Tz. (initials in exergue of obv.); in cupro-nickel; weight: 9.45g; size: 31mm. Obverse bears the emblem of the Harel Brigade (with designer's initals at base); on reverse a list of 10 military operations that the Brigade participated in above an image of a fortified emplacement (possibly Latrun - which the Brigade did not succeed in conquering). In VF-EF; JTM-MM-9.

More pictures: obverse of medal, reverse of medal
Item Code: 0130112 Price: €100


Click to Enlarge		 Palmach "Palyam" veterans assembly commemoration token, 1963; struck in bronze; weight: 23.6g; size: 35.5mm. Bears emblem of the Palmach on sails of a vessel, with legend "Assembly of Palyam veterans 1942-1948" with date in exergue 13.IX.1963. The "Palyam" was the sea branch of the Palmach and included a commando unit. In UNC, with lacquered surface.

More pictures: obverse of token, reverse of token
Item Code: 0130113 Price: €50


Click to Enlarge		 Palmach "Yiftach" Brigade commemoration medal (ND), circa. 1948-49; struck in silver(?); no makers mark; weight: 25.5g; size: 35mm. Obverse depicts the emblem of the Palmach with legend below "Yiftach Brigade Palmach"; on reverse a stylization of the word "Yiftach" under image of crowded town (maybe Tsfat or Tiberias - two of the several cities liberated by the force), with Brigade's motto above and names of two operations "Danny" and "Yoav".

The 11th Yiftach Brigade was established in April 1948 but operated initially as two separate battalions in the north-east Galillee under the command of Yigal Allon (the overall commander of the Palmach). Having participated in a large operation called "Yiftach", when the Brigade itself was established it bore the name of the operation. In June the unit was transferred to the center of the country and participated in "Yoram", "Danny" and "Yoav" - although Yoram in particular is not mentioned on this medal and hence its early estimated date. In VF-EF.

More pictures: obverse of medal, reverse of medal
Item Code: 0130114 Price: €100


Click to Enlarge		 Palmach national assembly & Israel's 25th Anniversary commemoration medal, 1973; struck in bronze(?); no makers mark; weight: 45.75g; size: 44mm. Obverse bears Palmach emblem with legend "National Conference 1973"; on reverse official emblem of Israel's 25th Independence anniversary. In VF-EF with a few very small surface nicks in places.

More pictures: obverse of medal, reverse of medal
Item Code: 0130115 Price: €28


Click to Enlarge		 Palmach "Harel" Brigade 20th Anniversary assembly commemoration numbered medal, 1968; struck in tombak by the Shekel medal company; weight: 78.15g; size: 59mm. Obverse bears a miniature size of the Harel's emblem with the word "Harel" above, a list of the Brigade's battles in the War of Independence (1947-49) and after, with legend along edge "Assembly of the Palmach Harel Brigade Jerusalem 3 [in the month of] Kheshvan 5728 24.10.68; on reverse a stylization of the breakthrough to Jerusalem with legend "Harel 1948 Armored Brigade 1967". Rim numbered "1713".

The 10th Harel Brigade was established in April 1948, commanded by Yitzhak Rabin, and fought in the Jerusalem area; after the war (when the Palmach was already absorbed into the new IDF) it was transformed into a reserve brigade in the armoured corps; it fought in the 1956 Sinai Campaign and again in 1967 in the Jerusalem sector - hence the parallels highlighted on this medal. In EF with some lacquer on the surface.

More pictures: obverse of medal, reverse of medal
Item Code: 0130116 Price: €50




HAGANAH & PALMACH ACCOUTREMENTS, HEADWEAR and UNIFORMS:


Click to Enlarge		 Rare Israeli Army (IDF) olive green sock hat ("Kova Gerev" in Hebrew), circa. 1947-48. Though widely seen and used during the 1947-49 War of Independence, these hats are surprisingly difficult to come by, possibly because of their fate in the hands of moths: this piece, while complete, has several moth nips and holes.

The hat is of double-layered fabric, sewn shut at the head, and can be double folded along the base rim (see enclosed pictures). During the War, it was widely used by and identified with the "Palmach" (strike company) forces, though it was also used elsewhere among the Israeli forces. Around the time the Palmach was absorbed into the IDF, in November 1948, the main pieces of cloth headwear worn by Israeli soldiers were 'hitelmacher' hats, Kangol berets, and various forms of 'bush hats'.

The piece is not maker marked or otherwise marked in a manner which denotes which force it was used by.

More pictures: rolled front of kova gerev, rolled back of sock hat, unrolled front of kova gerev, unrolled back of sock hat, inside of hat, front of hat, worn, side of hat, worn, detail of damage, future Chief of Staff Chaim Bar Lev as a Palmach commander, wearing kova gerev
Item Code: 0110055 Price: SOLD




HAGANAH & PALMACH DOCUMENTS and EPHEMERA:


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Rare Hagana military training manual, 1947: a temporary but highly organized and collated edition of an infantry training manual called generally (in loose translation) "Fielding" (i.e. field training - being in the field, attack tactics for squads and platoons), for junior-level commanders. The name is ironically appropriate as it was prepared by the National Command specifically for the Hagana's "Field Force" ("Kheil Sadeh" - or "Khish"), though it was usable too by the "Guard Force" ("Kheil Mishmar" - or "Khim") as per instructions in the introductory comments.

The 74-page manual features 21 detailed sketches and maps, and is divided 5 sections and 44 chapters, including topics like field preparations, squad training, attack techniques, defense, retreat/withdrawal, clearing out of buildings and activities against paratroopers. Underscoring the uniqueness of this document is the nature of its distribution: separate from similar materials used in the underground Irgun/'Etzel' organization (see items 0110008 and 0120017), this [type of] manual was only for distribution within Hagana affiliated formations: the Palmach school (1 copy per platoon), for other corps just 1 copy per administrative unit, platoon commander school (1 copy per person), etc.

Also of note is the date of its issue, December 1947 - at the very beginning of the War of Independence (which began unofficially with the UN resolution approving the partition of Palestine into 2 states, on 29 November that year); at the end of the following May (1948), the Hagana would form the basis of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for which more professional looking training materials were produced; the Hagana's commander Ya'akov Dori, became the IDF's first Chief of Staff. This copy was issued to "the officer Shneidman" (written in pencil on the cover); the outer pages have come loose from the original binding, and the cover pages are frayed and torn in places, but overall the manual is in excellent condition.
Item Code: 0120016 Price: €125


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Early Israeli call-up notice, 1948. Call-up card of the "Central Command for National Service", which at that time was a part of the "National Committee of the Assembly of Israel" of the issuing Jewish Agency for Palestine ('Eretz Israel' - or 'Land of Israel'). This notice was issued during the period between the United Nation's resolution calling for the partition of Palestine into a Jewish and an Arab state (29 November 1947), and Israel's declaration of Independence (14 May 1948). The Jewish Agency was still functioning as the unofficial government of the undeclared jewish State, and the "National Committee of the Assembly" was not yet what we today call the 'Knesset' (Israeli Parliament).

This document was issued to Joseph Melnik, born in 1919 and living in Kfar Blum. The notice, signed (stamped) by the chairman of the National Committee, Dr. B. Avnier(sp.?), orders Melnik to report for duty at Kfar Blum for the period from the issuing date of 30 March 1948 to 15 May 1948 (i.e. in hindsightt, the day after the declaration of independence). The actual draft assignment is stamped by the Command Center of National Service, represented by "P. Gilboa"(sp.?). The document is in excellent, preserved condition and remarkable for the transitional, emergency period which it represents.
Item Code: 0010005 Price: €50

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Palmach/Israeli Army magazine, "BaGalil" ('In the Galillee'), 1949. This is the second volume ('B' - April, 1949) of a brigade-wide magazine. Though the content carefully omits any identifying names or unit numbers, the publication belongs to a Palmach-related unit and is considered part of the Palmach's military culture - in all probability, the 2nd Brigade. Keeping to the Palmach's socialist-military character, the magazine's stated aims are to document and remember the brigade's daily life and military achievements (in the North).

The publication opens with a pictoral vigil, in memory of the brigade's fallen soldiers, followed by an introduction to the second volume and then opening pieces by the brigade commander and an excerpt from the "Order of the Day" of the Commander of the Front (Col. Moshe Carmel). The publication chiefly includes a long articles about the brigade's victory in Opration Hiram (October 29-31, 1948), in which Israel's northern frontier and settlements were secured from the threat of the Arab Liberation Army (led by Fawzi el-Kaukji), but characteristically forcuses on the social and Zionist aspects of the victory: with the articles "Land of the Galillee", "The Engineers in the Liberation of the Galillee" and "On the Settling of the Galillee", along with photos, personal letters, a knowledge quiz and patriotic exhortations from David Ben-Gurion and even Berl Katznelson (who died 5 years earlier). Israeli forces participating in this operation includes the 1st ("Golani"), 2nd ("Carmeli", whose commander, Moshe Carmel, oversaw the operation), 7th (armoured) and 9th ("Oded") brigades. Overall in excellent condition, though a few pages have some tears.
Item Code: 0020023 Price: SOLD