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DOCUMENTS & EPHEMERA of the ISRAEL DEFENCE FORCES (1948-):
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Israeli Army Intelligence Corps ("Aman") translation of Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser's treatise "The Philosophy of the Revolution", November 1954. A 51-page paperback booklet presented in the then style (since the late 1930's) of internal Israeli military/police documents: small size (12cm x 16cm), plain and simple text cover. The booklet is entitled "Booklet for Awareness of the Middle East, No. [no number given]"; the word "Restricted" has since been crossed off, and below is written "This booklet is the property of the Israel Defense Forces, General Staff, Intelligence Corps".
The booklet, Nasser's ideological blueprint outlining Egypt's leading role in the Arab world, features a sober and balanced - if revealing - preface by the then head of "Aman", Colonel B. [Binyamin] Gibli, in which writes: "The image of the Colonel Gamal Abed Al Nasser, the military ruler of Egypt these days, is one of the most fascinating of among the leaders of the Arab states. It has a lot of elements which are not usual in leadership as contrasted with the old school: a degree of youth, fervor, emotion, and a sincere ambition for social improvements. With that, Abed Al Nasser serves - through his own personality - as a symbol for the misgivings which characterize the younger generation which today rules in a few of the Arab states. Emotion and logic serve him in a mixed form: an extreme sense of righteousness together with prejudices; religion and secularism. It won't be surprising therefore that these internal contradictions frequently find expression in contradicting positions and declarations and in frequent upheavals in the government itself. To all these matters the writer of this treatise - Abed Al Nasser - gives faithful expression. In the name of the booklet itself, "The Philosophy of the Revolution", there is an element of contradiction as the writer himself admits, and who finds difficulty reconciling between his impressions as they come up in his booklet and his general world-view - which is based on philosophy. Indeed the Egyptian revolution has not yet reached a crystallization of its world view. The revolution itself stands as an accomplished fact, but its orientation and direction are still in question. The Israeli reader will find in this booklet a rare opportunity to be in the atmosphere of a young Arab military leader who learned - however - not a small lesson from the War of Independence with us. The position of Abed Al Nasser towards the problem of Eretz Israel expresses openly the inner feelings of this Arab leader. The reader would do well to delve further into the contents of this booklet; he will find it to be a key to understanding the events transpiring across the border which has not yet known peace [with us] for the past seven years."
Gibli himself was transferred from his position the following year as a result of the mishandling of "Operation Suzanna" - the "Lavon Affair", in which Israeli agent-provocateurs attacked American targets in Egypt in an attempt to discredit the Egyptian regime. One other notable characteristic of this booklet is that it came out immediately after the Egyptian edition that same year; the English edition came out in 1955. In overall good condition with a liquid stain on the pages and a small tear on the cover page.
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Item Code: 0120024 Price: $50
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Israeli military driver's license, 1948. Thick card license issued 1 August, 1948 to Alexander Feinrich to drive a motorcycle, by the Transportation Service of the military (embossed and dated stamp, and officer's signature). Issued during the height of the War of Independence, the card's stylized 'Bauhaus' font is unmistakably Israeli, while its production on simple card-paper highlights the period of strife during which it was produced. Has a small tear at the side.
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Item Code: 0010173 Price: $30
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Set of 3 old Israeli Army (IDF) soldiers' magazine issues of "Ba'machane" ('In the Camp' - "The Newspaper of the Soldiers of Israel"), 1949-52. The first issue (16 June 1949) commemorates one year to the death of David 'Mickey' Marcus. David Marcus was an American West Point graduate and former commander of the Ranger School who came to Israel at Ben Gurion's invitation to help train, organize and lead the new Israel Defense Forces in the War of Independence (1947-49). Marcus succeeded in a manner that turned him into the first Israeli general in nearly 2,000 years. Ben Gurion called him "the best man we had", and in tribute to his services the army magazine dedicated an issue to him.
On the cover he is referred to as "The commander, D. M. Marcus". Inside there is a biographical article on Marcus, highlighting his contributions to the IDF, as well as a personal recollection written by the then Chief of Staff, Ya'akov Dori, in which he writes: "I had the privilige of meeting Col. Marcus many times in the course of his short service in Israel. He was my most trustworthy advisor in many instances. I admired his judgment, his ingenuity, and the inspiration which came from his arguments. In these personal qualities and in his realistic approach to military problems he contributed greatly to the completion of the Israeli war machine." There is also an article on a monument to soldiers of the War of Independence (which ended 3 months earlier, in March 1949), a piece on students (i.e. demobilized soldiers) returning to studies at the Terre Santa Franciscan school, plus columns on art, sport, chess - and pictures of the week (of soldiers, Arab residents, and even a woman receiving one of the first austerity period ['Tzena'] ration booklets. The back cover features a bare-chested female(?) sunbather. Nice period-piece graphic advertisements, too.
The second issue (29 June 1950) features the Nachal (soldier-pioneer/farmer) infantry brigade moving out into the wilderness (to help establish communities). Characteristically the cover photo is of a female sergeant (illustrating the equality between males and females in the Army). The issue opens with photo of the opening of a forest to commemorate the Soviet victory in the Second World War. There is a background piece on the Korean War; an article on the military agreement of the Arab League; a photo-article on the visit of British Admiral (of the Mediterranean Fleet) Sir Johan Adelsten; a piece on lessons of spying in the Second World War; and the usual columns and graphic adverts, including letters from soldiers. The back cover features a photo of the American entertainer Eddie Cantor in the company of IDF soldiers.
The third issue (24 April 1952) is from a period where the magazine contains more content, and more detached observations of issues. It covers "Operation 600", the final physical tests of 600 graduates of the Officers school who subsequently rejoined the ranks of the IDF. Many nice photos of foreign military observers, IDF equipment and Ben Gurion among the boys. The paper includes photo reminiscences of events in 1947 and 1948 ("today in history"), pieces on preparations for the upcoming Independence Day celebrations, something on officers and soldiers studying economics and law at night; a survey of news from other foreign armies including the results of the American war maneuvers "Long Ram Horn", the battles on the border to Pakistan and India, a new American rifle to replace the "Garant". There are also assorted news surveys from around the world and specifically on the Arab states. There's a piece about the country focusing on its stamp treasures at the second national stamp exhibition, and a second part to a series on "Secrets of the British Censor".
Bamachane was first launched by the pre-State Jewish defense force "Haganah" ('Defense') in December 1934, and the paper (now 64 pages long) is now the country's oldest weekly. Nostalgic with interesting, rarely seen pictures of Army insignia and equipment. The first two issues have frayed edges, some tears and loose pages; the last issue is solid.
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Item Code: 0120013 Price: SOLD
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Captured books from the Egyptian war vessel "Ibrahim Al Awal" by First Sergeant Shlomo Zohar, 1956 (see item 0020027.2).
Early in the morning on the third day of the Sinai Campaign ("Operation Kadesh"), 31 October 1956, the Egyptian destroyer "Ibrahim al Awal" entered Haifa Bay from Port Said and fired several rounds at the city. The shelling lasted only a few minutes as an anchored French warship returned fire, forcing the Ibrahim al Awal to evacuate the area. She sailed northwest from Haifa and slipped between neutral American ships in that area. At dawn, she was spotted by the Israeli Air Force who strafed the ship and disabled her electrical, steering and munitions delivery systems. Her crew abandoned ship and both they and the ship were captured by the Israeli naval vessels, "Eilat" and "Yafo".
According to a fellow-member of Zohar's boarding party, they found the Ibrahim al Awal completely abandonned and captured the Egyptian sailors from the sea waters. They brought them on board their vessel and fed the Egyptian sailors as they sat cross-legged on the deck (before their captain permitted them to sit and eat). Once ashore, the captured Egyptian crew was turned over to the Israeli military police. The Egyptian vessel was towed back to Haifa, where it was repaired, and redesignated the I.N.S. "Haifa".
The books are intact, though worn and the covers frail. They are stamped by the library on board the Egyptian vessel, and First Sergeant Zohar himself has written in Hebrew that they come from the Ibrahim al Awal. This same comrade of Zohar's recounts that some twenty years later, Zohar commit suicide.
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Item Code: 0020027.3 Price: SOLD
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A lot of of 7 "Visiting Permits" of the Interior Ministry issued by the Israeli Army to Arab residents of the occupied territories, 1976-77. These 7 permits were issued by various local military and civil authorities in cities in the West Bank and the Gaza strip between December 1976 and January 1977. The documents bear interesting stamps, including entry stamps for Allenby Bridge, Adam Bridge, Metulla Crossing and Ben Gurion airport; and local authorization stamps from the civil authority of Gaza (city), the military government of Dir al-Balach, the military representation in Ramallah, the military command in Hebron and also in Bethlehem. One document also bears 12 "Zahal" (Israel Defence Forces) military revenue stamps (Bale W.Rev.38), which were used since 1967 in the occupied territories for collecting transit fees (see lot 0010066). All pictures are represented in the order just described. An interesting documentary and philatelic lot, in Very Fine condition.
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Item Code: 0010077 Price: $20
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Israeli "Ma'ariv" newspaper wartime edition for Yom Kippur War: the 10 October 1973 "Sukkot" holiday edition, on the 4th day of the war with Egypt and Syria; 20 pages long including a separate holiday supplement. The opening headlines read: "Large Syrian 'pocket' in central Golan Heights destroyed"; "Heavy Katyusha rocket attack overnight on Kiryat Shmona"; "Iraqi force enters Syria"; "British intelligence confirms that the Russians are on their way to Israel". A brief comment by the paper's staff apologises for the shortness of the holiday edition due to many of its workers being drafted into the army and wishes its readers a happy holiday.
Other stories inside are split between the "northern front", "southern front", "home front", the "political front", and speak of the Syrian ground forces sustaining a heavy blow; a force of 15 Israeli soldiers holding out for 50 hours against Syrian tank and infantry forces; Egyptian television broadcasting scores of Israeli prisoners of war; 32 Israeli soldiers from an outpost on the Suez canal fighting encirclement for 60 hours and marching 8 hours in overrun territory back to an IDF base; an early article bringing up the issue that an Israeli pre-emptive strike (before the outbreak of the war) would have caused a deep rift between her and the United States - a long-standing sore fact that makes appraising the causes of the war painful to solve. The holiday supplement contains interesting war maps of the two battle fronts, of the first 3 days of the war. And also of note - the early use of the phrase "the Yom Kippur War" in the presentation of the war coverage, as the war did indeed become known by this name in Israel.
The significance of early War editions like this one lies partially in the fact that the Yom Kippur War was the last full scale war between Israel and her neighbors (in a sense the last major war in the middle east between more than two parties), and also in the fact that the surprise of the attack was so pivotal that the making of progress in the war - and of history - in the early days of the war were measured day by day by an accumulation of many big and small events. In this case, Israel's first counter-attack on the 8th of October failed, so that by the day of this edition - the 10th - the country was facing the real possibility of a catastrope. The sad irony is that the war was actually one of limited aims by the Egyptians and Syrians, but the Israeli leadership surprised by the attack, panicked and encouraged the Arab forces to continue further. The paper is in very good condition: not mint, with vertical and horizontal folds, but no tears and even suitable for framing.
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Item Code: 0070018 Price: SOLD
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Israeli "Ma'ariv" newspaper wartime edition for Yom Kippur War: the 15 October 1973 Monday edition, on the 9th day of the war; 12 pages long. Occuring the same day but not yet appearing in the day's papers was the Israeli ground operation which effectively turned the tide of the war in her favor until the end - Operation Valiant ("Abirey Lev" in Hebrew), Israel's counter-attack against the Egyptians in the Sinai and the crossing of the Suez canal; the operation in which Ariel Sharon gained fame. This edition opens with uncharacteristically open reports about Israel's casualties, 656 soldiers dead so far (it took the defense minister, Moshe Dayan, two days from the outbreak of the war - October 8th - to publicly admit the heavy losses the army was sustaining).
Other headlines read: "New York Times: Israel's air superiority diminished"; "25 Egyptian sea vessels sunk overnight in Israeli navy attack on Suez". Other stories from inside include an article on the death of IDF Gen. Albert Mandler, commander of the 252 Sinai Division, by Egyptian artillery fire (he was killed on the 13th); Israeli forces 30 kilometers away from Damascus; Egypt leaves 200 tanks and 1000 dead after 7 hour tank battle with Israel. More noteworthy in this edition are actually the emergency notices: a whole page devoted to hotlines for soldiers from various municipalities and areas of the country - from Netanya and Ashdod to Kibbutz Afikim and Arad; a "special concert" featuring Isaac Stern by the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra and the Israel Broadcasting Authority; another special concert by the Israeli Classical Ensemble featuring Pinchas Zuckerman; also an editorial cartoon by the cartoonist 'Dosh' (Kariel Gardosh). The paper is in very good condition, though with two tears on the upper left corner of the front page; vertical and horizontal folds.
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Item Code: 0070019 Price: $12
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Set of 8 original Israeli color photos from the Yom Kippur War (1973), depicting after-battle scenes of the Sinai front with Egypt. The photos include scenes of an unidentified Israeli IDF officer and private on captured Egyptian T-62 tanks, a mobile pontoon over a water way (perhaps the Suez Canal), an upturned pick-up truck, a barren battlefield with signs of wreckage and a destroyed (T-62?) tank. All in excellent condition.
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Item Code: 0070015 Price: $12
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PRE-STATE JEWISH FORCES, NOTRIM, the HAGANAH, PALMACH, IRGUN & LEHI:
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"Noter" (Hebrew constable/supplementary Police) training manual: "Application of Fire" ("Matan Esh ve'Shimusha"), 1937. A Hebrew translation of one of a series of English-language military training manuals used by the British Army.
This is booklet "B" of the series on "Small Arms Training", published by "La'Noter" ("For the 'Noter'") publishers and printed by M. Sokhovolsky press in Haifa, 1937; hardcover with 48 pages, including diagrams; "For the Use of Supplementary Police" ("Shotrim Musafim", as written in Hebrew). Imprinted with the price (50 Mils) on the back cover. The cover is mostly loosened from the folio of pages, with some signs of water damage on the front cover, but all the pages are clean, intact and well bound together.
The Jewish "Supplementary Police" (in any of its various names, known collectively in Hebrew as the "Notrim") was a legally approved Jewish armed force as of 1936, funded partially by the Palestine Mandatory authorities and also by the Jewish Agency for Palestine. Part of the Agency's assistance came in the form of these translated British training manuals. These were again published in 1939, 1942-43 and even as late as 1948 - twice, before the establishment of the IDF and also after. Most of the manuals in these series' are softback, making the hardback issues scarcer to find.
For additional items relating to the "Notrim" please see items 0120035, 0120036 and 0120028 in our "Eretz Israel memorabilia section" here.
More pictures: front cover of "Noter" training manual, inside page of manual, sketch of how to aim fire from a water tower, a typical feature of the-then Jewish settlements
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Item Code: 0110057 Price: $75
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'Etzel' training manual: "Drill Exercises", a rudimentary, type-written booklet of drills and exercises for instilling discipline into soldiers; anonymous and undated (circa. 1946-48 - during the height of the 'Hebrew Revolt' against the British Mandate). This is a 36-page manual with thick paper covers, double-sided pages and some basic sketches of troop movements in aid of making formations.
On the surface, what makes this a fascinating publication is its corner-stone content which is intended "to instill discipline, for the purpose of developing the habit to operate instinctively, without hesitation" - it is on the basis of these procedures that the modern-day Israeli military is based. The booklet is neatly divided into 14 lessons, including instruction on various stances, turns, marches, poise during movement and movement of formations.
Though the booklet does not identify its origins, it came from a former member of the National Military Organization (also called the 'Etzel' or 'Irgun'), and unlike 'Haganah' or early IDF training manuals, it does not identify its author or parent body (other manuals in this series do quote Jabotinsky and so reveal their orientation). The significance in this regard is not only that the manual formed part of the discipline of the right-wing underground 'Irgun' organization, it is also testament to that organization's ability to have transformed from an underground force to a standing, field fighting force, whose contribution during the War of Independence included the liberation of Jaffo and Tsfat, and the struggle to protect the Jewish quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem.
Formed in 1931, and led from 1943 to 1948 by the future Prime Minister, Menachem Begin, the Eztel numbered around 3,000 men at its peak (probably 10,000 in all). The formation was highly organized and involved in smuggling illegal immigrants to Eretz Israel, clandestine weapons manufacture and acquisition, and it waged war against German, British and Arab forces. Spearheading the 'revolt' against the British Mandatory authority, the formation carried out around 200 notable operations between 1936 and the eve of Independence, the intensity of which caused the British to station over 100,000 troops in post-war Palestine. The Etzel lost 431 members in all of its existence, and was integrated into the new Israel Defense Forces in Summer 1948. A rare and remarkable document.
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Item Code: 0110008 Price: $75
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Rare Irgun/'Etzel' military training manual: "The Bren Machine Gun", a rudimentary 38-page single-sided type-written training booklet on the use of the Bren, circa. 1946-47 (during the height of the 'Hebrew Revolt' against the British Mandate). The manual is structured in 13 chapters accompanied by 19 intricate drawings on the operation and use of the Mark I and Mark II versions of the Bren, an interesting element of which is its localized content but apparently British-inspired pictures: the hand-drawn replications(?) of pictures depict men in authentically British uniforms and helmets, but the text is written from the point of view of the Irgun members themselves. "The advantage of the machine gun is that we can turn out a greater quantity of firepower with a smaller number of men." The opening introduction also left blank space open for someone to hand-write in the English letters and words for the explanation of the 'Bren' gun's name: BR - from Brno, the Czech city in which the gun was originally invented, and EN - from Enfield, the British city where the producing factory was located.
The title page of the manual bears the dedication: "To the memory of Sgt. Ehud", the Irgun "nom de guerre" of Israel Feinerman (21.5.23 - 23.4.46), one of 69 Beitar and Irgun members of the Palestine Regiment court-martialled by the British in 1943 during the "struggle for the flag and symbol" in the British army, for their refusal to wear the regiment's non-Zionist emblem, and later killed during the arms raid on the Ramat Gan police station (in which Dov Gruner, a famous Irgun personality, was wounded). The booklet's binding is loose as are several pages within it; there are some pages with mis-positioned type-setting too, but overall the materials are all intact and lovely for viewing. For a related item, please see Item 0110008.
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Item Code: 0120017 Price: SOLD
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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.
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Item Code: 0120016 Price: $175
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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.
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Item Code: 0010005 Price: $75
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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.
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Item Code: 0020023 Price: SOLD
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Palestine Mandate Jewish Settlement Police ("Notrim") - original black and white photo of Supernumary Police (Settlement Police) in Palestine. Photo dated July 1947. Excellent condition.
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Item Code: 0020016.2 Price: SOLD
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DOCUMENTS & EPHEMERA of JEWISH MILITARY UNITS and INDIVIDUAL JEWISH SOLDIERS:
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Jewish(?) soldier in British Army in Palestine leave pass for a soldier of the 2nd Battalion's workshop of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME - formed in 1942 and similar to an Ordinance Corps), 1944-46. From the document details it seems like the soldier spent a week at a time on leave, apparently going to the main recreational center in the Mandate - Tel Aviv. It is possible that the soldier was either Jewish or a student learning Hebrew, judging by the rudimentary Hebrew handwriting on the reverse, spelling out how many socks and other clothing items to bring. Fine - Very Fine condition.
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Item Code: 0010055 Price: $20
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Rare British Army "Extract" (mini military biography) of a Jewish soldier serving in the Polish forces in exile, in World War II; 1947. Though noteworthy on its own for the details contained within (see below), the historical significance of this paper lies in its background: after the Second World War, many soldiers of the Polish Army in exile remained in the British Isles with Poland herself now being under Soviet/Communist control, and the British viewed these Poles with a degree of suspicion; during this time there erupted the "Hebrew Revolt" against the British Mandate in Palestine, and after the July 1946 King David Hotel attack by the underground Irgun/Eztel organization and frequent parcel-bomb attempts by that organization in Britain, the British exercised great caution with trained Jewish soldiers expressing interest in immigrating to Israel.
In this specific case, among the many Polish soldiers stationed in the UK, there were 245 who had just completed service in Palestine as the "Palestine Group" expressing a desire to remain/return there. The Home Office, leery of the impact these trained Jews would have both in Britain and in Palestine, asked that when the Palestine Group returned to the UK, they be kept as far from London as possible. With this goal in mind, the War Office posted this force to Thurso, Scotland, and held them there for security screenings through no mention of their specific segregation from other Polish forces was to be revealed. Their leave from base was also postponed for 2 weeks to give MI5 (British domestic security) a chance to investigate them. When the force members were given leave, the Home Office, MI5 and MI11 (British Field Security) all wanted to know about it.
This extract was prepared at the Engineers Training Centre P.R.C. at Dounreay Airfield (also known as "HMS Tern II", an airfield run by the Admiralty, and soon thereafter to become a nuclear reactor site in 1955 and secondary base for V-Bombers in the cold war) in Thurso, Caithness, Scotland, by a Polish Record Officer, Lieutenant Brzezinka, from the record sheet of a Lance Corporal Markus Cukerberg (born 1896). The document is stamped by the "Polish Forces Engineers Training Centre". Summarizing details in the bio, Cukerberg arrived in Iran (probably from Poland via the USSR) and began to serve in 1942 "under British command"; he faced a Polish recruiting board medical exam in October 1943 and on the same day was assigned by the Polish Recruiting Office to the ordnance services in Basheet (Gaza/Palestine?). His service record shows duty in Palestine from November 1942 until February 1943; membership in the 37th Ordnance Company in March 1943; service in the Italian Campaign, from January 1944 until May 1945, and service again in Palestine, in the "Palestine Group" from March 1947. This document was prepared in May that same year. Cuckerberg earned the Monte Cassino Cross in March 1945, the 1939-45 Star / Italy Star in December 1945, the Military Medal in April 1946, and the 2nd Corps Distinction in September 1946. In excellent, preserved condition with minor edge wear and a few small tears. For a related item, please see item 0010132.
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Item Code: 0010213 Price: SOLD
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Jewish Brigade Group - original black and white photo of four soldiers of the Jewish Brigade. Handwritten in French on back that photo was taken in "Belgium" (undated but probably 1945). Photo is preserved though two corners are slightly bent. Rare. Enclosed pictures includes a close-up of two solders' sleeves in order to highlight the Brigade's insignias.
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Item Code: 0020016.1 Price: SOLD
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Lot of 3 Polish military documents, 1934-35. A 4-page reservist mobilization card, an 8-page military instruction booklet and a hard-bound military booklet issued to Ischok Kramers (son of Nuchim - Nachum? - and Marjanna - possibly non-Jewish mother) of Kostopol. The documents identify Ischok as a Jew, born 29 April 1907, with military qualifications as a gunner, who was on active duty from March 1930 to September 1934, and partaking in military exercises in August-September 1933. His booklet also indicates that he was issued with a tunic, pants, a coat, shoes, a "Czapka" (Polish military hat), and a gas mask. His reservist mobilization card was issued in September 1934, and Ischok would have reported to the barracks of the 50th Infantry Regiment ("Pulku Piechoty") in the locality of Kowlu. According to the notes in his military booklet, Ischok moved to Palestine in June 1935, and registered himself with the Polish Consulate in Tel Aviv again in September of that year. A unique glimpse at the Jewish experience in an army that prevented many Jews from joining and later fighting. In well-preserved condition, though the hard-bound booklet is a bit loose.
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Item Code: 0020024.1 Price: SOLD
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PALESTINE POLICE & PARAMILITARY FORCES of the PALESTINE MANDATE:
* As Zionist-Jewish affiliated forces follow a separate historical narrative to "official" mandatory forces, those former units are grouped above with "pre-State Israel" forces.
DOCUMENTS & EPHEMERA of FOREIGN ARMIES
(arranged in alphabetical order by country):
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'Belgium: The Official Account of What Happened, 1939-1940', published by the Belgian Ministry [in exile] for Foreign Affairs in London, July 1941. Released around the time of Germany's invasion of Russia, this volume is an offical account of the events surrounding Belgium's involvement in the war before and during her invasion by Germany. The book includes fold-out maps, translated documents and photographs of certain other documents. In excellent condition. First edition. Published by Evans Brothers, London; 110 pages. Some minor flaking and aging of the paper jacket.
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Item Code: 0010182 Price: $20
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Illustrated commemorative book: "Eighteen Months of the 11th Czechoslovak Infantry Battalion - East" ('Osmanact Mesicu'); printed in Jerusalem, Palestine, (October) 1942. This 64-page hardcover book, in Czech and English, pays tribute to the wartime service of this battalion of Czechoslovak exiled soldiers (including Jewish fighters) from France and Russia, who fought within the intricate machinery of the British forces in the Middle East and North Africa.
The book documents the creation, service and experiences of the Battalion for its 18 months of service - with photos and documents - from its inception and training in Gedera, Palestine (late 1940), to its passage through Egypt and duties in the Western Desert as part of the British 23rd Brigade, in Spring 1941; its participation in British incursion into Vichy Lebanon and Syria, in Summer 1941; its return to North Africa in October, this time to beseiged Tobruk, and then onwards to Benghazi and back again. Arriving back in Palestine in early 1942 the Battalion was disbanded and reformed in May of that year as the 200th Light Anti-Aircraft East Regiment (who in turn edited and produced this book). In 1943 the Regiment was transferred to Britain and disbanded, and elements of the unit served with existing Czechoslovak forces in exile there and later in France.
Though obscure, this well illustrated book pays tribute to a small and valiant force which saw action on many fronts. There are many pictures of the unit in training and field service, posing together with Polish forces in exile, in smart and ceremonial parades, and lovely pictures of the Middle East and desert landscapes of that time. The book is in excellent physical condition with complete and mostly crisp pages (some age stains on the initial inside pages), through the binding is loosened from the spine (though easily repairable).
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Item Code: 0120015 Price: $200
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German World War I propaganda postcard - title reads: "A transport of 4000 English prisoners of war at a collection-point in Arras". Appears to be issued from 1917-18, and relating to the 2nd battle of Arras (April-May 1917, in northern France) - as per the helmeted British soldiers. The picture captures a variety of head-wear; also note the diamond-shaped shoulder patches on two of the solders in the foreground, denoting their unit.
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Item Code: 0010034 Price: $10
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German World War I prisoner of war camp permit card - a permit card regarding the Russian inmate ("interpreter and book-binder, Gilarovski; number 50155") - probably the soldier pictured on the obverse - who is stated to be officially permitted to move about the camp. The card is stamped with the signature of the Camp Commandant, Major-General Grisfest(?) and dated 7 July 1916. The card is stamped three more times - on the bottom left of the reverse ("Stamp-cancellation, Hammerstein - Commander of the Military Training Ground"), again, more lightly on the top left of the reverse ("B1 V E.H.") and once on the obverse (by the "First Camp-officer of P.O.W. camp Hammerstein").
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Item Code: 0010036 Price: SOLD
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"Mein Kampf", by Adolf Hitler; published by Zentralverlag der NSDAP, Munich, 1941; 784 pages. "Two volumes in one". Published by the central publishing house of the Nazi Party in Munich. Missing the protective inside page on the front and back sides. The first page proclaims 7 million copies sold. Hard blue cover with the Party's emblem stamped in gilt on the front and the author and name of the book on the spine - most of the gilt is now worn. The last page contains advertisements of various special editions of Mein Kampf available for sale, as well as additional Party ideological publications available - by Rosenberg, Goebbels, Ley, Hess and others. Overall in good preserved condition, with light wear to the cover's edges and some staining on the edges of the first and last pages of the book. Rare.
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Item Code: 0010187 Price: $225
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"Signal" - the German wartime propaganda magazine, French edition 9, 1st issue for May 1941. Issued toward's Germany's zenith in World War II, this issue features a cover shot of two airmen and Knight's Cross holders in the North African desert. Articles include Japanese Foreign Minister Matsuoka's visit to Berlin, remeniscences of General Schekoff, who commanded the Bulgarian army in the First World War; German cultural color photos in the center-fold; women in homefront supporting roles; a swipe at large American aircraft design; inside views of a German tank production plant; and interesting views of civilian homefront life - in color photos.There are also many interesting advertisements, including one for German military uniforms (and in the spirit of the Wehrmacht's successes - the Army (as opposed to the Waffen-SS) is proudly featured in the picture).
"Signal" was the Third Reich's sophisticated version of America's "Life" magazine, aimed largely at the foreign readership of Germany's occupied territories - and translated and distributed as such (see the front cover's long list of countries in it's distribution). The photo-journalistic magazine presented a restrained view of the Reich Government's official ideological line, aiming to win the hearts and minds of citizens in occupied Europe and beyond, and ran from 1940 to 1945. In very fine condition, with some brittling of the page edges and spine.
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Item Code: 0010088 Price: $12
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"Signal" - the German wartime propaganda magazine, French edition 6, (April-May) 1944. Reflecting Germany's changed fortunes in the Second World War, the magazine cover features the nurses of the Red Cross and the inside story documents the organization's assistance for (German) war victims, plus a special section on its services for Allied prisoners of war. Also reflecting the growing influence of the Waffen-SS in Germany's military, the magazine opens with a brief profile of a Belgian volunteer in the Langemark Brigade; there is an illustrated piece on Germany's struggle against (Tito's) partisans in Yugoslavia; interspersing a long piece on the dissolution of the Comintern there are several color and black and white shots of the German military on the eastern front, the far north and the mountains of Slovenia. Plus a last-minute jibe at the American propaganda/army information series, "In Which We Serve".
There are also a series of cultural articles on the new season at the Paris Theater, and the Stradivarius - and many interesting (for this period of the war) advertisements for consumer goods and leisure. In excellent condition.
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Item Code: 0010089 Price: $15
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Great Britain civil defense book: "Home Guard for Victory!", by Hugh Slater; published by Victor Gollantz, London, 1941, 5th impression; 120 pages. Part of the 'Victory Books' series (this one is # 10), the book is written by the former (and late) chief of operations of the International Brigade Staff, which served in Spain during the Civil War - characteristic of the leftist views promoted by the Gollantz press.
The book is as the subtitle says - "an essay" - and not an officially sanctioned presentation, presenting the formation as a useful and positive adjunct to the British armed forces. It delivers interesting analyses and prescriptions for how the Home Guard can be used for defending factories and strategic points; for repelling air landing; for attacking and engaging in street warfare. With many detailed diagrams and illustrations. A compelling and patriotic tract (even if the organization has come to be known as "Dad's Army"). Overall in good condition; some spots on the blue cloth cover; the inside page liner is a little torn.
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Item Code: 0010188 Price: $35
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Great Britain 'Daily Mail' War Atlas observing the opening months of the Second World War, undated (circa Feb. - March 1940). A hardcover 32-page color atlas detailing all continents with present and potential campaigns in the developing world war. Also contains a large-scale pull out map detailing the layout and defensive positions of the probable upcoming western front. In excellent condition, though the back inside binding with the cover is a little loose.
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Item Code: 0010179 Price: $25
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'The Military Strength of the Powers', by Max Werner (translated by Edward Fitzgerald); Victor Gollancz, London, 1939. First edition; Left Book Club edition. A fascinating view of the supposed strengths of the Soviet, German, French, British, Italian, Polish, Japanese and American militaries. Being published by a leftwing publisher, the emphasis on the Red Army is overt and observations about it tragically apologetic in hindsight: "The military strength of the Soviet Union... has its weak sides. [They] are... more a matter of the military strength of the country... i.e. a matter of war potential, rather than of the army itself." The Soviet war experience proved just the opposit. An interesting read. 376 pages.
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Item Code: 0010183 Price: $15
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"Norway Revolts Against the Nazis", book by Jacob Worm-Muller; published by Lindsay Drummond, London, 1941. First edition. Part of the "Europe Under the Nazis" series of publications, the book recounts the events surrounding the German invasion of Norway, the subsequent occupation and Norway's internal and external resistance forces; with an appendix of relevant documents and 14 photographs. Written by a former professor of history at Oslo University, the book captures Norway's plight just a few months before Vidkun Quisling's ascention to power and so just before the beginning of collaborationists' domination of the country. 152 pages. In excellent condition with light edge wear to the blue hardback cover.
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Item Code: 0010189 Price: $20
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"Norge i Fest" - 'Norway Celebrates': a pictoral commemorative book celebrating Norway's liberation from German occupation at the end of World War II. Many pages of interesting photographs depicting foreign dignitaries, the Royal Family, Norwegian and other allied military uniforms; lovely scenes of central Oslo and the surrounding areas; includes scenes of the German surrender, the arrival of the Royal family and the victory parade on Stortingsgata. Published by Mittet & Co., Oslo, 1945. In excellent condition, though the front cover is loosened from the book itself.
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Item Code: 0010178 Price: $20
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U.S.Navy honorable discharge document: Certificate of Satisfactory Service during training and active service in "World War II" to Lynor Glass, 1945-46.
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Item Code: 0020004 Price: SOLD
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