This second edition, first published in 1989, contains a comprehensive and indispensable history of the members of the Jewish community who served and died in the British Armed Forces during the Second World War. Many were British-born or living in Britain, but large numbers of Jews in Palestine also volunteered. The book is illustrated with numerous photographs of individual servicemen and women or, sadly, their gravestones. It also includes research on Jews who fought with the Chindits, as well as Jewish servicemen in the Korean War, Kenya, Malaya, and Cyprus, and those who served in other units and in other post-war conflicts. In addition, there is a detailed record of Jewish prisoners of war of the Germans, of the Japanese, and of those who served in Special Forces. We Will Remember Them is a vital tribute to those Palestinian/Israeli subjects who volunteered for active duty under the administration of the British Mandate, as well as to those for whom being Jewish also meant being

Here, for the first time, is the account of the essential part played by Jewish personnel in Britain's Fire Service during World War II. Ever civic minded, British Jews from all social backgrounds were pre-war volunteers to be trained for dealing with the expected mass bombing of cities by the Germans. After war was declared, by 1940/41, many younger Jewish men and women volunteered or were called up to the armed services, while many who were too old or unfit for the military stayed on with the Fire Service. A considerable number of Jewish men and women played a major role in the civil defense of Britain. Some won bravery awards, including the only George Cross - the highest civilian award for courage - won by a London Fireman during the war. Many gave their lives; this is their story. Through the use of archival material, books, and personal 'Last Voice' interviews, the book has captured part of this extraordinary contribution of daring, effort, and suffering. Numerous, never-before-published photographs illustrate and illuminate the text. *** Librarians: ebook available [Subject: History, Military Studies, Jewish Studies, World War II]

This book contains dozens of accounts - both horrific and inspiring, amusing and sad - of the experiences of Jewish prisoners of war and internees from Commonwealth and Dutch forces imprisoned by the Japanese during World War II. Along with dozens of photographs from private collections, the material presented is previously unpublished, gathered from personal interviews and archives worldwide. Under the Heel of Bushido is a tribute to the courage and suffering of these men and women of the Jewish community whose experiences have been virtually ignored. The veterans interviewed for the book share painful testimonies, offering a snapshot of the total Jewish involvement, as so many of the 550 or so Jewish prisoners of war who survived their ordeal passed away before they could tell their stories. There was a particular Jewish participation and encounter with the Japanese, and Under the Heel of Bushido chronicles this unique account for the first time. *** "Anti-Semitism was largely absent; the concept - and the Nazis' obsession with Jews - was puzzling to most Japanese, though there were incidents initiated by German liaison officers and Muslim propaganda, and, of course, cruel acts done simply out of spite toward the enermy....In the absence of synagogues and rabbis, many of the Jewish POSs attempted and managed nonetheless to practice accommodated forms of Judaic rituals, including Friday night Sabbath services and, too often, funerals." - The NYMAS Review; StrategyPage, May 2014

This book is a response to the oft-perpetrated myths of Anglo-Jewry's lack of fighting spirit and its failure to participate in the Second World War. Anglo-Jewry has never formed more than about one half of one per cent of the population, yet the figures show that their contribution to the armed forces has always been out of proportion to their numbers. Fighting Back provides an insight into the Anglo-Jewish contribution to the Allied victories over the Nazi and Japanese threats. The book also highlights the role of the Jews in the Spanish Civil War and the Korean War. Its wide-ranging approach to the contributions that Jews made looks at, among other things: the paratroopers at the Battle of Arnhem; the much neglected and almost forgotten Auxiliary Services of Civil Defense; the Jews at Bletchley Park; and the Jewish-Palestinian volunteers from Israel. Anglo-Jewry, together with Jews from Israel, may thus be deeply and justly proud of this history of fighting back, fighting for democracy, and fighting for peace. This book will stand as permanent testimony to the truth.