Red Devils! Jews at the Battle of Arnhem, Sept. 1944

[StefanM]

I recently came across a very interesting article and listing of Jewish servicemen who participated at the Battle of Arnhem of whom 28 served with the Polish paras which maybe be of interest of some members and guests to the forum

It might be worth considering setting up a "History & Research" sub-forum on the Polish section such as those already on other forums sections... just a thought?


Red Devils! Jews at the Battle of Arnhem, Sept. 1944

By MARTIN SUGARMAN, BA, Cert Ed, (Assistant Archivist, Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women Jewish Military Museum)

Twenty eight Polish Jewish Airborne Soldiers (from the relatively small Polish Brigade) fought at Arnhem, of whom ten were officers - see "Jewish Military Casualties in the Polish Armies in WW2" by Benjamin Meirtchak, Tel-Aviv, Israel, 1995. Many more did not admit to being Jewish; it has been possible to trace the names of only about half of them here.

Mr A. Witko, formerly of the Polish Section of the British Army Records Office in Hayes was extremely helpful in providing further details of the Polish Jewish Airborne men. Some had enlisted as Catholic and Atheist - and one even as C of E, extremely unlikely for a Pole! This yet again is clear evidence of the fact that many Polish Jews lied about their religion (for fear of capture by the Germans as well as anti-Semitism in the Polish Forces) and obviously the real number of Polish Jews serving is a great underestimate.


283359 & 1922/59/I Pte Anatol Bier - 1st Polish Independent Par Brig - KIA at Driel, 22.9.44 aged 22 years. Born Krakow 13.1.22 son of Szymon and Adela nee Margulisz. Served Iran/Iraq/Palestine in 3rd Para Bat. Awarded Polish Field Para. Badge with 4 British medals. Had been deported to Soviet Union in 1940. Photo in WWRT Addendum page 51. His Field Burial was in the grounds of the Schuijling, near the Post Office at Driel and his name on the Roll of Honour at Nijmegen/Groesebeek War Museum, as well as the Polish memorial at Driel itself. There is no religious symbol on his grave at Oosterbeek.

30053853 Cpl Moszek Groman(u) - Polish Paras (Meirtchak) died of wounds. Born 18.12.1912 Grojec, Warsaw son of Zelek and Cyrla nee Liber - fought in Poland 1939, served Iran/Iraq/Palestine, Polish 3rd Para bat. Field Ambulance. Awarded Polish Field Para. Badge, Wound badge and 4 British medals. Had been deported to Soviet Union as POW Sept. 17th 1939 till 24 March 1942. Wounded/died of wounds at Arnhem. Lennard informant claims he survived and went to live in Israel post-war.

PLF/1920 2nd Lt (Infantry) Karol Maksymilian Aszkenazy - born 18.5.20 in Vienna, son of Joachim and Klara nee Gutman - HQ 1st Indep. Polish Paras. - awarded Field Para. Badge and 4 British medals.

1921/171 L/Cpl Nissan Hajtler - born 4.1.21 Warsaw son of Abram and Sura nee Goldberg - served Iran/Iraq/Palestine - 1st bat Ist Indep. Polish Paras/4th Warsaw Rifles/4th Polish Infantry Div. - awarded Field Para badge and 4 British medals.

30030285 Pte/Cpl Kersch/Heszel Krugman - Polish Paras (JIW) - born 18.9.1911 Bialystok son of Tefio and Chaja nee Bryskja - 4th Para bat. HQ Coy., 1st Indep. Polish Paras - awarded Polish Army medal and 4 British medals.

13805440 Backwitz/Bachwitz, fought as Chris Blakely - Jewish refugee (JIW). Veteran Harry Ford says he was with bachwitz when he voluteered to swim the Rhine and bring in the Polish reinforcements. In the UK, Bachwitz went to see Ford's mother to assure her that Harry was alive as a POW. PC and 21st Indep. Paras. - also served North Africa, Italy, Norway.

P14137 Lt (Cavalry) Jerzy/George Zygmunt Bereda Fijalkowski - 1st Mounted Rifle Reg. in 1939 Polish campaign, 21st Lancers in France, 3rd Para bat. - WiA, escaped - died of wounds 28.4.45 (Meirtchak) - winner of Virtuti Militari (Polish VC) and Field Para Badge and 4 British medals. Born 19.12.17/15.7.20 Warsaw (Witko)/ Ostrow Mozowiecki, son of Zygmunt and Halina nee Barylska. Buried Donnington, England. Enlisted as RC.

PLF/1890 2nd Lt (Infantry) Gustav Jozef Tadeusz Lambert - Polish Paras. - JIW - born 23.7.1890 in Bihac Yugoslavia - served Polish regiment in Austro-Hungarian Army 6.8.14 to 28.11.16, Engineers Lubiana, Slovenia and Zloczow, Poland 10.1.17 till 1.11.1918 - POW Polish Independence Organisation July 1917 to 11.11.1918 - served Polish Army 11.11.1918 to 25.1.1928 - deported to USSR 1940-41 where he enlisted 19.5. 42 into Polish Army in Iran. Enlisted as RC.

30100326 Sgt. David Salik - Polish Paras. - born 20.2.1914 Sande/Sanok, near Lvov, son of Salim and Rozalia nee Tyn - POW Russia 18.9.39 till 9.2.42 - escaped (JC Spring 1997) - served Poland 1939, Iran/Iraq/Palestine 1942 - Para Field Ambulance, 3rd Para bat. - awarded Field Para badge, Army Medal and Bronze Cross of Merit with Swords and 4 British medals. Photo AJEX Museum and personal interview.

30068370 L/Cpl Jozef Szreiber - Polish Paras. - born 11.2.1922 Warsaw son of Jakub and Adela nee Gingold - 2nd Para bat. - awarded Field Para badge and 4 British medals.

P/1364 2nd Lt (Medical Corps) Dr Henryk Urich - Polish Paras. Later Prof of Neuropathology at London Hospital, Whitechapel. - born 15.8.1916 Vienna son of Joachim and Maria nee Rosenstock - served France 1940 Ambulance Coy., 4th Cadre Rifle Brigade and 3rd and 1st Polish Paras. - awarded Field Para badge, Cross of Valour and 4 British medals.

P/13677 Pte/Lt (Witko) Paul/Pawel Weitzen, (Medical Corps) Polish paras - JIW - born 18.11.1908 Stanislawow son of Izak and Genia nee Zukier - served France 1939-40 10th Ambulance Coy, 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade and 2nd and 3rd Para bats. - awarded Army medal and 4 British medals.

Polish decorations awarded to Jewish servicemen at Arnhem:

Polish Virtuti Militari - 2

Polish MM - 5

Polish Bronze Cross of Merit - 1

Polish Cross of Valour - 1


Article Source

[Gary J]

I was in touch with Mr.Sugarman some years back, to correct a few details .

I still see he has POR.Mieczyslaw Grunbaum listed as KIA ... which is incorrect !

Gary J.

(P/10952 2nd Lt (Engineers) Mieczyslaw Grunbaum - born 4.7.21 Kalisz, Poznan, son of Marek and Paulina nee Krauze - served France 1939-40 and Para Engineers - awarded Field Para Badge and VIRTUTI MILITARI, AND 4 BRITISH MEDALS - wounded at Arnhem then KIA 14.4.45.)
..

[Jerry B]

In the photos I took of the cemetery at Oosterbeek, I noticed that a few of the graves there amongst the other allied forces were Jewish, though the Polish headstones did not show religion as far as I remember.

[cichociemny]

Great article!!! I know there is one somewhere on Polish Air Force pilots that were Jewish.

[Datrus]

Wasn't there also quite a lot of jews in the Wehrmacht?

Regards, Lars

[cichociemny]

Everyone was in the Wehrmacht... My greatgrandmother was jewish her husband greatgrandfather was in the luftwaffe then Polish 2nd Corps 1944-45 and his son, my grandfathers brother was in the Soviet Army 1944-45.... figure that out...

[Datrus]

I am not sure i understand the "figure that out" part..... So your great grandfather served in LW and went to Palestine with the 2nd Corps? I believe that was where they were located at that time.

Regards, Lars

[StefanM]

Everyone was in the Wehrmacht... My greatgrandmother was jewish her husband greatgrandfather was in the luftwaffe then Polish 2nd Corps 1944-45 and his son, my grandfathers brother was in the Soviet Army 1944-45.... figure that out...

What an interesting family history

[StefanM]

I was in touch with Mr.Sugarman some years back, to correct a few details .

I still see he has POR.Mieczyslaw Grunbaum listed as KIA ... which is incorrect !

Gary J.

(P/10952 2nd Lt (Engineers) Mieczyslaw Grunbaum - born 4.7.21 Kalisz, Poznan, son of Marek and Paulina nee Krauze - served France 1939-40 and Para Engineers - awarded Field Para Badge and VIRTUTI MILITARI, AND 4 BRITISH MEDALS - wounded at Arnhem then KIA 14.4.45.)
..

The article is quite old "30.6.99 - final publication date; update 1.08.09" and doesn't look as though its updated recently either.

I only discovered the article and the author because I was researching Polish Jewish participation in the Spanish Civil War and how some of those that were in the Botwin brigade (socialist/communists) of a Jewish sub-unit of the Palafox Battalion, 13th Dabrowski Brigade of the International Brigade later took part in the Ghetto uprising and partisan activities in Poland during WWII.

[Gary J]

Well, I was in touch nearly 10 years ago, .... and he didn't seem too bothered about cross referencing to make sure the details were correct.

Cheers

Gary

The article is quite old "30.6.99 - final publication date; update 1.08.09" and doesn't look as though its updated recently either.