Leah Garret (2021) Xtroop: The Secret Jewish Commandos Who Helped Defeat the Nazis.

Most nations have soldiers considered the best of the best. A deeply unpopular Margaret Thatcher won an election on the back of the Falklands war. On 5^th May 1980, it took the SAS 17 minutes, much of it filmed and shown repeatedly on the telly, of them abseiling from the roof of the Iranian Embassy in South Kensington to free 26 hostages. We love our heroes. Leah Garret is asking us to remember a largely forgotten group. It’s in the title: The Secret Jewish Commandos Who Helped Defeat the Nazis.       

Xtroop were in simplified form, the SAS, but all of them were Jewish. Churchill and Mountbatten (blown up by the IRA) had a willingness to commit resources to maverick forces. 350 were interviewed. 87 made it through the harsh training regime. Disrupters. Both of the British army structure and the German lines. Most of the SAS were working class, but thrived in the flattened command stricture where they were able to work autonomously without all the saluting and boot polishing. Xtroop differed in that most of the volunteers were middle-class or upper-middle class. They could speak several languages, German, like a native, as many of them were. But who could operate alone or in clandestine groups and who paid back their belief by moving up the battlefield ranks on merit (not being born middle-class and attending officer training school as a birth right as was the norm).  

There’s a picture of, for example, Ian Harris (Hans Ludwig Hajos) winner of the Military Medal leading hundreds of German soldiers he’d captured with a tommy-gun single-handedly. A good argument could be made for the honours and medals they received were downgraded because of who they were: refugees.

Britain, like most other pre-second World War nations, took in a handful of Jews (10 000 in the Quaker led Kinder transports).

‘Collar the lot of them,’ Winston Churchill said of the potential fifth columnists of around 70 000 residents of German and Austrian descent resident in Britain when the Second World War began.

Refugees were also ‘collared’, Jews included, while most of the six million others were murdered by the Nazis and their accomplices. Garrett shows how badly authorities treated those that did make it to Britain. Locking them up in former rat and lice infested factories in Manchester, starving and abusing them. Shipping refugee Jews off to Commonwealth nations like Australia in the hold of over-crowded ships conditions resembling the journeys of immigrants on death ships during the  Irish Potato Famine.

Treating refugees in the way the moron’s moron Trump and many right-wing critics consider we should treat sub-humans (conditions can never be harsh enough for some commentators) with many in the British establishment sharing Hitler’s value.

Garrett does not and cannot follow every Xtrooper from pre-Second-World War middle-class life to training to kill Nazis to post-war years that include debriefing those involved in the Holocaust. She selects a few members to represent the whole. Those that had five minutes to select an Anglicised name to disguise their identity and who trained for missions like the multilingual elite athletes of death they were, garrisoned at Aberdovey in Wales.

1.Peter Arany (Peter Masters)– From Vienna during the Anschluss, he later moved to the United States after his service to Britain.

2. Manfred Gans (Fred Gray)– A Dutch Jew who later wrote a memoir, Life Gave Me a Chance.

3. Colin Anson (Claus Ascher) – A German-Jewish refugee who took on a British identity.

4. George Lane (Dezső László)– A Hungarian Jew who conducted daring reconnaissance missions.

5. Ian Harris (Hans Ludwig Hajos)– Fought in Normandy and up through the Rhine and settled in Britain.

6. Tony Firth (Georg Fleischer)– Served in Italy, when the German’s dug in, and became a businessman in  post-war Britain.

7. Brian Grant (Bernhard Grunewald)– Fought in Normandy and up through the Rhine. Emigrated to Australia (where many Jewish refugees were dumped by the British government).

The postscript, of course, is Israel is committed to the genocidal killing of Palestinians whose land they stole and now claim as their own homeland. Most descriptions of Palestinian citizen use many of the same derogatory language of killing rats (sub humans) as those applied to Jews in Nazi Germany. Read on.

  Notes.

During the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) over 35,000 volunteers from 52 countries participated in the International Brigades.

George Orwell’s book, Homage to Catalonia details the infighting and betrayal of the Soviets. Ernest Hemingway supported the cause as a well-paid journalist and author commentor.

 

The International Brigades were organized into units based on nationality. Examples, Abraham Lincoln Brigade from the United States The British Battalion. Ohers from countries like France, Germany, and Italy.

Volunteers were driven by a shared commitment to combat fascism and protect democratic ideals after martial law and a stolen election in Spain (not the USA).

Giuseppe Mazzini’s The Duties of Man

•  Focus on Duties, Not Just Rights:
  
  • Mazzini emphasized that people should focus on their responsibilities to others, not just on what they're entitled to. He believed that focusing on rights alone leads to selfishness and social problems.
  • Basically, he thought what you should do is more important than what you can get.
  • John F.Kennedy’s Inaugural Speech, New Frontier: "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."
• Mazzini, Importance of Humanity:
  
  • He stressed the interconnectedness of all people. Everyone has a duty to work for the betterment of humanity as a whole.
  • In simple terms, we should all help each other.
• Nationalism as a Duty: (no draft-dodging Presidents)
  
  • Mazzini was a strong advocate for Italian unification. He saw national identity as a crucial part of one's duty to humanity. He believed that people who share language and culture should be united.
  • Nationalism, in his view, was a way to contribute to the greater good of the world.
• Moral Education:
  
  • He believed that people need to be morally educated to understand and fulfil their duties.
  • People need to learn right from wrong, and how to be good citizens.
• God and Moral Law:
  
  • Mazzini’s philosophy was rooted in a belief in God and a divine moral law. He saw this law as the source of human duties.
  • He believed that God set the rules for how humans should behave.
• The working class:
  
  • Much of the writing was directed to the working class, to give them a moral compass, and to give them a sense of purpose in the building of a better society.

The Duties of Man is a call for people to live ethically, to work for the common good, and to recognize their responsibilities to both their nation and humanity.

1. French Foreign Legion: One of the most famous examples, this elite unit has been composed of volunteers from around the world since its inception in 1831. Many of its members have been exiles or individuals seeking a fresh start, and they serve under French command.

 

2. Polish Armed Forces in Exile: During World War II, Polish soldiers who escaped Nazi and Soviet occupation formed military units in the UK and other Allied nations. These forces played a significant role in battles like Monte Cassino.

 

3. Gurkhas in the British Army: While not exiles in the traditional sense, Gurkhas from Nepal have served in the British Army for over 200 years. Their loyalty and bravery have made them a vital part of British military history.

 

4. Jewish Brigade in World War II: Composed of Jewish volunteers from Palestine, this brigade fought under British command and contributed to the Allied war effort.

 

5. X Troop: As discussed earlier, this British unit during World War II was made up of Jewish refugees from Nazi-occupied Europe, who adopted pseudonyms and fought as elite commandos.

 

6. United States Military: The U.S. has a long history of integrating foreign-born individuals into its armed forces. Programs like the MAVNI (Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest) have allowed non-citizens with critical skills to serve in exchange for expedited citizenship.

1. British Special Air Service (SAS): Known for their expertise in counter-terrorism, reconnaissance, and hostage rescue, the SAS has inspired many other special forces worldwide.

 

2. United States Navy SEALs: Famous for their rigorous training and versatility, the SEALs are involved in maritime operations, direct action warfare, and special reconnaissance.

 

3. Indian MARCOS (Marine Commandos): Specializing in amphibious warfare, MARCOS are highly trained in close combat, urban warfare, and anti-piracy missions.

 

4. Israeli Sayeret Matkal: This elite unit focuses on intelligence-gathering and counter-terrorism, often operating deep behind enemy lines.

 

5.French GIGN (National Gendarmerie Intervention Group)**: Known for their counter-terrorism and hostage rescue operations, the GIGN is one of the most respected units in Europe.

 

6. Russian Spetsnaz: These units are known for their unconventional warfare tactics and are involved in counter-terrorism and reconnaissance missions.

Unleash the Beastie! https://bit.ly/bannkie