The British Government announced today that a Jewish Brigade Group will be formed and will be assigned to active operations. The formation of the group follows repeated demands by the Jewish Agency for Palestine for a separate Jewish fighting force to participate in the liberation of Europe from the Germans.
(The British Information Service has said that the strength of a pre-war brigade was about 3,000, but that they have been greatly enlarged since the war. The present figure cannot be divulged for reasons of military security. A brigade is larger than a regiment, but smaller than a division.)
An infantry brigade, the announcement said, will be based on the Jewish infantry battalions now attached to the Palestine Regiment. The necessary concentration of troops for training is now taking place before the unit is sent to a theatre of war.
Supporting and auxiliary units which will complete the group are now being formed, the Government revealed, and they will join the new infantry brigade as soon as it is practicable. Details of the scheme are being discussed with officials of the Jewish Agency, which has been invited to cooperate with the military authorities.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
