The first British Military Cross won by a Palestine Jewish soldier has been awarded by Sir Harold Alexander, Allied commander in the Mediterranean theatre, to Capt. Ferdinand Zangen, 35, of the Royal Artillery Medical Corp, it is reported here today.
Capt. Zangen, who won the award, for bravery “somewhere on the Italian front,” was born in Czechoslovakia, and came to Palestine about five years ago. He enlisted about two years ago and participated in the campaigns from El Alamein to Sicily before being sent to Italy. While tending wounded at the front line, Capt. Zangen was captured by the Germans, but succeeded in escaping after a few hours, bringing with him several wounded men.
The newspaper Hazman, today publishes an editorial criticizing the British high command for its alleged failure to mention Jewish units when referring to troops participating in the Italian campaign.
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.
