Description
Object description
German Jewish civilian in Germany, 1920-1936; emigrated to Palestine, 1936; member of Haganah, 1940-1941; NCO served with Royal Engineers in Palestine and Syria, 1941; served with 1st Camouflage Coy in North Africa and Italy, 1942-1945; served with Interpreter Corps and 428 Field Security Section in Austria, 1945-1947; Private Secretary to Governor of Carinthia, Austria, 1947-1949
Content description
REEL 1: Background in Germany, 1920-1936: family and childhood in Berlin; cultural life; background of parents; daily life and living conditions; effects of 1929 Stock Market crash; problem of increasing of anti-Semitism under Nazi regime; education at gymnasium and relations with non-Jewish pupils and teachers; story of grant and leaving school age 14, 1934; further comments on causes and effects of anti-Semitism in Germany; attitude of parents to anti-Semitism.
REEL 2 Continues: story of uncle; various examples of segregation and persecution of Jews under Nazis; anti-Semitic attitudes of Germans; story of Bar Mitzvah; reaction of parents to joining Zionist youth movement Die Weikleleute; emigration of Jewish friends and relatives; fate of parents; description of training at Weikleleute youth camp in Schnibienchen, 1936; family life and living conditions.
REEL 3 Continues: story of sister Herta going to Palestine; further description of activities with Die Weikleleute; role of academics in organisation and training; opinion of Martin Buber; attitude of Nazis to Zionist organisations including Die Weikleleute; story of selection for emigration to Palestine, 1936; reaction of parents; description of voyage to Palestine aboard ship Patria; story of Muslim women in Famagusta, Cyprus. Aspects of period in Palestine, 1936-1941: arrival in Haifa and journey by armoured bus to village of Ben Shemen; description of village and accommodation for European refugee children.
REEL 4 Continues: further description of village and reason for nickname 'the Eton of Palestine'; background of inhabitants; educational facilities; cultural life; opinion of Dr Lehmann; question of inviting Arab children to village; problem of attacks on village by Arabs; story of Black Watch providing protection for village; description of occupation of village by British Army and treatment of villagers; reason for arrests; opinion of historian Norman Bentwich; story of joining Haganah, 1940; description of training; problem of lack of weapons; nature of operations and question of secrecy; attitude to period in Ben Shemen.
REEL 5 Continues: description of role in defending orange grove from Arab attackers; opinion of Palestine Police; daily life and living conditions; food shortages; communication with parents in Germany; interest in psychology; problem of finding employment; story of returning to Ben Shemen; reason for joining British Army, 1941. Aspects of operations with Royal Engineers in Palestine and Syria, 1941-1942: attitude of army to Jewish recruits; description of training in Sarafand; opinion of NCOs; racial composition of recruits; question of learning English; opinion of British Army and methods; opinion of uniform.
REEL 6 Continues: attitude to military life and discipline; basic training; question of army using Palestine for arms manufacture; attitude to rights of Jewish recruits in Palestine; further comments on British Army; moved to Deir-Ez-Zor, Syria, 1941; story of Sergeant Burstein and Rashid Ali revolt; reaction to punishment of Bedouins for stealing guns; attitude to violence and pacifist beliefs.
REEL 7 Continues: reason for volunteering for military service; attached to Punjabi Bde, 9th Army; opinion of Punjabis; story of witnessing punishment of Punjabi soldier; description of duties in joinery workshop; story of fitting out caravan for General Wavell; amusing story of pill box; description of duties as skiing instructor for Indian troops on Mount Lebanon; transferred to 1st Camouflage Coy. Aspects of operations with 1st Camouflage Coy in North Africa, 1942: description of training and duties at Helwan, Egypt; use of decoys; opinion of German camouflage techniques.
REEL 8 Continues: problem of shadows on aerial photography; further comments on German camouflage; opinion of other members of 1st Camouflage Coy; attitude to location of 1st Camouflage Coy in pro-Nazi South African camp; examples of unsuccessful camouflage and decoy operations; opinion of anti-tank rifle; further comments on aerial photography; examples of successful camouflage and decoy operations; description of attack by German Stuka; description of decoy operation in Qattara Depression; opinion of General Montgomery.
REEL 9 Continues: description of mobile workshops in 1st Camouflage Coy during battle of El Alamein; materials; duties with joinery workshop; conversion of 10-ton Mack lorries to tanks and tanks into lorries; simulated army camps and guns; use of natural desert features in camouflage; story of manufacture of dummies at Italian POW camp; relations between local Arabs and soldiers; description of Field Punishment Centre for Commonwealth troops at Kassasin; opinion of treatment of prisoners; story of Australian troops killing guards.
REEL 10 Continues: description of camouflage operation at El Edem; role of 1st Camouflage Coy in supplying dummy Mosquito planes made of plywood; problem of boredom; suicide of friends; posted to Italy, 1943. Aspects of operations with 1st Camouflage Coy in Italy, 1943-1945: story of cemetery at Taranto; moved to Capus sector under command of Major Aronov; description of training on Bailey bridge erection and mine warfare; methods of mine detection; further comments on Bailey bridges; story of Rabbi Brodie refusing to help Palestinian Jew in 1st Camouflage Coy; opinion of Rabbi Brodie.
REEL 11 Continues: question of discrimination against Palestinian Jews in British Army; reason for continuing to use Jewish names in army; story of arrest and court martial for refusing to obey order; story of escorting group of children liberated from Bergen-Belsen concentration camp to Bari en route to Palestine, 1945; reaction to condition of children and first awareness of Holocaust.
REEL 12 Continues: Aspects of period with Interpreter Corps in Austria, 1945-1946: reason for joining Interpreter Corps; posted to 7th Armoured Bde at Wolfsburg Camp on Austrian-Yugoslav border; description of duties locating and capturing Nazi and SS troops in Lavanttal Mountains; identification of SS by underarm tattoos; opinion of Allied 'wanted' lists; attitude to captured men; method of locating and capturing suspects; story of visiting home in Berlin and learning of death of parents in Holocaust; reaction to seeing looted family silver in German house.
REEL 13 Continues: story of visit to Palestine, 1946; transferred to 428 Field Security in Klagenfurt, Austria, 1946. Aspects of period with 428 Field Security in Austria, 1946-1947: description of duties identifying Nazis among civilian population; use of recorded telephone conversations and denunciations; description of three cases: Ilse Koch's female adjutant, Dr Lang, and former head of Gestapo in Prague; interrogation techniques and attitude to use of violence.
REEL 14 Continues: further comments on interrogation techniques and value of wanted lists of suspects; change of attitude to prisoners following death of parents in Holocaust; story of role in escorting Mufti Palestinian Islamic Bde from Klagenfurt to Italy; further comments on use of recorded telephone conversations. Aspects of period as Private Secretary to Governor of Carinthia, Austria, 1947-1949: pro-Tito Slovenes in Bleiburg/Villach area; role in arrest and interrogation of Mayer-Kaibitsch.
REEL 15 Continues: further comments on Mayer-Kaibitsch case and deportation of Slovene families during war. Post-war life and employment in Austria: problem of anti-Semitism in Austria including own Austrian mother-in-law; opinion of Jorg Heider; attitude to employment of former Nazis in government posts in Austria; problem of corruption; story of being denied job in industry because of being Jewish; second marriage; story of American intelligence agencies infiltrating Russia and Yugoslavia.
REEL 16 Continues: further comments on infiltration; further comments on Jorg Heider and anti-Semitic activities in Austria; opinion of Kurt Waldheim and role during war.