https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/register/the-jewish-corps-8nkpdcv09
The formation of a Jewish division or brigade must be handled carefully. The men will be subject to the same discipline as the British soldier, will be given the same pay, and will have all the privileges of pensions and allowances enjoyed by the rest of the Army. They will, moreover, have their own butchers for killing “kosher” meat, and all their food will be prepared by cooks of their own faith. Rabbis will be appointed as chaplains, and at the camp there will be a synagogue. Colonel Paterson, who will be given command of the force, accomplished wonders with similar material in Gallipoli. He was the commandant of the Zion Mule Corps, that extraordinary unit of Russian Jews recruited in Alexandria after their escape from Palestine. They landed with the first troops on the peninsula and stayed there until the last, doing hard and gallant work under the most trying conditions. They carried the praise of every general under whom they served. The work now is much harder, but Colonel Paterson will be helped a great deal by the men he is trying to enlist. He is living in an atmosphere of Yiddish, Hebrew, and Russian, and helping him is a most able Russian author and journalist who speaks eight languages, and has already risen to sergeant’s rank. There are 20,000 Jews of military age in London, so there is ample material to work on. After serving for three months with the Colours the Jewish soldier, if he wishes it, will become automatically naturalized, without expense to himself. It is intended that the field of operations for the Jewish force will be in Palestine.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2017-08-07/register/tanks-in-ypres-battle-njg8fmcx2
No men in all the fighting lines face greater peril than those who go down to the enemy in these steel boxes, and in every case the officers and men have behaved with the greatest gallantry. That the Germans hate the “Tanks” there is no question, and their service has been most valuable.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2017-08-05/register/fourth-year-of-war-k3q805hh9
Mr Lloyd George, in a telegram to the Russian Premier, expressed the determination of this country to prosecute the struggle until the liberties of Europe are secured. Addressing at Queen’s Hall an enthusiastic meeting of the National War Aims Committee Mr Lloyd George said that what had happened in the last three years constituted a justification of our entering the contest, and everyone could now picture what would have happened to Europe if we had not gone to war. The Kaiser talked of “defending German soil,” but he knew that was not why he went to war. Germany had not yet abandoned its ambitions. They felt that their plot had miscarried and meant the next time to make sure. “But,” said Mr Lloyd George in one of his most telling passages, “there must be no make sure; there must be no next time.” The Russian collapse was a deep glen, but across the valley he could see the ascent. He was certain that Russia was realizing that by retiring she would be no nearer to peace without annexations. The Kaiser professed to be satisfied with the last battle in Flanders. Germany liked retreats and we liked advances, so it pleased both sides. He believed Sir Douglas Haig proposed to rejoice the Kaiser’s heart again and again on those lines. Turning from this bantering Mr Lloyd George concluded on a note of warning. The strain was great and some people were more concerned about ending the war than winning it. “Let us keep our eyes steadily on winning the war. Anyone who promotes international distrust or disunion at this hour is helping the enemy and hurting his native land. Let there be one thought in every head.
“Sow distrust, discontent, disunion in a nation and we shall reap defeat, but if, on the other hand, we sow the seeds of patience, confidence, unity, we shall garner in victory and its fruit.”
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2017-08-04/register/victims-of-u-boat-callousness-mglbth2kt
august 8, 1917
The Jewish Corps
There is an ancient Jewish prophecy which says that the Jews will be led back to their own land by a man of another race. In a measure this prophecy is likely to be fulfilled. Under the new mandate of the British Government the Russian Jews have to choose between joining the British Army or returning to Russia. Certain far-sighted people with an eye to the better use of these men have set the machinery in motion, and a Jewish force is to be formed. There are 40,000 Jews in the British Army at present, and of this number 32,000 are English Jews, the remaining 8,000 are from the Empire abroad. There are 8,000 Jews in the forces still in Britain, and they should be useful in training and stiffening the newcomers.The formation of a Jewish division or brigade must be handled carefully. The men will be subject to the same discipline as the British soldier, will be given the same pay, and will have all the privileges of pensions and allowances enjoyed by the rest of the Army. They will, moreover, have their own butchers for killing “kosher” meat, and all their food will be prepared by cooks of their own faith. Rabbis will be appointed as chaplains, and at the camp there will be a synagogue. Colonel Paterson, who will be given command of the force, accomplished wonders with similar material in Gallipoli. He was the commandant of the Zion Mule Corps, that extraordinary unit of Russian Jews recruited in Alexandria after their escape from Palestine. They landed with the first troops on the peninsula and stayed there until the last, doing hard and gallant work under the most trying conditions. They carried the praise of every general under whom they served. The work now is much harder, but Colonel Paterson will be helped a great deal by the men he is trying to enlist. He is living in an atmosphere of Yiddish, Hebrew, and Russian, and helping him is a most able Russian author and journalist who speaks eight languages, and has already risen to sergeant’s rank. There are 20,000 Jews of military age in London, so there is ample material to work on. After serving for three months with the Colours the Jewish soldier, if he wishes it, will become automatically naturalized, without expense to himself. It is intended that the field of operations for the Jewish force will be in Palestine.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2017-08-07/register/tanks-in-ypres-battle-njg8fmcx2
august 7, 1917
‘Tanks’ in Ypres battle
In my first dispatch on this battle I reported the good work done by the “Tanks”. It is only where a trench is obstinate or a very strong redoubt resists the attack of our infantry that the “Tanks” get their chance. Some of the landships were fighting and under fire for 17 hours at a stretch, and one stayed out and made a night of it, having 24 hours’ continuous work before it got home to breakfast. The ground in places was much too soft for such elephantine beasts. In the region of Frezenberg two of the monsters got mired out on the front line. The Germans, seeing their plight, counter-attacked in force in hopes of capturing them. With the cooperation of the infantry, the attacks were beaten off, and in due course the machines managed to heave themselves out and got off unscathed. One “Tank” took 60 prisoners by itself. In the original capture of St Julien, the “Tanks” seem to have played a considerable part. One strong point on the west side of the village surrendered to a “Tank,” which then, with its brother machines, paraded through the streets and routed small parties of lurking Germans out of the ruins. In Pommern Castle the machine-guns were making themselves objectionable, and a “Tank” went for them, when the garrison, or the greater part of it, bolted and got into the redoubt. The “Tank” lumbered after them to the redoubt under a hail of machine-gun and rifle bullets, but agility is not the “Tank’s” strong feature, and when it proceeded to flatten out the redoubt the Germans slipped back to the castle. This game might have gone on for some time, but the infantry came up and effectually stopped all the bolt-holes, and the position was cleared out. At several other places the “Tanks” did useful service, among them places with such peaceful names as “Plum Farm” and “Apple Villa”. Near another farm, a strongly-fortified machine-gun position, a “Tank” became stuck, and its officers and men had to get out and work under heavy fire to get it going again.No men in all the fighting lines face greater peril than those who go down to the enemy in these steel boxes, and in every case the officers and men have behaved with the greatest gallantry. That the Germans hate the “Tanks” there is no question, and their service has been most valuable.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2017-08-05/register/fourth-year-of-war-k3q805hh9
august 5, 1917
Fourth year of war
The third anniversary of the entry of Britain into the war was commemorated throughout the United Kingdom and the Empire by public meetings and speeches in which our determination to carry on the war to a victorious conclusion was solemnly affirmed. The King in a message to the Lord Mayor of London declared that we were fighting “for the sacred principles of justice, freedom, and humanity, and, by God’s help, we mean to triumph.”Mr Lloyd George, in a telegram to the Russian Premier, expressed the determination of this country to prosecute the struggle until the liberties of Europe are secured. Addressing at Queen’s Hall an enthusiastic meeting of the National War Aims Committee Mr Lloyd George said that what had happened in the last three years constituted a justification of our entering the contest, and everyone could now picture what would have happened to Europe if we had not gone to war. The Kaiser talked of “defending German soil,” but he knew that was not why he went to war. Germany had not yet abandoned its ambitions. They felt that their plot had miscarried and meant the next time to make sure. “But,” said Mr Lloyd George in one of his most telling passages, “there must be no make sure; there must be no next time.” The Russian collapse was a deep glen, but across the valley he could see the ascent. He was certain that Russia was realizing that by retiring she would be no nearer to peace without annexations. The Kaiser professed to be satisfied with the last battle in Flanders. Germany liked retreats and we liked advances, so it pleased both sides. He believed Sir Douglas Haig proposed to rejoice the Kaiser’s heart again and again on those lines. Turning from this bantering Mr Lloyd George concluded on a note of warning. The strain was great and some people were more concerned about ending the war than winning it. “Let us keep our eyes steadily on winning the war. Anyone who promotes international distrust or disunion at this hour is helping the enemy and hurting his native land. Let there be one thought in every head.
“Sow distrust, discontent, disunion in a nation and we shall reap defeat, but if, on the other hand, we sow the seeds of patience, confidence, unity, we shall garner in victory and its fruit.”
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/past-six-days/2017-08-04/register/victims-of-u-boat-callousness-mglbth2kt
august 4, 1917
Victims of U-boat callousness
A statement by one of three survivors of the crew of 41 of a steamer torpedoed by a German submarine suggests a deliberate intention on the part of the U-boat commander to drown the whole of his victims. The three survivors were picked up by a patrol boat. The steamer was the Belgian Prince, and Thomas Bowman, the chief engineer, gave the following account of his experience: About 8 on Tuesday evening, while 200 miles from land, I saw from the after deck the wake of an approaching torpedo. I gave a lurch when the torpedo struck. I was thrown on the deck by a piece of debris. The vessel took a heavy list, and all took to the boats. The submarine ordered the boats to come alongside, and called for the skipper. Captain Hassan went aboard and was taken down into the submarine. The rest of us, 41, were mustered on the submarine deck. The Germans took the lifebelts from all of us except eight, and outside clothing from all of us. They then entered the submarine and closed the hatches, leaving us on deck. Before this, the German sailors had taken the oars, balers, and gratings from our lifeboats and smashed the boats with an axe. The submarine went about two miles. Suddenly I heard the rush of water and shouting, “Look out, she is sinking,” I jumped into the water. Many men went down with the submarine, others swam about. I had a lifebelt. Near me was an apprentice, aged 16, shouting for help. I held him up in the darkness till about midnight, when he became unconscious and eventually died from exposure. I took his lifebelt and waited for daylight. I then saw the Belgian Prince still afloat and made for her. My way lay through dead bodies, some in lifebelts, others not. As I neared the ship she blew up. I held on for another hour, when a rescue boat picked me up in the last stages of exhaustion, after 11 hours in the water. Another survivor, the second engineer, said he reached the doomed steamer before she was blown up and was actually on board when the Germans came and looted her. He watched them from a hiding place, and when they came near he jumped into the sea and, catching some wreckage, remained afloat till rescued. A third survivor, the second cook, is too ill in the infirmary to tell his story.
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