Private Peter Claude Denby-Dreyfuss, son of Paul J and Charlotte Dreyfuss, of Hendon, Middlesex, and was of German Jewish origin. He originally enlisted with the Pioneer Corps. He subsequently transferred to Airborne service and successfully completed Parachute Jump Course 87 in mid-October 1943, with the pass comments: "Average jumper, reliable, worked well" . He joined 7 Platoon, C Coy, 13th (South Lancs) Parachute Battalion and eventually took part in the D-Day landings to Normandy, during Op Overlord. Pte Denby-Dreyfuss was killed at Le Mesnil, when 7 Platoon attacked a Self-propelled artillery gun (SPG) after putting down a mortar barrage. The patrol was pinned down before finally reaching its objective, when it then withdrew. The bodies of Privates Denby-Dreyfuss and Stanyon (also killed in the same attack) had been lying in disputed territory and were later recovered from the battlefield on the 11th July, by members of the R.A.M.C and C Company, 13th Battalion. Private Denby-Dreyfuss died on 19 June 1944, aged 22 years old. He is now buried at Ranville War Cemetery, Normandy Peter C Denby-Dreyfuss | ParaData
Born in 1921, Myles Henry was of Jewish descent and the son of Arthur and Margaret Henry from Sussex, and husband of Pamela Evelyn Henry (nee Morris), of Mayfield, Sussex. He was educated at Stowe and Queen’s College, Cambridge graduating in 1940. Myles was selected for officer training after volunteering for his county regiment and granted an emergency commission with the Royal Sussex Regiment in 1941. He served with their 2nd Battalion, commanding a Bren Gun Carrier Platoon, and saw action with the 8th Army in North Africa at the battles of Alam Haifa, Ruwesat Ridge and El Alamein. Shortly after he was hospitalised for several months with a viral infection but rejoined his unit in Palestine. Volunteers from the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment formed the nucleus of the 10th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment in 1943 and Myles became a platoon commander in B Company. As part of the 4th Parachute Brigade the 10th Battalion was involved in the seaborne invasion of Italy in September. During the invasion, the Brigade was tasked with seizing Gioia del Colle and its airfield. B Company of the 10th Battalion was despatched as a fighting patrol to reconnoitre the German positions and became involved in a lengthy firefight with German troops. This resulted in 5 killed, 9 missing and 6 wounded including Myles. Shortly after this the Brigade’s positions were relieved and they returned to Taranto. In November the Brigade was withdrawn back to the UK in preparation for D Day and the battalion was billeted in Rutland, with headquarters at Somerby. On his return to the UK, Myles married Pamela Morris. In 1944 Myles was appointed as the 10th Battalion’s Intelligence Officer. After a series of cancelled 1st Airborne Division operations following D-Day, the 4th Brigade was part of the second lift into Arnhem during the ill-fated Operation Market Garden in Southern Holland in September 1944. The 4th Brigade’s task was to occupy the Northern and Eastern sectors of Arnhem; and the 10th Battalion was expected to protect the left flank of the Brigade’s advance. The Brigade made an opposed drop under fire on DZ-Y Ginkel Heath on the 2nd Day (Monday 18 September). The 10th Battalion moved off the DZ and in accordance with Brigadier Hackett’s orders halted at dusk, near to the Hotel Buunderkamp, West of Wolfheze. They set off again before first light on the Tuesday morning passing through Wolfheze and LZ-L, North of Johannahoeve Farm, onto the Amsterdamseweg. Leading elements of the Battalion were proceeding along the Amsterdamseweg when they encountered a German blocking line on the Dreijensweg close to pumping station “La Cabine”. The Battalion CO sent Myles Henry forward with most of his Intelligence Section to assess the strength of the German positions and a five hour action ensued pinning the Battalion down. Orders were issued for the Battalion’s withdrawal south of the railway via the Wolfheze crossing with fears mounting that Hackett’s Brigade would be cut off by the Germans. To add to the confusion the Polish Air Landing Units started arriving just as the withdrawal had begun with German troops and armour firing on both the withdrawing men and the landing gliders. During the withdrawal across LZ-L CSM Grainger and Captain Henry were assisting a wounded Lance Corporal when all three were hit by machine gun fire. Captain Henry died of his wounds on 19 September 1944, aged 23 years old. He was initially given a field burial north of Johannahoeve Farm. Much later he was buried at grave reference 5.D.1 in Oosterbeek War Cemetery, Arnhem. John Myles Henry | ParaData
1403891 Aircraftman 2nd Class I P Benjamin Royal Air Force 23rd April 1942 Age 34 Name: BENJAMIN, ISRAEL PERACH Rank: Aircraftman 2nd Class Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Age: 34 Date of Death: 23/04/1942 Service No: 1403891 Additional information: Son of Benjamin and Leah Benjamin, of Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan. Grave/Memorial Reference: Jewish Sec. Grave 233. Cemetery: NORWICH CEMETERY, Norfolk
R.126444 Sergeant I L Sanitsky Air Gunner Royal Canadian Air Force 25th February 1943 Age 22 Name: SANITSKY, IRVING LOUIS Rank: Flight Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Regiment/Service: Royal Canadian Air Force Unit Text: 102 (R.A.F.) Sqdn. Age: 22 Date of Death: 25/02/1943 Service No: R/126444 Additional information: Son of Simon and Ida R. Sanitsky, of Fall River, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Grave/Memorial Reference: Jewish Sec. Grave 235. Cemetery: NORWICH CEMETERY, Norfolk www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2764253 Halifax DT800 Information Type .................................Halifax Serial Number ..............DT800 Squadron .......................102 X1D .................................DY-P Operation........................Nuremburg Date 1..............................25th February 1943 Date 2 .............................26th February 1943 Further Information "Serial Range DT767 - DT808. 42 Halifax Mk.11. Delivered by English Electric Co. (Salmesbury & Preston) between 21Jan43 and 28Mar43. Airborne 1920 25Feb43 from Pocklington. Encountered severe weather, crashed 2024 and caught fire at Badliss Hall Farm near Ardleigh, 4 miles NE of Colchester, Essex. Sgt C.H.Bray KIA (Charles Henry, Pilot, Aged N\k) www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2721066 Sgt T.B.Barfoot KIA (Thomas Bertam, Air Bomber, Aged 19) www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2714166 Sgt L.V.W.Herbert KIA (Leonard Victor William, Observer, Aged 22) www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2430063 Sgt C.J.D.Smith KIA (Cyril James Drane, Wireless Operator, Aged 23) www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2455763 Sgt J.Dudley KIA (John, Air Gunner, Aged 20) www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2436005 Sgt E.L.Widgery KIA (Edward Leslie, Flight Engineer, Aged 35) www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2718363 Sgt I.L.Sanitsky RCAF KIA www.lostbombers.co.uk/bomber.php?id=6661 Additional Info: Flight Sergeant Irving Sanitsky of Chelsea, Massachusetts, lost his life when his bomber crashed while taking off for a raid on enemy territory. Flight Sergeant Sanitsky came to Canada to enlist in the air force as a gunner. He had the destruction of five Nazi craft to his credit. www.cjccc.ca/archives/casualtyinfo.php?info=152 www.multiculturalcanada.ca/cdm_item/mcc_cjr/15421/100/8 SOURCE Google Image Result for http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3143/3042292926_95abf8113c.jpg
PTE DAVID MORRIS FINBURG Name: FINBURG, DAVID MORRIS Initials: D M Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Durham Light Infantry Unit Text: 13th (H.D.) Bn. Age: 67 Date of Death: 19/02/1947 Service No: D/13195 Additional information: Son of Myer and Edith Finburg; husband of Betsy Finburg, of Hendon, Sunderland. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Ward 47. Sec. A. Jewish Plot. Grave 294. Cemetery: SUNDERLAND (BISHOPWEARMOUTH) CEMETERY
Pte Lionel Marks Name: MARKS, LIONEL Initials: L Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Durham Light Infantry Unit Text: 11th Bn. Age: 22 Date of Death: 08/07/1940 Service No: 4459318 Additional information: Son of Morris and Annie Marks, of Sunderland. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Ward 47. Sec. A. Jewish Plot. Grave 203. Cemetery: SUNDERLAND (BISHOPWEARMOUTH) CEMETERY
Firstly a bit about AJEX itself: AJEX In 1986, when computing was still very much in it's infancy and when GOOGLE described a way of eyeing up a young lady, Henry Morris of AJEX started collecting material for "We Shall Remember Them", a record of the Jews who died in the Armed Forces of the Crown 1939-1945. The book finally went to publication in 1989. It was a mammoth task, some 60,000 Jews served in the British Armed Forces (of the then estimated Jewish population of 400,000) and, according to the records of the Senior Jewish Chaplain, over 2,000 Jews gave their lives in the various services as follows: Navy 73, Army 1,322 and RAF 615. It goes without saying that an enormous debt of gratitude was and is due to Henry for the finished product which, to this day, remains a first class reference book for those who are interested in British Jewry's role in WW2. Inevitably there are the odd errors, due largely to the misinformation supplied by relatives of the fallen, and in 1994 an Addendum was published, also by Henry Morris. Back to the present time and purely to confirm that any records placed on this thread are of great value and much appreciated, I list the set procedure which is followed every time a new record is posted. 1. Using the photo of the headstone I find the actual CWGC record and print off a copy. 2. I then compare this with the record contained in the AJEX book looking for discrepancies and lack of data such as the date of death or age at the time of death. 3. I make a note on the individuals record showing the revised data. 4. I update a spreadsheet containing all the revised data. When I have a sufficient workload I will visit the AJEX Museum and hand over the revised data. Finally, for a little light relief, you might be amused to see this photo of yours truly cheering the reviewing officer at the 2009 AJEX Remembrance Ceremony AJEX: remembrance parade 2009 Thanks again to Phil and all contributors to this thread Ron
Name: FINEGOLD, MORRIS Initials: M Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Royal Warwickshire Regiment Unit Text: 2nd Bn. Age: 20 Date of Death: 13/10/1944 Service No: 14513808 Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: IV. B. 14. Cemetery: OVERLOON WAR CEMETERY
Name: RIVERS, ERWIN MAX Initials: E M Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Private Regiment/Service: Suffolk Regiment Unit Text: 1st Bn. Age: 30 Date of Death: 25/11/1944 Service No: 14441856 Additional information: Son of Otto K. P. and Cecille Rothbarth; husband of Myfanwy Christina Rivers, of Bayswater, London. B.Sc., Econ. (Hons.); Leverhulme Research Fellowship, London School of Economics. Lecturer on Statistics, Cambridge University. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: III. C. 7. Cemetery: OVERLOON WAR CEMETERY
Name: Bernstein, Jacob, J Rank: Private Service: 4751190 Unittext: Regiment: East Yorkshire Regiment Date of Death: 13/07/1943 Age: Casuality: Grave Reference: I. D. 13.
Name: Wilchick, Solomon, S Rank: Private Service: 7523466 Unittext: Regiment: Royal Army Medical Corps Date of Death: 31/07/1943 Age: 28 Casuality: Grave Reference: I. H. 8.
Name: Benjamin, Sydney Hyman, S H Rank: Flight Sergeant ( Pilot ) Service: 1272288 Unittext: Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Date of Death: 12/07/1943 Age: 20 Casuality: Grave Reference: II. A. 4.
Name: Goldstein, Ismc Louis, I L Rank: Fusilier Service: 3136771 Unittext: Regiment: Royal Scots Fusiliers Date of Death: 10/07/1943 Age: 30 Casuality: Grave Reference: II. A. 2.
Name: Freund, Eliezer Isaac, E I Rank: Driver Service: PAL/31149 Unittext: Regiment: Royal Army Service Corps Date of Death: 17/07/1943 Age: 20 Casuality: Grave Reference: IV. E. 7.
Name: Singer, Fred, F Rank: Private Service: 2934082 Unittext: Regiment: Seaforth Highlanders Date of Death: 14/07/1943 Age: 25 Casuality: Grave Reference: V. G. 10.
Name: Lipiner, Salke, S Rank: Leading Aircraftman Service: 775031 Unittext: Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Date of Death: 11/08/1943 Age: Casuality: Grave Reference: VII. E. 15
