Search

Between 1939 and 1945, tens of thousands of 'Czechoslovaks' fought against the Axis forces in France, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the Middle East. In this latter theatre of operations, a battalion was formed in 1940 from the few men available to the Czechoslovak government-in-exile. Czechs, Jews and Slovaks made up the bulk of this unit, later expanded to regimental level. In 1941, they were part of the British-led invasion of Vichy Syria before defending the Tobruk perimeter under Polish command. Before transferring to Great Britain in 1943, the Czechoslovak fighters lived a truly transnational experience. However, Czechoslovak leaders had to make compromises with both their British patrons and the ethnic or religious groups in the unit. Although relations with the British Crown were far easier than with the French or Soviet allies, military exiles had to defend their – limited – autonomy. On the other hand, Palestinian Jews of Czechoslovak origin, German speakers or Slovaks often expressed their discontent with living under Czech rule, highlighting the weaknesses of the Czechoslovak exile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article narrates the experiences of white English-speaking South African Prisoners-of-War in Dresden Work Camp 1169 during the Second World War. Work Camp 1169 was populated predominantly by South African servicemen, and the availability of their memoirs and diaries, as well as first-hand interviews with some of the former inmates of this camp, provide an opportunity to analyse their experiences in terms of national identity, how well they adapted to captivity and how they managed relationships between themselves, their captors and the German citizens with whom they came into contact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the experiences of South African Jewish prisoners of war (POWs) during the World War II, who were captured on June 21, 1942 when the British in North Africa suffered a heavy defeat with the fall of Tobruk to German and Italian forces. Some of the Jewish veterans mentioned include N. Rosenberg, Private Stanley Smollan of the 2nd Transvaal Scottish, and Ben Hermer.

The article discusses the involvement of Australian soldiers from Queensland in the World War II Battle of Tobruk, Libya in 1941. An overview of the military leadership of the Australian Army's A Coy 2/15 Bn Australian Imperial Force (AIF) Captain Alfred Greig Smith, including in regard to his defeat of the German infantry under Lieutenant-Colonel Gustav Ponath, is provided. The aspects of tank warfare in the Battle of Tobruk are discussed.

Copyright of Historia is the property of Historical Association of South Africa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The siege of Tobruk in 1941, until its relief by the 8th Army in December 1941, involved an extensive British supply effort by sea. Despite the Axis powers' best efforts, the supplies were not halted. While the British service arms worked in close co-operation, German and Italian efforts were characterised by unco-ordinated inter-service and inter-command action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers a re-evaluation of American reinforcement for the Eighth Army following the fall of Tobruk in June 1942, arguing that American arms and air power made a decisive, if largely unrecognized, contribution to the victory at El Alamein. Both British and American leaders, for their own reasons, glossed over the critical American component of this most quintessentially British victory, and historians have echoed this downplaying of American aid. The article sets these political and military events in the context of expanding American interest in the Middle East. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]