PublishedPen And Sword, May 2023 |
ISBN9781399061285 |
FormatHardcover, 256 pages |
Dimensions23.4cm × 15.6cm |
The existence of German-speaking units fighting for the Allied cause during WW2 has remained largely a well-kept secret. But seventy-five years on these units' contribution to victory needs to be fully acknowledged. Prime Minister Winston Churchill had no qualms about using native German speakers from Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia and of course Germany itself.
The majority were Jews who had fled persecution. Two examples of these secret units were X Troop Commandos and the Special Interrogation Group. The SIG men deserve their legendary status. They fought, and often died, wearing Wehmacht uniform. As this superbly researched book reveals that, after infiltrating Field Marshal Rommel's Afrika Korps, one detachment even drew Nazi pay. Inevitably once the existence of SIG units became known, their immediate execution on capture was ordered, unless their temporary reprieve would reveal intelligence under torture. We learn how Churchill's initiative was copied by both the Americans and the Russians. Post-war SIG and X Troop survivors joined British special forces or were used to hunt down Nazi war criminals. All this and more is covered in this ground-breaking book by a writer who is both a leading historian and foreign correspondent. AUTHOR: Professor Paul Moorcraft has written over 50 books, both fiction and non-fiction. Besides being a senior instructor at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and then the Joint Services Command and Staff College, he worked for the UK Ministry of Defence in the Balkans and Middle East. A print and broadcast journalist in 30 war zones, the author worked extensively behind 'enemy' lines, most notably with Jihadists during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. He has worked with, and reported on, special forces in countries as far apart as Nepal and South Africa, as well as serving as an officer in Zimbabwe's forces. His command of German, and later Hebrew, supported the initial research for this book. His fluency in Welsh has been useful too as some of the Jewish commandos lived and trained in North Wales and indeed sometimes successfully claimed to be Welsh when captured. The author has also worked in desert war zones, most recently during six trips in Darfur, Sudan, where he spent time with rebel groups and separately with Sudanese government forces A fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he returned to his Welsh homeland in 2021. 32 b/w illustrations
