EEF Jewish fallen remembered

[michaeldr]

Many thanks Guest

I feel sure that your info will be of help to Eran

 

The cause of death in certainly unusual

 

Allenby wrote to his mother the next day (9th April 1919) and mentions 

"We have had some trying days - Cairo seething with excitement. There have been several collisions between people and the soldiers, due to faults and misunderstandings on both sides.

I hope to have framed a ministry by this evening; and then we may begin to get some control of public feeling. The situation has been very dangerous; and though better now, still contains many elements of danger."

In his letter of 13th to Wingate, Allenby mentions a "general strike of officials" and that "Cairo is terrorized by students"

He mentions that he thinks they have "strong alien support" and "evident signs of Bolshevism" 

 

However later that same day he writes to Curzon "No incidents have been reported in the last twenty-four hours." 

 

quotes from Matthew Hughes - Allenby in Palestine - the middle east correspondence of Field Marshal Viscount Allenby

 

[michaeldr]

Both his Medal Index Card and  Soldiers Effects show that the army was unable to contact any family member-both medals and gratuity were unclaimed.

 

To me that seems to be another indication that Ginsberg was probably not British, but either a north American or a middle eastern volunteer

If there had been a family in the UK then I feel sure that the community would have helped them with proceedures such as claiming the gratuity etc

Such things could easily have been unknown to anyone in north America or even Palestine

[Guest]

Very much agreed.  His war gratuity puts his service back right to the formation of the Jewish RF units- as there is no record of previous military service, then there must be a reason he was not called up if in UK- alien, etc.   Just to confuse it even more, not necessarily even North American or Middle East- there is a Joseph Ginsberg who fits who was Dutch!

[Ben678]

@Eran Tearosh - I missed your addition to this thread. I only get partial notifications to my mail, for some reason.

Your initiative with the MoD would be important and valuable - I'd be happy to discuss it with you further.

As for the Ginsberg in Cairo, I began looking into him and I believe he was enlisted in New Jersey, but haven't found any substantial leads to pursue his story in more depth.

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, Ben678 said:

As for the Ginsberg in Cairo, I began looking into him and I believe he was enlisted in New Jersey, but haven't found any substantial leads to pursue his story in more depth.

 

     Just to eliminate him and flag it up to you, there was a Harvard man, Joseph Ginsburg (with a "u") who served. Unlikely but has to be excluded......

[rob carman]

On 13/08/2019 at 10:21, rob carman said:

2/Lt Joshua Levy 1/5 Norfolks on Middlesborough’s memorial to its Jewish dead. 

27 Feb 1917:  “New signal officer in charge.  Lt Levy. Nice”

From the diary of Cpl William Herbert Bland, 1694 and 240101, 1/5 Bn, Norfolk Regt (NWHRM.6186, Royal Norfolk regiment Museum via The Ogilby Muster)

[Keith_history_buff]

On 11/10/2020 at 18:41, headgardener said:

Hi Eran - further to Michael's post above, the BJBoH lists 4141 Ginsberg on the unit roll of 40th RF (CWGC states 39th), and he isn't included in the Book's Roll of Honour which supposedly lists Jewish casualties, nor is there a photo of him. In truth, the BJBoH doesn't claim to be authoritative, and many names and details of Jewish servicemen are missing (I also know of at least 1 non-Jew who is listed in it!) 

  

On 15/10/2020 at 21:17, Keith_history_buff said:

I have a family member in that publication (British Jewry Book of Honour) with an incorrect rank who is incorrectly recorded as being of the Jewish faith. There is nothing to indicate that he renounced his baptism, even if his surname sounds potentially Jewish and he lived in an immigrant district.