THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JULY 9, 1955,
THE WINGATE STORY CONTINUED-HE CALLS TO THE JEWS: FIGHT ON
31
WAVELL
SHERTOK
A rebuke
He told
WINGATE *You will
WEIZMANN
"The man
--and then"
the Jews
have to
who would
fresh
orders
fight the English'
always listen'
to give full help
DAYAN
Winger
fighter now leads an Army
BANISHED from the land he loved 'DISLOYAL
IN earlier instalments Leonard Mosley has shown how Wingate sowed the seeds..
of his future greatness. Between 1936 and 1939 the man who was to become
the hero of the war in Burma' was a captain in the Royal Artillery in Palestine. He produced a revolutionary plan for dealing with the Arab rebellion; he proposed ...to use men from the Jewish settlements to wipe out the Arab gangs. To start the
raids off, Wingate led a unit of the Jewish Army in a raid on an Arab gang stronghold."
OR his.temerity in organising the Jews. and leading them into the Palestine
F
hills to kill Arabs, Captain Orde Wingate was ordered Jerusalem to be back to
officially rebuked by General Wavell;
1
Britain's strangest hero (3).....by Leonard Mosley
his commanding He came officer. He was not worried. quaters
ecstasy,
who
as the whisper spread-
"
from cruelty and brutality, A coarse and savage man makes a bad soldier, and you will bene have with respect towards the wives, child-m,- and Individuals. But you will not let a single culprit escape."
*
rebuke Winon began
to
tala Wingate is on special duty, and is to be given all aid."
The military policeman snap- ped to attention and let him go. the A mile down the road innocent
Jewish
"You were wrong," he said. "You were driving too fast and you know it. You humiliated that young duing when he was only his duty."
halted Wingate immediately his car, waited for the military policeman's motor-cycle to draw
The biggest action fought by Wingate's Special Night Squads was at Dabburiyah, a notorious and strongly fortified Arab stronghold at the foot of Mount Taber, near the Sea of Galilee. The Oghting was so fierce that he called for sir support, and an R.A.F. plane came down and machine-gunned the battlefield; moved unfortunately, the wrong parts head trained guerillas away from in a state bordering in on the Arabs by night and of it. Wingate was wounded in the shoulder tut refused to be psalms of slaughtered them. They were He claimed at a later date praise in Hebrew, as he march-
the forerunners of the Patriots evacuated. The gang was either that there were three men ed
past the pop-eyed British of Ethiopia and the Chindits of slaughtered or captured
full
Burma. blessings who would always lister to sentries. With the him and be persuaded Weizmann. Churchill and "Wavell.
Penitently, Wingate bowed his head while Wavell read out his castigation
for of him fomenting Jewish-Arab hate."
and Then he lifted it again
sald:-
sumyour Regular
co-
A
(It was free. He had turned
future "officers of the
man
level, and leaned out, "My
friend Emmanuel
here says ow you an apology. You were quite right to stop me. I am sorry."
Jews'
Wingate hel meanwhile
off by the been tipped
own espionage ser- vice that the British were after him. He took little heed, until he heard that his beloved Lorna, กร his wife, was being shadowed her calls that tapped, and
LORNA WINGATE
By this time his attachment to the Zionist cause had gone beyond the point of no return. But if Wavell Was Com-
The dossier being assembled of Weizmann and Shertok (the head and the political adviser Wingate dressed British and placeht about the activities of about his activities by the In-
others his subordinate,
were telligence was growing, and it the Jews alike in clothes wom by of the Jewish Agency),
not, The Colonial Office was
contained some startling in- or settlement workers. They wore starting to ask: "Why is Win- fortnation. Hagana secret army were
gym shoes and carried, only
gate being allowed to kill 50 dered to give their fullest
rife and ammunition.
many Araug? And is it true he.. operation.
is training the Jews?" And
each Wingate led them on Orde Wingate moved
and they had some into the lands of the Bible to occasion, wage war against the heathen. startling successes. When the El Harod into a battle school
Ein Harod, burial Palestine He chose
police expressed to train of his place
Old Testament scepticism of the casualties he Jewish secret army.) Gideon, hero,
his head claimed, he had x salutary answer. After each operation, quarters...
lorry passed "by the nearest police post and the bodies were front of the iron door with notes attached them: "Please identify the at-
Signed, British troops tached corpses.
O.C. The upshot stationed at Haifa, he got Wingate, Captain." of the interview was that volunteerS and mixed Wingate, to the fury of prae- with. Jews loaned him by tically every British officer on Hagana. Wavell's staff, was given per- Wingate had begun the mission to go back to Northern formation of what Secame Palestine, and continue his known
the Special Night experimenta in fighting Arabs. Squads, formations. of highly
failed to protect
troops
hovc
the pipeline.
OTCEL
The Arabs hare cawied
damage and made you
fools.
"jook
1 I can stop all that,
as
have a plan. Twill wipe ou NOT WAR, BUT... thrown in
the gangs for you, and see that
the oil flows freely. Now listen carefully
Wavell listened.
FROM among
as
to
Indis-"
AN APOLOGY
THE Military Intelligence ser-
vices were beginning to take notice of him too. They had begun to tap his telephone calls and intercept his mall. them Not that killing was
the criminate.
*At Before each opera-
first Wingate paid до tion he addressed his men and attention but boldly procceded told them: "We are not making with his self-appointed mission. war of the Arab nation, but on Arab gangs, and towards the He dashed madly about the ordinary Arabs we will abstain untry in an cid car, which
he drove at a furious pace. Speed was a passion; and his attitude towards other road- users was imperious.
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Jewish: Once, driving with al companion, he was stopped by a British military policeman and soundly berated for his reckless ness. Wingate was dressed in the denims and open shirt of settlement worker. He waited until the Briton had finished and then calmly said: "You are liar, I was not driving, dan- gerously."
she
and
was
AT 25
-her life was made uncom fortable by Bri tish officers who dlaapproved of her husband's work in Pales
tine,
+
#
to
no
It was arranged for that evening, in Wilgniki's home on Mount Carmel. Mrs Wilenski kat in the hall, watching the door
the
ready to give the alarm British made a raid.
Wingate
arrived alone, and
the room
went straight into. where the Jews were awaiting him. He looked pale, and ill, and his eyes were burning intensely. He did not bother to greet anyone, but rose at once.
He and began to address them. talked about Zionism, and of his profound belief in the rightness of the Jewish cause. He spoke for an hour with impassioned eloquence.
HIS ADVICE
He
to
ND then, according to the re- cards Haguna Intelligence. he said: "To be practical, mem- bers of the Hagana, the White has turned you down Paper has There will be no Jewish State unless you fight for it and it is the English you will have fight I advise you to start im- mediate hostilities against them and begin by blowing up the oil refinery here in Haifa.. Its destruction would be a grave blow to the British Empire."
chief of staff pro-. Hagana's tested: "That's impossible. We'd
never get inside 1"
Wingate
"You will," replied calmly, if you allow me to lead the operation.". It was one of two important occasions when the Jews refused to accept hla advice.
He was allowed to pay a fare-
He had heard that if he could come to London lenge drives around in his 'old platoon on the slopes of Mount
the
and
her mother Mrs Ivy Patterson, had been obstruct- ed by British police and British officers,
His action
Shortly after the meeting in typical of man who never had any com- This was about the time when hedient young soldier. In face Haifa, Wingate was called to punction about going over the Round · Table Conference
of warnings from his few re- GHQ in Jerusalem and told he superior officer's head.
was on in London discuss maining military friends Wingate had been posted home. One morning he parked his the future of Palestine. Chaim continued his close contacts with well visit to his Jewish Bghter car on the outskirts of a village wel
Weizmann was leading the the Jewish secret army leaders, in the Special Night Squads. between Nazareth' and
An Intelligence report on him He sert a Jeru- Jewish delegation
не went first to Zv
Zvi Brenna's salem.
time says: "W. code message to Wingate asking about this Wavell was paying an official visit to Nazareth. When
odvice. car. He has a new one. It is Tabor, and there, looking down the and military
cavalcade appeared he
he Wingat said
went. By the time be a gift from Hagana for services on the lush vales of Esdraelon his back to the blue waters of the Intelligence re- rendered."
Gaillee and the stepped into the middle of the returned
tumbling road and held up his hand. The ports on his activities had been
I made the closest inquiries Jordan, he said goodbye. cavalcade stopped. Major Win digested by civil and military
for other- gate stepped into General authorities and had produced about this report,
The wise there is no evidence that and from the country I love,"
"I am sent away from
you Wavell's
car, sat down beside both anger and concern the C-in.-C., and began to
to talk. school for Jewish soldiers he he ever took money or gifts for
he said. "I suppose you know had established at Ein Harod his services to the Jews That interview tewas
why. I ara transferred because ordered to be disbanded
we are too great friends. They But want to hurt me and you I promise
you
shall.come back, and if I cannot do it the late 1938, after several regular way, I shall return as a successful operations against Ma'apil" (an illegal refugee), the Arabs, the notorious Arab
A few days later Orde Win- In a gangster, Kaukji, offered £1,000 gate and his wife sailed to anyone who killed Wingate. Troopship from Haifa Wingale
to sea was never Shortly afterwards. while again. driving through an Arab section of Haifa, a grenade was tossed into the back of his car. He saw it in time and flung himself. out, escaping down back alley- ways to the house of a friend. But his car was completely destroyed.
relieved the situation, but not for long, The word "disloyal" immediately. was beginning to appear for the His indulgent chief, General first time in the Intelligence Wavell, had been replaced by reports on Wingate He mixed General Haining, who could not with few British officers now, he expected to, and did not, feel but confined himself to the the same warmth and respect
When the policeman, incensed at the tone of voice, made.. a move towards him, he rapidly whipped out his military card, across which was written "Cap- Jews.
towards this eccentric and dis-
HONGKONG. MEN WHO FOUGHT WITH WINGATE
They served in Wingate's Chindit Force in Burma, The Committee of the Chindits Old Comrader · Ausciation; (Hongkong Branch) elected at Thursday's reunion dinner, Sealed: W. G. Hicks, K. A. F. Liddy, W. E Lam (Chairman); C. E. Chak, M. A Cheng. Back row: F. A. Ozorio, Y. Tipe, D. P. Hollands, C. L'Rocha, L. A. Fox-(8ti Photographer). MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN.
SO, GUAN! YOU DISOBEYED PAE NOT ONLY DIC YOU COME. BACK--BUT YOU BROUGHT NARDA WITH YOU /-
OH-THE NO--THIS IS ONLY ELEVATOR'S || HALFWAY UR ALEENA STOPPING. MUST BE WATCHING ARE WE AT THE TOP ALREADY?
By Lee
| THIS IS ACELLA Þ I'M GOING INSIDE THE CUFF. TO STAY
PRIGHT
IN THIS: ELEVATOR!
ALEENA KEEPS PEOPLE
HERE WHOM SHE [DOESN'T LIKE--
CAR BLOWN UP
Palestine
SERVICE RECORD
HORTLYzfter his departure several of his Jewish trainees were arrested and given savage sentences, Moshe Dayan, then a
a Palestine settle Hagana found him another.
farmer in
axiong At the beginning of 1939 the ment, and Zvi Brenna bells began to toll for Orde them. They were released after Wingate in Palestine. The the war against Cermany bega While Paper on Palestine was Dayan (now head of the Israeli about to be issued. The Jews Army) lost an eye leading the Syria, Zvi convinced that it would Australians into give them an independent State, Brenna lost a leg in Italy.
"The night before the White Paper was issued," said one of Across Wingate's personal
service record his commandin Fis Jewish friends, Wingate officer "wrote: "0, C. Winga came to visit us. He
were
was Majer, D.S.O., is t azoot sold
drunk, the first time we had
sat in a
ever seen him drunk. He just but, so far as Palestine is con
corner mumbling to cerned, he is a bad security risk himself, groaning, slapping his and cannot be trusted. He puts the interests of the Jews before body. Presently he
up and those of his own people. He pointed should not. be allowed. In
door.
went to the out that, if he did insist on Palestine again."
going, he had better take the There. were many of his parcel he had brought with fellow. officers who felt that ha him. That's for you, he said. had got off too lightly,
You'll need it
later
We
opened it after he had gone and it was four bolites of whisky. we heard that the While Paper had turned down
Next day
the Jewish State.”
It was about this time that
Wingate asked the Hagana
(WORLD COPYRIGHT),
NEXT WEEK:
intelligence officer, Wilenski, to Wingate appeals
call a special meeting. of the Hagana General Staff. Falk and Phil Dayis
THE ELEVATOR'LL HAVE UPOR DOW F'NOT·
ISTO THAT CELL!"
I'M AFRAID WE'LL HAVE TO, MARDA --AS. YOU'LL SEE!
the King
EVEN
MAGICIANS
Cantarlsberg
U
3
HK:102