Who were the faces from past who secured our future? - The Jewish Chronicle

They were the first dedicated Jewish fighting force for more than 2,000 years. The Jewish Legion, formed in 1918 as part of the British Army, saw active service to liberate Palestine from the Ottoman Empire in World War One. Rooting through old papers at home, Stanley Rose discovered an old black and white photograph of his grandfather, Private Solomon Rosenberg (seated second-left above). Private Rosenberg, born in 1880, served in the 38th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers. He was an émigré from Poland, as were many of the volunteers who signed up to the battalion. Click here to enlarge the image: He died in Egypt on October 21, 1918, and is buried in the Deir El Belah War Cemetery in Gaza. “It was always something that stuck at the back of my mind,” said Mr Rose — himself now aged 80, “that when my grandfather died, he left behind a young widow with five young children to bring up on her own.” The Jewish Legion comprised the 38th to 42nd battalions, bringing together a force of 5,000 Jews. Almost one-third were from Britain. Among the volunteers in the 38th was sculptor Jacob Epstein, artist Bernard Meninsky and David Ben-Gurion. Mr Rose’s photograph was probably taken at the regimental depot in Plymouth before the battalion began its journey through France and Italy, sailing on to Alexandria. The Legion saw active service in Palestine, fighting in the Jordan Valley and at the battle of Megiddo, widely considered one of the final and decisive victories over the Ottomans. Mr Rose visited his grandfather’s grave in October 1967. “After two generations, I was actually the first relative to have the opportunity to visit his grave, which is in an area that has problems. I was pleased to see that not only his, but all of the graves were well-maintained and pristine.” Mr Rose, from Southgate, North London, said: “I would love to put names to the faces of the people in the photo, to know who fought alongside him.” Are you able to identify any of the other soldiers in the photograph? Contact editorial@thejc.com.