A letter handwritten and signed by Joseph Trumpeldor, about the discipline of Jewish soldiers in the British army. London, January 20, 1917. Russian.
An interesting letter, written during Trumpeldor's stay in London, where he came in order to help Ze'ev Jabotinsky in his efforts to establish a fighting Jewish battalion. At this time, the Zion Mule Corps had already been disbanded and many of its soldiers were transferred to the Jewish company of the 20th London Battalion (later, the soldiers of this battalion constituted the nucleus of the Jewish Legion). The letter, which was presumably sent to one of the Jewish soldiers of the 20th battalion, deals with the required change in the soldiers' behavior in order to improve their image in the eyes of the British (and thereby promote Trumpeldor's and Jabotinsky's vision of establishing a fighting Jewish battalion in Palestine and Egypt).
Trumpeldor writes: "I am very happy that things over there are gradually working out. In my opinion, if the boys finally understand that by a bad approach to their service, they first of all hurt themselves, they will straighten themselves out and everything will go smoothly… And what will happen later in the front? It's better not to think about it – first, you have no way to help now and you can only kill the mood; second, it is still unclear where they will send us. Maybe they will send [us] to Palestine… and then the entire unit will remain there – it is definitely possible – what is important now is that the boys behave well; then possibly, [the commanders] will be more attentive to their wishes. One way or the other, I am working on the matter and will continue to work on it. If all of you there can make the English respect you, at least a little, by your behavior, it will greatly help my efforts. Please explain this to all the boys. For example, it is time that they quit the habit of going to the doctor when it is not an emergency. This is what usually angers the those in command and aggravates the subordinates' condition". Towards the end of the letter, Trumpeldor asks about the Jewish soldiers' training: "Why didn't you write me the names of those who were expelled from the training company?… tell me how you are trained, which rifle methods do you know already? Who teaches you – officers or sergeants?".
Joseph Trumpledor (1880-1920), born in Pyatigorsk, was the first Jewish officer to serve in the Russian army, and even fought in the Russo-Japanese War, during which he sustained shrapnel wounds in his left arm and had it amputated. In January 1905, when the Russian army was defeated in the battle on Port Arthur marine fort, Trumpeldor was captured by the Japanese. During his time in prison Trumpeldor was engaged in founding Zionist and national institutions and organizations for Jewish prisoners. He immigrated to Palestine in 1912, working as a farmer. During World War I, he took part in the battle of Gallipoli as second-in-command and commander of the Zion Mule Corps.
In October 1916, he left for London to help Ze'ev Jabotinsky establish a fighting Jewish battalion, their efforts leading indeed to the establishment of the Jewish Legion in 1917. After the war, Trumpeldor returned to Russia and was one of the founders of "HaChalutz". In 1919, he re-immigrated to Palestine and was called to assist in the defense of the settlements of the Galilee panhandle. He was killed during the Battle of Tel Chai on the eleventh of Adar 1920. His character and heroism made him a national hero in the history of Zionism.
[1] leaf (two written pages), approx. 25.5 cm. Good condition. Fold lines. Stains. Small open tear at the edge (not affecting text).