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I was surprised the author of the article “Half a million US Jews helped beat the Nazis – it transformed a generation” (JC, May 9), did not mention the highest-ranking Jewish Allied officer in the Second World War, the son and grandson of rabbis. He was Major General Maurice Rose, who was described in his biography by Steven L Ossad and Don R Marsh as “World War II’s Greatest Forgotten Commander”. A “tanker” who has been compared to Rommel, he commanded the US First Army’s legendary Third Armoured Division, the Spearhead Division, a moniker earned for being the first US armoured division to advance into conflicts.
Rose, who was born in Connecticut in 1899, had enlisted in 1917 and fought in the First World War. Graduating from Officer Candidate School, he entered combat near Metz, was wounded by shrapnel and reported to his parents as having been killed in action. This error was later corrected. After the end of the Great War, Rose worked as a travelling salesman but discovered that the peace-time army was reorganising post-war and recruiting ex-officers. In 1920 he joined up and was given the rank of captain. In the interwar years he held a number of training roles, and in the late-1930s moved from infantry to cavalry, to be involved with the development of new tank corps.
In 1942, he fought with the Second Armoured Division in the invasion of North Africa as a colonel. After fighting in Tunisia and accepting a huge surrender of German forces, he fought with the Second through Sicily.
During the Normandy landings in 1944, as he was known for his aggressive style of leadership, he was given command of the Third Armoured Division, was promoted to major general and fought across France and Belgium. After the offensive in the Ardennes and the Battle of the Bulge, his was the first tank unit to breach the Siegfried line and enter Germany. (There is a graphic YouTube film of his subsequent capture of Cologne.)
In March 1945 he led the Third Armoured’s column to the city of Paderborn, when they were surrounded by German tanks. Forced to dismount his tank, Rose reached to surrender his pistol when a German tank commander opened fire. Rose was killed immediately just six weeks before the war ended in Europe.
Peter Sampson
Winchmore Hill
I write in response to your leader “A gift to Hamas”, in which you criticise Sir Keir Starmer for having the courage to protest at the nature of the continued Israeli response to the terrible attack of October 7.
It seems as though any attempt to persuade the current Israeli leadership that the nature of the response can be discussed separately from the objective is doomed to failure. It is the degree of killing and suffering that Israel is causing in pursuit of its legitimate objective to defend itself that is at issue. And yet, any response from Israel seeks to polarise debate into “you’re either with us or against us”.
This type of polarisation has always, throughout history, resulted in more bloodshed and hatred between peoples. The response from Israel, far from eliminating Hamas, will simply create a new generation of Arabs determined to attack Israel. How will any children of Gaza who are not annihilated feel about Israel after seeing the slaughter around them?
Maybe the objective of Israel now extends to displacing them all? Do British Jews really support this? Would it be a good idea for Britain to try and force all of the Catholics out of Northern Ireland for example?
Surely the answer for everyone on this planet is to try and stop the killing and let the passage of time, and the free flow of ideas, mend old wounds? Of course, this will take generations, courage, vigilance and a desire to talk across the divide. This is what we are attempting in Northern Ireland. I pray for continued success there and in Israel.
Young men around the globe are perennially attracted to “great causes” and the taking up of arms. It should be the job of elders to point out to them that we all become losers when violence is allowed to flourish.
N. King,
London
I am not Jewish but my oldest friend, who I have known for more than 75 years after meeting at a Newcastle primary school, and his lovely wife are, and we stay in touch.
Not so many years ago, I found myself in Shepherds Bush market with time to sit and watch life go round. An Arab gentleman and a Jewish gentleman, their identities plainly visible from their clothing, had neighbouring stalls. They were selling different wares, so not competing directly. They were getting along fine, looking after each other’s stall if one needed a break. If the ones on the ground can get on with normal life so successfully, can’t the high ones take a hint and follow?
Lindsay Keith
West Sussex
I am deeply troubled by the tone and implications of Llewellyn Gaba’s recent letter “A Job for Lineker” (May 30). He seems to be unaware of a fundamental principle of the Progressive movement, to which I proudly belong.
All of our rabbis and congregations maintain autonomy in their religious and ideological positions. This characteristic is also shared by the Masorti and Orthodox movements (although the extent of its observance may vary depending on the organisation).
I recently participated in a counter-protest in central London. We demonstrated under Israeli flags and turned our backs on our Orthodox brethren who marched alongside Palestinian flags. Their actions effectively delegitimised the State of Israel, a country many of us defend in public discourse and support. While some non-Orthodox ministers or synagogue members believe that waving Palestinian flags is appropriate, many, including myself, don’t. Suggesting that our movement is so anti-Zionist that it could align with Gary Lineker is inaccurate. Such a claim does not contribute to strengthening our community or the Zionist cause.
D Frencel
London N4