(191A) October 1939: Harvest in Emek (Jezreel Valley). Alexander Zerd's son on horseback. Wheatfields - harvest by combine and by hand (guarded by armed horsemen). Bringing in the harvest. Jewish Settlement Police on guard. Harvest celebrations - procession led by armed horsemen; decorated carts etc. Harvest Festival at Rehavia; traditional symbols, dances etc. (Story credits given as Music - M. Wilensky; Text - Emanuel Harusy; Singer - J Riazongew).

(216A) April 1940: Daily routine of the Jewish Auxiliary Forces (the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps). Opening acknowledgement to GOC in C Palestine and Transjordan. Parade in Tel Aviv. British Army camp at Sara Fend: volunteers arrive in civilian clothes; in uniform, they are inspected by a British RSM, drilled, exercised etc. Individual soldiers march up to camera and salute. Soldiers practise digging trenches, under instruction from British Officers and NCO's (this item continued in MGH 1439).

Extracts from a series of newsreels produced for the Jewish audience in Palestine, 1929-1947.

Notes

Documentation/associated material: Axelrod catalogue (held in photocopy form by Film and Video Archive).

Remarks: the Jewish Brigade itself was not formed until 1944, despite Churchill's enthusiasm, because of the army's (as it turned out, justified) concern over the long-term effects of giving arms and training to Zionists. Pioneer companies (at least in 1940) served unarmed and in relatively menial capacities and were therefore "safe". (The same caution was applied to German/Austrian anti-Nazi volunteers!)

Summary: there is some confusion over the relevance (if any) of the second item to the Jewish Brigade. Much of the footage also appears in an item in the RAD archive called "Jewish Brigade" supposedly made in 1944. Axelrod's date, however, and the opening crest and titles seem to establish that this film is actually of the training of one of the pioneer companies raised in Palestine in 1940. Several companies were recruited, numbers being kept equal between arabs and Jews, and seem to have seen service in France and Greece. They had a very poor "image" so willingness to serve in them showed how keen some Jews were to fight Nazism: Axelrod says he was asked to make this film by the British authorities as propaganda showing good conditions of pay and service etc.