Some time during the last week of March in the year 1918 – the specific date will remain unknown – Isaac Rosenberg, a Private in the British Army serving in the King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment – penned the following poem:
Through These Pale Cold Days
Through these pale cold days
What dark faces burn
Out of three thousand years,
And their wild eyes yearn,
While underneath their brows
Like waifs their spirits grope
For the pools of Hebron again –
For Lebanon’s summer slope.
They leave these blond still days
In dust behind their tread
They see with living eyes
How long they have been dead.
(From The Collected Works of Isaac Rosenberg, page 91)
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Photographic portrait of Private Isaac Rosenberg, Regimental Number 22311, probably taken in September, 1917, from Joseph Cohen’s Journey to The Trenches.
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Born in Bristol on November 25, 1890, Rosenberg was a painter and poet in civilian life. Despite his pacifistic nature – attributable to his familial upbringing as much as his independent personality – both of which dispositions gave him a disinclination to military life, Rosenberg enlisted in the British Army in October of 1915. His primary motivations were simple: Enervating uncertainty about making a livelihood, whether through the arts or most any other vocation, and more fundamentally, a matter-of-fact sense of resignation in terms of the tenor of the times. Perhaps he felt that military service, even if he was largely unamendable to it physically, psychologically, or intellectually, would provide his life with structure and direction unavailable to him otherwise. Even if this was in a time of war.
Rosenberg was killed in action on the first day of April in 1918, not long after he composed “Through These Pale Cold Days”, a poem which expressed his frustrated yearning to return to Eretz Israel, and, serve in a Jewish military unit, this last desire reflected by his persistent and unsuccessful application to transfer to the Judeans, the Jewish volunteer battalions organized by Vladimir Jabotinsky and then serving in Egypt and the Yishuv.
His death came eleven days after the commencement of the great German offensive otherwise known as Operation Michael, which was (Wikipedia speaking here), “…launched from the Hindenburg Line, in the vicinity of Saint-Quentin, France. Its goal was to break through the Allied (Entente) lines and advance in a north-westerly direction to seize the Channel Ports, which supplied the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and to drive the BEF into the sea. … The offensive ended at Villers-Bretonneux, to the east of the Allied communications centre at Amiens, where the Allies managed to halt the German advance; the German Army had suffered many casualties and was unable to maintain supplies to the advancing troops.”
Rosenberg’s final battle was described by Tulane University faculty member Joseph Cohen, in his 1975 book Journey to the Trenches, as follows:
“The First King’s Own Regiment, still in the reverse trenches, moved quickly to the forward area, at one point suffering heavy casualties in terrain exposed to the enemy’s cross-fire. Twenty-four hours later the Germans had overrun the front line, and the First King’s Own Regiment along with other adjacent units found themselves back in the reserve trenches, which became the new front lines. Throughout that Saturday and Sunday, March 30-31, they stubbornly resisted the German advance. When the attack eased on Sunday, the few survivors in Rosenberg’s company were ordered to the rear. In the early morning hours of Monday, April 1, All Fools’ Day, the Company made its way back under cover of darkness. The men had not gone more than two hundred yards when a runner caught up with them. The attack had been renewed and every man was needed. Since they had earned their brief respite from the fighting they were not ordered to return, but asked to volunteer. No one had to go back. Among the few who did was Rosenberg.
“Certainly he knew what the odds were against his surviving that fateful hour. He did not have to volunteer, but made the decision to go back as in 1915 he had made the decision to enlist. He returned, and within an hour of reaching the battle area, somewhere close to the French Village of Fampoux, Isaac Rosenberg was killed in close combat. He was twenty-seven.”
This account parallels the Wikipedia entry for Rosenberg, which states, “Having just finished a night patrol, he was killed on the night of 1 April 1918 with another ten KORL soldiers; there is a dispute as to whether his death occurred at the hands of a sniper or in close combat. In either case, he died in a town called Fampoux, north-east of Arras. He was first buried in a mass grave, but in 1926 the unidentified remains of the six KORL soldiers were individually re-interred at Bailleul Road East Cemetery, Plot V, Saint-Laurent-Blangy, Pas de Calais, France. Rosenberg’s gravestone is marked with his name and the words, “Buried near this spot”, as well as – “Artist and Poet”.”
But, what of March 21, 1918, the opening date of the final German offensive in the west?
When I embarked on researching British Commonwealth Jewish military casualties of the Great War, based on information in The Jewish Chronicle and records accessible via the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, I soon noticed a relatively high number of records for soldiers killed in action on July 1, 1916, the opening of the Somme Offensive, of which I’d previously known only anecdotally. In the same way, the CWGC database revealed a cluster of records for the fallen on March 21, 1918, of which – prior to that time being focused on the Second World War – I’d previously known, well, also-nothing-at-all. That date, I soon learned, was the opening day of Operation Michael, which, “…had been costly for the Germans, who had suffered c. 40,000 casualties, slightly more than they inflicted on the BEF,” something paralleling, in terms of overall magnitude (though the specifics were different) the terrible events on the opening day of the Somme Offensive.
And so, akin to the post about the Somme battle, here are presented biographical records and photographs (where available) of Jewish military casualties on this March day, a little over a century and four years ago.
The names of 37 men are listed.
Of the 37, thirty-three lost their lives in battle, one of whom, Pte. Max Rapaport, born in Rumania, was serving in the South African Infantry. A 34th (L/Cpl. Moss Emanuel – died possibly? probably? – not in battle, similar to the 35th (Pte. Barnett Schwartz) who served in the Yishuv. Schwartz seems to have no actual grave, being commemorated at the Jerusalem Memorial.
Notably, the 36th man was an American: Air Mechanic Samuel Walter Arnheim, serial 152812. From West End Avenue in New York City, he was a flying instructor in the Royal Flying Corps, and was killed in a aviation accident at the School of Aerial Gunnery at Camp Hicks, in Texas, though the specifics of that incident are unknown. His death received extensive coverage in the both the general and Jewish press, having been reported on in at least six newspapers.
As for the “37th”, Pte. Samuel Waxman? Wounded, he survived the day and the war. A member of the 24th Battalion in the Australian Imperial Forces, he was born in Warsaw, and his Attestation Papers (accessed via the National Archives of Australia) reveal that as a Russian subject (however the word “subject” was then defined!) he was obligated to serve in the AIF, due to his obvious inability to return to Russia and serve in that country’s army.
It’s notable that the names of nearly half of the 37 – fourteen – never appeared in The Jewish Chronicle, while the names of 12 of those 14 soldiers are likewise absent from the British Jewry Book of Honour.
And, awfully reflective of the awful and overwhelming nature of the Offensive’s opening day, only four of the aforementioned 33 have places of burial.
But alas, there was more, and is more: The Wikipedia entry for the Offensive alludes to German losses for the opening day exceeding those of the British. This is sadly reflected in the number of German Jewish soldiers lost in battle this day: 52. Their names, military units, dates and places of birth and residence, and places of burial (where known) are listed below, though only Leutnant Erich Heilbrunn’s entry includes a photo.
As per the post about the Somme Offensive, to place the events of this day in a clearer context, I’ve included links to a variety of websites, and, some videos.
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“Self Portrait in Steel Helmet”, by Isaac Rosenberg (From Ben Uri Gallery & Museum Collection, at ArtsUK)
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Kaiserschlacht: The German Spring Offensive, at Anglo Historian (March 21, 2018)
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Thursday, March 21, 1918 – 8 Nisan, 5678
.ת.נ.צ.ב.ה.
Tehé Nafshó Tzrurá Bitzrór Haḥayím
May his soul be bound up in the bond of everlasting life.
Killed in Action or Died of Wounds
Barnett, Samuel, Pvt., 204305
London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), 1st Battalion (Attached to 2nd/4th Battalion)
Mr. and Mrs. Elias and Polly Barnett (parents), 240 Mile End Road, London
Also 9 Gordon Road, Stoke Newington, London, N
Born 1898
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France – Panel 85
(CWGC lists mother’s name as Polly; did father remarry? If not, mother was actually Miriam (Belasco) Barnett.)
British Jewry Book of Honour – 79, 462
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Bensusan, Harry, Rifleman, O/461
Rifle Brigade, 9th Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. Henry and Adelaide Bensusan (parents), David, Isaac, Joseph, Reuben, Rosetta, Solomon (brothers and sister)
8 Hutchinson Ave., Aldgate
Born Spitalfields, Middlesex, 1899
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France – Panels 81 to 84
British Jewry Book of Honour – Not Listed
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Bernstein, Jacob, Pvt., 29444
West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’ Own), 10th Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. Hyman and Leah Bernstein (parents), 53 Roseville Road, Leeds, 8
Born Leeds, 1897
Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France – Bay 4
British Jewry Book of Honour – photo section 128 (not listed elsewhere in book)
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Inscription on matzeva: In loving memory of Jack – Mourned by his mother – Brothers and sisters
Cohen, Jacob, Pvt., 262663
Manchester Regiment, 2nd/6th Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. Wolf and Esther Cohen (parents), Israel, Reuben, Lilly, Minnie, and Victor (brothers and sisters)
31 Exchange St., Cheetham, Manchester
Born Manchester, 1894
Assevillers New British Cemetery, Somme, France – VI,D,10
The Jewish Chronicle 4/26/18 (incorrectly lists serial as 252263)
British Jewry Book of Honour – 84, 364; photo section 238
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Cohen, Oscar, Pvt., G22470
The Buffs (East Kent Regiment), 7th Battalion
Mr. Philip Cohen (father), 47 West Green Road, London, N15
Born Whitechapel, London, 7/2/98
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France – Panel 16
The Jewish Chronicle 7/26/18
British Jewry Book of Honour – 85, 238; photo section 229
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Fiddler, Michael, Rifleman, S/35069
Rifle Brigade, 16th Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. Davis and Rachael Fiddler (parents), Benjamin, Blumah, Jacob, Lazarus, Samuel, and Sophy (brothers and sisters)
103 Slater St., Brick Lane, London, E
Born St. Thomas, Bethnal Green, 1899
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France – Panels 81 to 84
The Jewish Chronicle 3/21/19
British Jewry Book of Honour – 88, 383 (incorrectly lists surname as “Fidler”)
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Fraser, Hyman, Sgt., 202360
The King’s (Liverpool) Regiment, 11th Battalion, C Company
Mrs. Minnie (Shock) Fraser (wife), 17 Bannerman St., Edgehill, Liverpool
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France – Panels 21 to 23
The Jewish Chronicle 5/10/18
British Jewry Book of Honour – 89, 288
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Freedman, Mark, Pvt., 203869
Northumberland Fusiliers, 22nd (Tyneside Scottish) Battalion
Mrs. Betty Freedman (wife), 25 Grove St., Commercial Road, London
Mr. and Mrs. Morris and Annie Freedman (parents), 40 Merchant St., London, E
Born 1891
Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France – Bays 2-3
The Jewish Chronicle 5/24/18
British Jewry Book of Honour – 90, 242 (Lists name as “Freedman, D.M.” (p. 90) and “Freedman, W.” (p. 242)); photo section 225
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Goldberg, Edward (“Eddie”), Pvt., 85316
The King’s (Liverpool Regiment), 1st Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. Abraham and Hannah Goldberg (parents), Joseph and Rachel (brother and sister)
185 Brunswick Buildings, Goulston St., Aldgate, London, E
Born Whitechapel, London, 1896
Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France – Bay 3
The Jewish Chronicle 5/17/18
The Jewish Chronicle (Obituary section) 4/26/18
British Jewry Book of Honour – 91, 288
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Goldstone, Leonard, L/Cpl., 44748 (Formerly 3320, London Regiment)
Royal Irish Rifles, 12th Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. Alfred A. and Millie Goldstone (parents), 130 King St., Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
Born Great Yarmouth, Norfolk
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France – Panels 74 to 76
British Jewry Book of Honour – 378
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Harris, Henry, Pvt., 18268
Royal Irish Regiment, 2nd Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. John and Sarah Harris (parents), 18 (38?) Wilkes St., Spitalfields, London, E
Born 1889
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France – Panels 30 and 31
The Jewish Chronicle 3/28/19
British Jewry Book of Honour – 95, 305
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Inscription on matzeva: Deeply mourned by brother – Sisters and relatives
Himmelstein, Harry, Pvt., 203842
London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), 2nd/2nd Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. Simon and Liba Himmelstein (parents), Fanny, Rosa, and Solomon (sisters and brother)
94 Grove St., Commercial Road, Stepney, London, SE (E1?)
Born Whitechapel, London, 1899 (Or…born in Poland…)
Chauny Communal Cemetery, British Extension, Aisne, France – 3,F,11
The Jewish Chronicle 5/3/18
British Jewry Book of Honour – 96, 472, 473
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Jacobson, Samuel, Pvt., 51685
The King’s (Liverpool Regiment), 19th Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. Isaac and Yetta Jacobson (parents), Bertrice, Harry, Kate, Marks, Milly, Myer, Reuben, and Soloman (sisters and brothers)
39 Great Orford St., Liverpool
Born Liverpool, Lancashire, 1897
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France – Panels 21 to 23
British Jewry Book of Honour – Not Listed
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Kutchinsky, Alec, Rifleman, R/32227
King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 9th Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. Michael and Rosie Kutchinsky (parents)
Dawn, Esther, Isaac, Judah, and Rachel (sisters and brothers), 48 Anthony St., London, E
Born St. George in the East, Whitechapel, London, 1894
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France – Panels 61 to 64
The Jewish Chronicle 3/28/19
British Jewry Book of Honour – 101, 360; photo section 132
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Levi, Frederick Joseph, 2nd Lieutenant
Lincolnshire Regiment, 1st Battalion (Attached to 2nd/5th Battalion)
Mr. and Mrs. Mark and Bloom Levi (parents), Ada, Cissie, Lillie, and Manuel (sisters and brother)
116 Pershore Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham
Born Edgbaston, Birmingham, 1895
Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France – Bays 3 and 4
The Jewish Chronicle 4/19/18, 1/3/19 (Issue of 4/19/18 lists name as “Levi, F.I.”)
The Jewish Chronicle (Obituary section) 12/20/18
British Jewry Book of Honour – 72, 293; photo section 45
An image of the matzeva of Frederick Joseph’s father Mark, by FindAGrave Contributor Hockley Lass, is shown below. Note that their son, who is commemorated at the Arras Memorial, is memorialized by engraved text.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
MAURICE ALBERT LEVI,
SON OF
MARK AND BLOOM LEVI,
DIED MARCH 6TH 1919, AGED 26.
ALSO OF THEIR SON
FREDERIC JOSEPH LEVI,
WHO WAS KILLED IN ACTION IN FRANCE
MARCH 21ST 1918, AGED 23.
MAY THEIR SOULS REST IN PEACE
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Levi, Reuben, Pvt., 40139
Royal Scots Fusiliers, 6th/7th Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. Marks (6/3/67-8/13) and Leah (Lazarus) (died 10/7/34) Levi (parents), Sarah (“Sadie”) (1900-1973) (sister)
75 Green Road, Leeds
Born Leeds, Yorkshire, 1895
Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France – Bay 5
British Jewry Book of Honour – Not Listed
Marks Levi’s naturalization form of September 2, 1912, from the Sargent Family Tree (by Jacqueline Sargent), at Ancestry.com, appears below. Note that Reuben’s name (he was then 17) is recorded on the Certificate of Naturalization to an Alien sheet.
The following three images of Reuben (he’s the center figure in the group picture) are also displayed at the Sargent Family Tree page.
Also among Sargent Family Tree documents is this Official notification of Reuben’s death, dated January 25, 1919. Though he has no known grave, the document reveals that his body must have been recovered and identified by the German military.
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Levy, Henry, Pvt., 31092
York and Lancaster Regiment, 2nd Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. William and Sarah Levy (parents), Florence, Jacob, Joseph, Julius, and Samuel (sister and brothers)
67 Frederick St., South Shields
Born South Shields, Durham, 1889
Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France – Bay 8
British Jewry Book of Honour – Not Listed
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Marks, David, Cpl., 41016
Royal Dublin Fusiliers, 1st Battalion (Formerly Royal Field Artillery)
Mr. and Mrs. Labovitch (“Jacob”) and Rachel Marks (parents), Fanny, Harris, Israel, and Lazarus (sister and brothers)
9 Herdford Place, Meadwood Road, Leeds
Born Yorkshire, England, 1883
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France – Panels 79 and 80
British Jewry Book of Honour – Not Listed
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Meltzer, Solomon, Pvt., 64462 (Transferred to Labour Corps, 108th Labour Company; serial changed to 11484)
The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, 3rd/5th Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. D. and L. Metlzer (parents), 15 Hewitt St., Hightown, Manchester
Born St. Peters, Bradford, West Yorkshire
Faubourg d’Amiens Cemetery, Arras, Pas de Calais, France – VII,B,32
The Jewish Chronicle 4/12/18
British Jewry Book of Honour – 108, 442; photo section 58
Solomon’s matzeva appears in this image by FindAGrave Contributor PearLady
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Mosely, Arthur, Pvt., 275217
London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), 3rd Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. Simon and Ann Moseley (parents)
Frances, John, Joseph, and Louis (sister and brothers), 68 Lincoln St., E3, Bow, London
Born Mile End, London, 1897
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France – Panel 85
The Jewish Chronicle 3/28/19
The Jewish Chronicle (Obituary section) 3/28/19
British Jewry Book of Honour – 109, 480, 481 (British Jewry Book of Honour – lists surname as “Moseley”, and “Mosely”, but CWGC lists surname as “Mosely”. 1901 Census lists surname as “Moseley”)
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Nyman, Maurice, Rifleman, R35759
King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 1st Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob and Leah Nyman (parents), Harry, Hyman, Philip, and Sidney (brothers), 3 Cable St., Whitechapel East, London
Born Whitechapel, London, 1898
Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France – Bay 7
British Jewry Book of Honour – Not Listed
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Rapaport, Max, Pvt., 13190
South African Infantry, 2nd Regiment
Mr. and Mrs. Sulim and Hinda Rapaport (parents), Str Hagi, Vasluiu, Rumania
Born Rumania, 1889
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France – Panels 95-98
British Jewry Book of Honour – Not Listed
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Rosenberg, Abraham, Pvt., 34958
Machine Gun Corps, 51st Battalion
Mrs. Dora Rosenberg (mother), 92 Grafton St. / 3 Stamford St., Leeds
Born London
Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France
The Jewish Chronicle 5/10/18 (TJC lists name as “Rosenberg, H.”)
British Jewry Book of Honour – 114, 395
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Rosenberg, Lewis, L/Cpl., 233855
London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers), 2nd Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. Israel and Edith Rosenberg (parents)
Harry, Hetty, Hyman, Leah, and Sammy (brothers and sisters)
220 St. George’s St., E (or) 21 The Highway, London
Born Wapping, London, 1898
Chauny Communal Cemetery, British Extension, Aisne, France – Sp. Mem. C; 2,F,1
The Jewish Chronicle 5/3/18
British Jewry Book of Honour – 114, 483, 484
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Rottstein, Harry, Cpl., 203390
Durham Light Infantry, 2nd Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. Reuben and Ada Rottstein (parents)
Abraham, Anne, Clara, Isaac, Joseph, Rebecca, and Rose (brothers and sisters)
8 Rich St., Limehouse, St. Georges, North Somerset
Born Mile End, London, 1892
Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France – Bay 8
British Jewry Book of Honour – Not Listed
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Rubenstein, Hyman, Pvt., 235283
East Lancashire Regiment, 2nd/4th Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Leon and Rose Rubenstein (parents)
Blanche, Fanny, Hyman, Jack, Pearl, Ray, and Sarah (sisters and brothers), 153B Kensington, Liverpool
Born Leeds, Yorkshire, 1898
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France – Panel 42 and 43
The Jewish Chronicle 4/26/18 (Incorrectly lists surname as “Rubinstein”)
British Jewry Book of Honour – 115, 321
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Schratsky, Phillip, Rifleman, R/22366
King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 7th Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. Jack (John) and Mary (Minnie) Schratsky (parents), Benjamin, Dinah, Freeman, Isaac, Kate, Leah, Sarah, and Solomon (brothers and sisters)
6 Duval St., Spitalfields, London
Born Whitechapel, London, 5/30/94
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France – Panels 61 to 64
British Jewry Book of Honour – Not Listed
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Segelman, Powell, Cpl., 44518
Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment), 16th Battalion
Mrs. Mary Segelman (mother), Annie Cohen, Dora Levinson, Ellis, Hetty Baker, and Max (sisters and brothers)
113 Victor St., Lincolnshire, Grimsby
Born Kovno (Kaunas), Lithuania, 1892
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France – Panels 52 to 54
The Jewish Chronicle 5/3/18 (Mentions that he served as “Grimsby”)
British Jewry Book of Honour – 117, 340
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Smullen, Abraham, Pvt., 33847
Manchester Regiment, 16th Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis and Ethel Smullen (parents), Hyman, Rachel, and Sarah (brother and sisters), 89 Stock St., Manchester
Born Belfast, Ireland, 1896
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France – Panels 64 to 67
British Jewry Book of Honour – 119, 368
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Solomons, Frank, L/Cpl., R/23189
King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 9th Battalion
Mr. Simon Solomons (father), 7 Frostie Place (12 Frostie Mansions), Whitechapel, E, London, England
Born Stepney, Middlesex
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France – Panels 61 to 64
The Jewish Chronicle 5/3/18
British Jewry Book of Honour – 119, 362
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Williams, Nathan, Pvt., 141430
Machine Gun Corps, 58th Company
Wounded (gassed)
Mr. and Mrs. Louis and Rachel Williams (parents), Annie, Florry, Isaac, Ivy, Jacob, Leah, Morris, and Sarah (sisters and brothers)
172 Green St., Bethnal Green, London, E
Born Bethnal Green, London, 1898
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France – Panels 90 to 93
The Jewish Chronicle 5/3/18, 3/28/19 (Chronicle lists name as “N.A. Williams”, and serial as 225727)
British Jewry Book of Honour – 123, 396
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Yarmovsky, Jacob, Pvt., 31879
West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’ Own), 1st Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. Eli (“Hillel”) (1868-10/2/34) and Sophia (“Zifaie”) (1870-3/8/38) Yarmovsky (parents)
Elizbaeth Julia (“Lizzie”), Jacob Philip, Leah, Louis, Max, and Sarah Rebecca (sisters and brothers)
20 Henbury St., Benson St., Leeds
Born Leeds, Yorkshire, 1897
Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France – Bay 4
British Jewry Book of Honour – Not Listed
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Zimmerman, Naheim, Pvt., 267774
Sherwood Foresters (Notts and Derby Regiment), 2nd/7th Battalion
Mr. and Mrs. Morris and Flora Zimmerman (parents), Aaron, Annie, Barnett, Beatrice, Ephraim, Harriet, Israel, Leah, and Leon (brothers and sisters)
184 High St., Shadwell, London, E
Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais, France – Bay 7
The Jewish Chronicle 5/31/18
British Jewry Book of Honour – 123, 341
Died Non Battle
Emanuel, Moss, L/Cpl., 41460
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion
Died non-battle
Mrs. Lilly (Weinrabe) Emanuel (wife)
Mr. and Mrs. Emanuel (5/1/54-7/31) and Elizabeth “Lizzie” (Lazarus) (1854-1/21) Emanuel (parents)
48 Brighton Road, Stoke Newington, London
Also 126 Maybury Road, Woking, Surrey
Born Whitechapel, London, 1886
Pozieres Memorial, Somme, France – Panels 38 to 40
The Jewish Chronicle 6/14/18, 9/27/18, 10/4/18
The Jewish Chronicle (Obituary section) 9/27/18, 10/4/18, 3/21/19
British Jewry Book of Honour – 88, 317
The Sun – 3/26/18
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In Egypt or The Yishuv
Schwartz, Barnett, Pvt., 51283
Imperial Camel Corps
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob and Kate Schwartz (parents), Abraham, Esther, Leah, Nathan, Samuel, and Sarah (brothers and sisters)
289 Oxford St., Stepney, London, E
Born Mile End, London, 1894
Jerusalem Memorial, Jerusalem, Israel – Panel 7
The Jewish Chronicle 3/28/19
British Jewry Book of Honour – 117; photo section 26
An American Jew in the Royal Flying Corps
Arnheim, Samuel Walter, Cadet, 152812
Royal Flying Corps
Killed in flying accident at School of Aerial Gunnery, Camp Hicks, Texas, United States
Enlisted in Royal Flying Corps in July of 1917; sent to Texas as flying instructor.
Graduate of Yale University
Mr. and Mrs. Marks and Fannie (Frances?) (Lewald) Arnheim (parents), 246 West End Ave., New York, N.Y., United States
Mrs. Milton F. Untermeyer (sister)
Born New York, N.Y., 4/21/89
Jesherun New Burial Ground (Beth Shalom Fields?), Brooklyn, N.Y. – Plot 670, B; Buried 3/26/18 (Services led by Reverend Dr. Stephen S. Wise)
Occupation: Manufacturer of Clothing, US Army & Navy Officers’ Uniforms
The Jewish Chronicle 6/7/18
The Jewish Chronicle (Obituary section) 5/3/18, 3/21/19
British Jewry Book of Honour – Not Listed
The Daily Standard Union (Brooklyn) – 3/22/18
The Independent Republican – 4/5/18
New York Herald – 3/22/18, 3/26/18
New York Tribune – 7/9/17, 3/26/18
Wounded in Action
Waxman, Samuel, Pvt., 5905
Australian Imperial Forces, 24th Battalion
Mr. Lazar Waxman (father), Warsaw, Poland
Also Rothdown St., Carlton, Victoria, Australia
Born Warsaw, Poland, 1896
Attestation Papers list civilian trade as “Salesman”
British Jewry Book of Honour – 565
This statement of August 7, 1916, by the Consulate of Imperial Russia, in Melbourne, communicates Samuel Waxman’s obligation to serve in the Australian Expeditionary Forces in lieu of his inability to serve in the Russian army.
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Germany
Imperial German Army – Deutsches Heer
German Tactics For 1918 Spring Offensive – THE GREAT WAR Special, at The Great War (March 12, 2018)
Kaiserschlacht – German Spring Offensive 1918 – THE GREAT WAR Week 191, at The Great War (March 22, 2018)
Operation Michael Runs Out Of Breath – THE GREAT WAR Week 193, at The Great War (April 5, 2018)
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.ת.נ.צ.ב.ה.
Tehé Nafshó Tzrurá Bitzrór Haḥayím
May his soul be bound up in the bond of everlasting life.
Bachrach, Leopold, Soldat / Kanonier
Fussartillerie Bataillon 90, 2nd Kompagnie
Born 11/15/99, in Muhlhausen
Resided in Muhlhausen (Thur.)
Kriegsgräberstätte in St.Quentin (Frankreich), Block 3, Grab 704
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 289
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Bauer, Julius, Leutnant
Infanterie Regiment 185, 1st Battalion, 2nd Kompagnie
Born 1/7/83, in Frankenthal
Resided in Mannheim
Kriegsgräberstätte in Rancourt (Frankreich), Block 3, Grab 697
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 281
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Benger, Samuel, Soldat
Infanterie Regiment 184, 2nd Battalion, 7th Kompagnie
Born 1/20/96, in Tworog
Resided in Breslau
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 177
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Berdass, Artur, Soldat
Reserve Infanterie Regiment 242, 1st Battalion, 2nd Kompagnie
Born 4/23/92, in Trebnitz
Resided in Chemnitz
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 188
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Bernstein, Harry, Vizefeldwebel
Infanterie Regiment 92, 3rd Bataillon, 9th Kompagnie
Born 2/22/96, in Altenburg
Resided in Berlin
Kriegsgräberstätte in Neuville-St.Vaast (Frankreich), Block 16, Grab 1264
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 132
____________________
Blumenthal, Walter, Unteroffizier
Fusilier Regiment 39, 1st Battalion, 4th Kompagnie
Bor 8/8/91, in Hamm
Resided in Hamm
Kriegsgräberstätte in St.Quentin (Frankreich), Block 6, Grab 212
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 236
____________________
Bud, Rudolf, Soldat
Infanterie Regiment 77, 1st Battalion, 3rd Kompagnie
Born 3/24/93, in Berlin
Resided in Berlin
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 134
____________________
Cahn, Michael, Soldat / Grenadier
Garde Reserve Regiment 1, 2nd Battalion, 6th Kompagnie
Born 8/30/87, in Mainz
Resided in Hamburg
Kriegsgräberstätte in Neuville-St.Vaast (Frankreich), Block 17, Grab 1110
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 370
____________________
Fabisch, Georg, Soldat
Infanterie Regiment 25, 2nd Battalion, 8th Kompagnie
Born 2/11/90, in Tangermunde
Resided in Tangermunde
Kriegsgräberstätte in Maissemy (Frankreich), Block 5, Grab 1656
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 345
____________________
Feibel, Sally, Soldat / Jäger
Reserve Jäger Bataillon 2, 1st Kompagnie
Born 6/20/94, in Gr. Lichtenau
Resided in Danzig
Kriegsgräberstätte in Neuville-St.Vaast (Frankreich), Block 8, Grab 481
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 191
____________________
Forsch, Richard, Soldat
Reserve Infanterie Regiment 60, 2nd Battalion, 5th Kompagnie
Born 11/24/97, in Teschenmoschel
Resided in Teschenmoschel
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 346
____________________
Frankel, Hugo, Soldat
Infanterie Division XXXIV, Sturm Kompagnie
Missing
Born 5/10/95, in Barnsdorf
Resided in Barnsdorf
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 127
____________________
Frankenthal, Sally, Soldat
Infanterie Regiment 453, 1st Battalion, 4th Kompagnie
Born 7/8/91, in Altenlotheim
Resided in Altenlotheim
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 122
____________________
Glaser, Ernst, Soldat / Reservist
Reserve Infanterie Regiment 233, 3rd Battalion, 12th Kompagnie
Born 4/17/90, in Lubzin / Pom.
Resided in Stettin
Kriegsgräberstätte in Neuville-St.Vaast (Frankreich), Block 21, Grab 695
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 340
____________________
Guggenheim, Erwin, Vize-Wachtmeister
Feldartillerie Regiment 14, 1st Battalion, 3rd Kompagnie
Born 12/9/94, in Gailingen
Resided in Gailingen
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 221
____________________
Haarburger, Hans, Soldat / Jäger
Jäger Bataillon 9, 4th Kompagnie
Born 9/22/97, in Hamburg
Resided in Hamburg
Kriegsgräberstätte in Viry-Noureuil (Frankreich), Block 5, Grab 135
GVDK says 3/26/18
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 371
____________________
Hammerstein, Wilhelm, Soldat
Fusilier Regiment 73, 3rd Battalion, 10th Kompagnie
Born 3/15/88, in Berlin
Resided in Berlin
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 141
____________________
Heilbrunn, Erich, Leutnant, Eiserne Kreuz 2 Klasse, Entschliessung des Konigs Ludwig von Bayern (Iron Cross 2nd Class, Resolution of King Ludwig of Bavaria)
Bayerisch Infanterie Regiment 10, 2nd Battalion, 8th Kompagnie
Born 7/22/90, in Nordhausen
Resided in Nurnberg
Kriegsgräberstätte in Neuville-St. Vaast (Frankreich), Block 11, Grab 707
Freudenthal, p. 83-84
Ingolstädter Gesichter: 750 Jahre Juden in Ingolstadt – 257
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 305
Though the photographer’s full identity is not listed, this image of Leutnant Erich Heilbrunn’s matzeva in Neuville-St. Vaast appears in this image by “Simon“, from “Webmatters – Visiting Battlefields of the First World War”.
____________________
Itzig, Franz, Soldat
Infanterie Regiment 132, 1st Battalion, 3rd Kompagnie
Born 1/2/96, in Berlin
Resided in Berlin
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 144
____________________
Koppel, Franz, Leutnant
Landwehr Infanterie Regiment 150, 3rd Battalion, 10th Kompagnie
Born 6/4/87, in Hamburg
Resided in Hamburg
“Koppel, Franz has not yet been transferred to a military cemetery set up by the Volksbund or could not be recovered as part of our reburial work. According to the information available to us, his grave is currently still in the following location: not recorded”
[Koppel, Franz wurde noch nicht auf einen vom Volksbund errichteten Soldatenfriedhof überführt oder konnte im Rahmen unserer Umbettungsarbeiten nicht geborgen werden. Nach den uns vorliegenden Informationen befindet sich sein Grab derzeit noch an folgendem Ort: nicht verzeichnet.]
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 372
____________________
Korbchen, Hans, Soldat
Reserve Infanterie Regiment 262, , Maschinen-Gewehr Kompagnie 3
Born 4/20/93, in Geldern
Resided in Berlin
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 147
____________________
Lachmann, David, Soldat
Reserve Infanterie Regiment 232, 2nd Battalion, 8th Kompagnie
Born 2/20/84, in Grabow
Resided in Berlin
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 147
____________________
Laumann, David, Gefreiter
Infanterie Regiment 150, 1st Battalion, 1st Kompagnier
Born 3/1/88, in Dollstaedt
Resided in Pr. Eylau
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 317
____________________
Levy, Joseph Isaac, Sanitats Gefreiter
Fussartillerie Regiment 90, 1st Battalion, 4th Kompagnie
Born 2/6/98, in Hamburg
Resided in Altona
Kriegsgräberstätte in Neuville-St.Vaast (Frankreich), Block 18, Grab 1154
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 123
____________________
Lewin, Michaelis, Soldat
Infanterie Regiment 79, 3rd Battalion, 12th Kompagnie
Born 6/25/91, in Posen, Thuringia
Resided in Posen
“No burial report could be found for the dead man in the available documents. However, since the French graves service carried out reburials from the surrounding places to collective cemeteries in the 1920s, he could have been buried as an “unknown” in the comrade’s grave at the war cemetery in Neuville-St.Vaast (France) prepared by the Volksbund.”
[Für den Toten konnte in den vorliegenden Unterlagen keine Grabmeldung ermittelt werden. Da der französische Gräberdienst jedoch in den 20er Jahren Umbettungen aus den umliegenden Orten jeweils auf Sammelfriedhöfe durchführte, könnte er auf der vom Volksbund hergerichteten Kriegsgräberstätte in Neuville-St.Vaast (Frankreich) als “Unbekannter” im Kameradengrab bestattet worden sein.]
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 382
____________________
Lewysohn, Jakob Jaques, Soldat
Reserve Infanterie Regiment 60, 1st Battalion, 2nd Kompagnie
Born 6/30/76, in Berlin
Resided in Berlin
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 150
____________________
Lichtenstein, Leo, Offizier Stellvertreter
Infanterie Regiment 426, 3rd Battalion, 11th Kompagnie
Born 1/17/83, in Danzig
Resided in Berlin
Kriegsgräberstätte in St.Quentin (Frankreich), Block 8, Grab 365
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 151
____________________
Liffmann, Hugo, Unteroffizier
Infanterie Regiment 49, 3rd Bataillon, 9th Kompagnie
Born 2/27/90, in Odenkirchen
Resided in Munchen-Gladbach
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 294
____________________
Lindenheim, Bruno, Unteroffizier
Feldartillerie Regiment 76, 1st Battalion, 4th Kompagnie
Born 8/22/97, in Mannheim
Resided in Mannheim
Kriegsgräberstätte in Neuville-St.Vaast (Frankreich), Block 15, Grab 378
GVDK says 3/22/18
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 282
____________________
Maier, Ernst, Gefreiter
Reserve Fussartillerie Regiment 3, 2nd Battalion, 6th Kompagnie
Born 10/1/95, in Frankfurt am Main
Resided in Frankfurt am Main
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – Nachtrag (Addendum) 2 – 427
____________________
Michels, Josef Georg, Soldat
Reserve Infanterie Regiment 230, 3rd Bataillon, 9th Kompagnie
Born 4/3/84, in Korlin
Resided in Berlin
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 154
____________________
Moritz, Edwin, Soldat
Infanterie Regiment 459, 2nd Battalion, 8th Kompagnie
Born 11/4/97, in Langenselbold
Resided in Langenselbold
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 270
____________________
Moses, Hugo, Soldat
Infanterie Regiment 184, 1st Battalion, 1st Kompagnie
Born 10/2/98, in Gr. Strehlitz
Resided in Munster (Westf.)
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 294
____________________
Nassauer, Salli, Soldat
Feldartillerie Regiment 10, 1st Battalion, 3rd Kompagnie
Born 7/31/89, in Wehen
Resided in Hamm.-Munden
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 238
____________________
Nathan, Simon, Soldat / Landsturmmann
Reserve Infanterie Regiment 219, 3rd Battalion, 11th Kompagnie
Born 10/16/77, in Czarnikau
Resided in Castrop
Kriegsgräberstätte in Viry-Noureuil (Frankreich), Block 5, Grab 81
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 188
____________________
Neumann, Max, Soldat
Reserve Infanterie Regiment 233, , Maschinen-Gewehr Kompagnie 3
Born 11/24/98, in Leipzig-Reudnitz
Resided in Berlin
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 156
____________________
Oppenheimer, Hermann, Soldat
Bayerisch Infanterie Regiment 10, 3rd Battalion, 11th Kompagnie
At St. Leger
Born 7/3/93, in Treuchtlingen
Resided in Treuchtlingen
Kriegsgräberstätte in St.Laurent-Blangy (Frankreich), Kameradengrab
Ingolstädter Gesichter: 750 Jahre Juden in Ingolstadt – 257 (lists date as 8/21/18)
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 349
____________________
Ottenheimer, Max, Soldat
Garde Reserve Regiment 1, 3rd Battalion, 10th Kompagnie
Born 4/17/97, in Gemmingen
Resided in Gemmingen
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 224
____________________
Parieser, Hermann, Soldat / Musketier
Reserve Infanterie Regiment 38, 3rd Battalion, 12th Kompagnie
Born 10/4/97, in Russ (Krs. Heydekrug)
Resided in Konigsberg (Pr.)
Kriegsgräberstätte in Billy-Berclau (Frankreich), Block 4, Grab 46
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 264
____________________
Phillippsohn, Oscar, Gefreiter
Infanterie Regiment 162, 2nd Battalion, 6th Kompagnie
Born 7/31/96, in Hamburg
Resided in Hamburg
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 374
____________________
Reiss, Norbert, Unteroffizier
Bayerisch Infanterie Regiment 24, 1st Battalion, 3rd Kompagnie
Born 1/26/78, in Oberwaldbehrungen
Resided in Neustadt (Saale)
Kriegsgräberstätte in St.Quentin (Frankreich), Kameradengrab
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 299
____________________
Rosenbusch, Berthold, Soldat
Infanterie Regiment 453, 2nd Battalion, 7th Kompagnie
Born 5/29/97, in Grunsfeld
Resided in Grunsfeld (i. Baden)
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 232
____________________
Rothenberg, Max, Soldat
Fussartillerie Bataillon 158, 2nd Kompagnie
Born 2/19/90, in Schlochau
Resided in Berlin
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 159
____________________
Salinger, Siegfried Fritz, Vizefeldwebel
Lehr Infanterie Regiment, 3rd Battalion, 10th Kompagnie
Born 12/16/94, in Marienburg
Resided in Berlin
Kriegsgräberstätte in Neuville-St.Vaast (Frankreich), Block 19, Grab 836
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 160
____________________
Schonfeld, Hans, Soldat
Infanterie Regiment 453, 1st Battalion, 1st Kompagnie
Born 11/24/92, in Sangerhausen
Resided in Koblenz
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 259
____________________
Seligmann, Jakob, Soldat, Musketier
Infanterie Regiment 147, 2nd Battalion, 6th Kompagnie
Born 6/2/98, in Emden
Resided in Emden (Ostfr.)
Kriegsgräberstätte in St.Quentin (Frankreich), Block 13, Grab 149
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 203
____________________
Simon, Siegfried, Soldat, Pionier
Pionier Kompagnie 100
Born 7/5/95, in Hamburg
Resided in Hamburg
Kriegsgräberstätte in St.Quentin (Frankreich), Block 6, Grab 77
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 375
____________________
Sprinz, Otto, Assistant Arzt
Bayerische Ersatz Infanterie Regiment 3, 2 Bataillon, Stab Kompagnie
Born 12/21/91, in Burghaslach
Resided in Wurzburg
Kriegsgräberstätte in Maissemy (Frankreich), Kameradengrab; bei Nauroy
Ingolstädter Gesichter: 750 Jahre Juden in Ingolstadt – 258
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 364
____________________
Weigert, Hans, Soldat, Kanonier
Fussartillerie Bataillon 50, 3rd Kompagnie
Born 5/11/99, in Berlin
Resided in Berlin
Kriegsgräberstätte in Maissemy (Frankreich), Block 1, Grab 871
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 165
____________________
Wertheim, Eugen, Soldat
Infanterie Regiment 117, 2nd Battalion, 7th Kompagnie
Born 5/2/86, in Offenbach
Resided in Offenbach (Main)
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 310
____________________
Wittstock, Erich, Gefreiter
Born 2/8/97, in Berlin
Resided in Berlin
Kriegsgräberstätte in Neuville-St.Vaast (Frankreich), Block 13, Grab 394
JGD lists rank as “Soldat”; Rank here from Volksbund.de.
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – Anhang (Appendix) – 400
____________________
Wolf, Julius, Gefreiter
Garde Regiment 123, 2nd Battalion, 5th Kompagnie
Born 5/5/82, in Sennfeld
Resided in Heilbronn
Kriegsgräberstätte in Maissemy (Frankreich), Block 1, Grab 2159
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen – 241
References
Books (…Author Listed…)
Adler, Michael, and Freeman, Max R.G., British Jewry Book of Honour, Caxton Publishing Company, London, England, 1922 (Republished in 2006 by Naval & Military Press, Uckfield, East Sussex)
Cohen, Joseph, Journey to the Trenches – The Life of Isaac Rosenberg, 1890-1918, Basic Books, Inc., New York, N.Y., 1975
A Book (…No Specific Author…) …
Die Jüdischen Gefallenen Des Deutschen Heeres, Deutschen Marine Und Der Deutschen Schutztruppen 1914-1918 – Ein Gedenkbuch, Reichsbund Jüdischer Frontsoldaten, Forward by Dr. Leo Löwenstein, Berlin, Germany, 1932
Some Websites…
Operation Michael
Operation Michael, at Wikipedia
German Spring Offensive, at Wikipedia
The Importance of the Operational Level: The Ludendorff Offensives of 1918,(Lorris Beverelli), October 28, 2019, at The Strategy Bridge
Why did the German Spring Offensive of 1918 Fail?, at Daily History
WWI’s Massive German Spring Offensive of 1918 (Mike Phifer), at Warfare History Network
Major John George Brew – 1918: Retreat from St. Quentin, via Web Archive (http://brew.clients.ch/stquentin.htm)
German Infantry Divisions of the Great War (H.G.W. Davie), July 13, 2018, at HGW Davie
Jäger (Infantry), at Wikipedia
List of German Jäger Battalions before 1918, at Wikipedia
Isaac Rosenberg
…at Wikipedia
… at Poets.org
…at Writers Inspire
…at FindAGrave
…at ArtsUK.org (12 Paintings)
…at Representative Poetry OnLine, at University of Toronto, via Internet Archive Wayback Machine (5 Poems)