Jews in the RFC, RNAS, RAF

[frontflieger]

Hi all,

from time to time we discussed German aviators with Jewish faith (like Rosenstein, Rüdenberg, Wolff, [Frankl] etc.).

What about their Britisth and Commonwealth counterparts: Who was a member of the Jewish Communitiy - any well-known heads we all know?

[redintheskies]

http://daytonholocaust.org/resources...ts-of-the-air/

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/08/m...ld-war-ii.html

I have not found any Allied pilots for WW1, just WW2. Someone from a Holocaust Survivors and Descendants group I belonged to sent me the 1st link. The 2nd for for WW2.

[KINGSNORTH36]

One that jumps out at me is Solomon Clifford Joseph
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_Clifford_Joseph

Many moons ago I used to own his medals.
Regards
Richard

[Gregvan]

This is not an answer to your specific question about Jewish airmen in the British services, but there were at least two French aces, and one American, of the Jewish faith. The American was 1Lt Jacques Swaab of the 22nd Aero Squadron; with ten victories, the highest-scoring pilot of the squadron. Jon Guttman said of the French ace Jacques Ehrlich (SPA 154) that he was “arguably the highest-scoring Jewish ace of WWI, if one were to exclude Germany’s Wilhelm Frankl, who matched Ehrlich’s score (19), but who in order to marry his Austrian fiancée had converted…”. The other French ace was the remarkable Breguet 14B2 gunner Eugène Weismann of Br 132 – who deserves to be much better known. At the age of 13, he was given his first flight by Wilbur Wright. As an infantryman, he was first wounded in November 1914 and again in May 1915. While opposing a German assault on 31 May 1916, his feet were shattered by a grenade, and portions of both feet were amputated. With the help of his physician father, he learned to walk on two prosthetics and entered aviation, assigned to Sop 132 as a gunner in November 1917. He flew many harrowing missions and was credited with between five and seven victories. In WWII he served in the Resistance. You can find out more in Jon Guttman’s “Reconnaissance and Bomber Aces of WWI”.

[frontflieger]

Let's wait for some British people ... or weren't they excepted in (excluded from) aviation? Didn't they want to fly

[MikeMeech]

Originally Posted by frontflieger

Hi all,

from time to time we discussed German aviators with Jewish faith (like Rosenstein, Rüdenberg, Wolff, [Frankl] etc.).

What about their Britisth and Commonwealth counterparts: Who was a member of the Jewish Communitiy - any well-known heads we all know?

Hi

A quick 'google' brings up Jewish historical and RAF sites, from these the information appears to be 2174 NCOs and ORs and 341 officers served in the air services. Captain Solomon Clifford JOSEPH (RNAS/RAF)appears to have the highest number of claims (13).Sir Victor SASSOON was the first Jewish pilot (pre-WW1) who then went into the RNAS. (later RAF Wing Commander) Joseph KEMPLER went into the RFC in 1912 and served in the RAF for 33 years (one of five Jews that served in the air services in both World Wars). Major Reginald MARIX bombed a Zeppelin workshop in Germany, Captain Jack BARNATO was one of those that bombed Constantinople during 1916, both got awards.
Lt. Albert Abram ROBINSON was a balloon observer, there are others as well, including those from Australia and Canada.

I hope that is of use.

Mike

[frontflieger]

Originally Posted by MikeMeech

A quick 'google' brings up Jewish historical and RAF sites, from these the information appears to be 2174 NCOs and ORs and 341 officers served in the air services. Captain Solomon Clifford JOSEPH (RNAS/RAF)appears to have the highest number of claims (13).Sir Victor SASSOON was the first Jewish pilot (pre-WW1) who then went into the RNAS. [...]

Hello Mike, thank you very much for your answer and these facts !

[Airshipped]

I'm aware of one example of a Russian Armenian Jew, Beroz Tamiriantz, being treated with a fair degree of suspicion. However, he was ultimately cleared for flying training. (Neither his AIR 76 nor his AIR 79 material mention this but there's a file at Kew, AIR 1/32/15/1/171, in which he receives a mention). Tamiriantz's OTC training at Wellingborough School wasn't enough by itself for being granted a commission.

However, these sort of cases are extremely rare. From what I've seen to date, whether one was East End London or of more exotic immigrant stock, the question of Jewishness did not play a major part in officer selection.

On a slightly different angle, Maurice Baring, of Baring's merchant banking dynasty, served with the Royal Flying Corps. His branch of the Baring's family, which was part of the English branch of Berenberg family, had converted to Christianity, but the German branch of the family included Baron Cornelius von Berenberg-Gossler, of that banking dynasty, and who were responsible for protecting many Jewish families (e.g. securing the release of Fritz Warburg, of that banking dynasty).

A little off topic, but I think some people from Jewish backgrounds wouldn't necessarily have shouted it from the rooftops when applying for a commission, but even if they didn't bring attention to it that didn't prevent officialdom taking it into consideration as a factor in decision-making. However, it would appear to be more about suspicion of those of immigrant descent rather than anti-Semitism.

[Ronnie]

Originally Posted by frontflieger

Hi all,

from time to time we discussed German aviators with Jewish faith (like Rosenstein, Rüdenberg, Wolff, [Frankl] etc.).

What about their Britisth and Commonwealth counterparts: Who was a member of the Jewish Communitiy - any well-known heads we all know?

Hi

You have asked about Jewish aviators who served in the RFC, RNAS and RAF in WW1, I do all the aviation related research for the website ‘British Jews in the First World War’.

The site, which can be found here, https://www.jewsfww.uk/ commemorates the lives of the 50,000 British and Commonwealth Jews who served in the British armed forces in WW1. The website currently has the stories of two thousand five hundred allied servicemen as well as many history windows and photographs.

Approximately three hundred Jews from Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa served in the Royal Flying Corps as pilots and observers. My aim is to research the lives of as many as possible and post their stories on our website. All the information which MikeMeech posted can be found on our website.

If anyone knows of any Jewish airmen who served inthe RFC in WW1 and would like to share their stories with me, please contact me.

[VtwinVince]

Not a popular topic in the mainstream, but Jews in all Allied countries during this period would have kept a low profile regarding their religious affiliation, as anti-Semitism was quite entrenched in these countries.