Pages 21-48 - Telfed

from the beginning, first chasing the Italians outof Abyssinia.” Her youngest sister aged 17 wastoo young to volunteer “but was so insistent thatthe army found her a job as a secretary.” Rose,her older sister, drove a military ambulance, whileanother brother, Benny, served as an intelligenceofficer in North Africa.Pure coincidence led to an unexpected familyreunion. It happens in war. Vicky, while on leave inCairo “decided to pop into the SA Airforce Club.”And who does he see at the bar? None other thanhis brother Benny. But that was merely a precursorto the biggest surprise of all. There, walkingtowards the two Magid brothers was their sisterRose who had been transferred to Cairo to run theAir Force Club.“It was a happy moment,” but it would be thelast time they would ever be together. Benny wasinjured in the Battle of Tobruk. “He lay underneathhis smouldering lorry, his leg sticking out. Hedared not move. The German soldiers moved fromone destroyed army vehicle to the next looking forsurvivors. One came up to Benny’s truck, saw hisleg and kicked it. Benny played dead to perfectionand the Germans went off.” Badly injured, Bennywaited until he was rescued and was airlifted backto South Africa. His brothers were less ‘lucky’. Theywould go on to serve in Europe, and after the warended, while flying wounded soldiers home, “theplane crashed. Both my brothers were killed andare buried in Khartoum.”Helene, who was a young teenager during thewar made aliya in 1950.Dear Editor,I served throughout the War of Independencein the 72nd Battalion of the 7thBrigade. I correspond regularly with myex-72nd comrade Joe Woolf who sent meextracts from the November 2008 TelfedMagazine containing news of his havingtraced records of the recommendation for theaward of medals to Locky Fainman (z’l)andElliott Katzenellenbogen (z’l).While I hardly knew Elliott, I knew Lockyvery well as he was our unit’s medic. Thoughstill a medical student at the time, Lockywas an exceptional and courageous medicand I am not at all surprised at his receivingthe recommendation for a medal.I would like to have the “Well KeptSecret” published in the SA Jewish Reportbut obviously require your permission tobase my letter on the article in the Telfedmagazine.With best wishes for a peaceful 2009 forIsrael and Jews everywhere.Mendel Cohen, JohannesburgHelen’s brothers together unexpectedly,enjoying an respite from the war.35