For Honour's Sake - The AJEX Podcast

The final episode of Series took us to the home of Solly Ohayon, 100.

Like so many, his first experience of WWII was as an evacuee, before he was old enough to join-up and become part of the effort directly, just missing D-Day.

However, as an infantry signaller he served with a few different cap badges, finishing the conflict under the North Staffordshire Regiment as part of the British Liberation Army, fighting all the way into Germany.

He was still “on the books” as part of the Army Reserve until 1951, finally discharged with a testimonial stating that he was “an excellent type of man who is very willing and trustworthy”.

Dan and Solly spoke about his childhood, wartime service, and later life in both Israel and the UK.

For more information on AJEX: https://www.ajex.org.uk/

To donate: https://www.ajex.org.uk/donate

Our social media accounts can be found here:

• Instagram: @ajex_jma
• Facebook: ajexheadoffice
• YouTube: ajex_jma

At his home in Stanmore, Cyril tells Dan of fighting through Belgium and Germany with the King's Own Scottish Borderers, including liberating the Neuengamme concentration camp network.

Our host and guest also discussed growing up in Dalston and Stoke Newington amid the rise of antisemitism, surviving the Blitz (including an unexploded incendiary bomb in his bathroom), and postwar life with his beloved Letty, to whom he was married for 60 years.

For more information on AJEX: https://www.ajex.org.uk/

To donate: https://www.ajex.org.uk/donate

Our social media accounts can be found here:

• Instagram: @ajex_jma
• Facebook: ajexheadoffice
• YouTube: ajex_jma

Once again hosted by Bare Arms, Stanley tells Dan about his early life, including as an evacuee during WWII, joining up for National Service in 1955 (including camouflage and concealment training in Richmond Park), volunteering for the Royal Military Police, deploying to Berlin, negotiating the Cold War intricacies there, and participating in the Jewish community as it continued to re-establish itself after the Shoah.

After demobilising, Stanley followed his father and uncles and became a cabbie; and today is a leading historian of the trade.

The recording took place just before his 90th birthday - may you live to 120 and a day, Stanley!

For more information on AJEX: https://www.ajex.org.uk/

To donate: https://www.ajex.org.uk/donate

Our social media accounts can be found here:

• Instagram: @ajex_jma
• Facebook: ajexheadoffice
• YouTube: ajex_jma

Dan and Neville (probably the last British Jewish veteran of the Korean War) discuss growing up in the East Midlands, his role running soundranging operations at the front line with the Royal Artillery 1951-52, and pursuing his engineering career after demobilisation.

Neville was also presented with an original silk formation insignia of the 1st Commonwealth Division, under which UK troops served in Korea.

For more information on AJEX: https://www.ajex.org.uk/

To donate: https://www.ajex.org.uk/donate

Our social media accounts can be found here:

• Instagram: @ajex_jma
• Facebook: ajexheadoffice
• YouTube: ajex_jma

Dan visits the home in north London of one of his most illustrious AJEX predecessors, Ron Shelley.

Ron served in the Royal Army Pay Corps during National Service, interrupting and then pursuing his career in accountancy.

He remains a devoted AJEX member, one of the association's true stalwarts, and was its youngest National Chair (in the 1970s) before serving again in the role at the turn of the millenium.

For more information on AJEX: https://www.ajex.org.uk/

To donate: https://www.ajex.org.uk/donate

Our social media accounts can be found here:

• Instagram: @ajex_jma
• Facebook: ajexheadoffice
• YouTube: ajex_jma

This episode takes us to the home of Monty Goldstein in East London. 

102 this year, Monty was a driver and gunner with the Royal Artillery from 1943-45.

We spoke about growing up in London's East End, surviving the Blitz, his wartime service, a career in the schmutter trade, and getting Anthony Eden to sign an AJEX Annual Parade brochure in the 1950s.

For more information on AJEX: https://www.ajex.org.uk/

To donate: https://www.ajex.org.uk/donate

Our social media accounts can be found here:

• Instagram: @ajex_jma
• Facebook: ajexheadoffice
• YouTube: ajex_jma

Dan meets Barrington Black, at his home in north London, to discuss his inspiring Great Uncle's WWI sacrifice, father's WWII service with the RMP, his own "reverse evacuation" (!) to London and then Wales, schooling in Leeds, eventually joining up with the RASC for his National Service aged 24, and making friends with Alan Bennett.

Barrington went on to have a putative political career, and a highly successful law career. This included being junior counsel on the defence team of Donald Neilson, the infamous armed robber, kidnapper and murderer who was branded the "Black Panther." 

In 2012, he was appointed a justice of the Supreme Court of Gibraltar.

For more information on AJEX: https://www.ajex.org.uk/

To donate: https://www.ajex.org.uk/donate

Our social media accounts can be found here:

• Instagram: @ajex_jma
• Facebook: ajexheadoffice
• YouTube: ajex_jma

This episode takes a look at Cold Warrior David's service, bringing his civilian expertise as a surveyor to bear as part of BRIXMIS in East and West Germany, in the 1970s and 80s.

He also developed expertise in IEDs in Northern Ireland, rigging up dummy (but still slightly kinetic) versions for training purposes.

David also spoke very movingly of visiting the site of Bergen Belsen with a Wehrmacht officer. And told of a memorable encounter back in Britain with King Charles III, then the Prince of Wales.

For more information on AJEX: https://www.ajex.org.uk/

To donate: https://www.ajex.org.uk/donate

Our social media accounts can be found here:

• Instagram: @ajex_jma
• Facebook: ajexheadoffice
• YouTube: ajex_jma

Now 100-years old, Maurice’s WWII service began manning anti-aircraft guns in London with the Home Guard, before joining the Royal Signals.

Sent for parachute training, he broke his arm and missed his unit’s deployment to Europe. Instead, he threw himself into jungle training in the Norfolk fens, preparing to join the war in the east. While en route, the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan and the war was over.

We also talked about his post-war service in Kenya, Egypt and Libya; his career as a journalist and NUJ activist; and, at 66, filming a documentary in Mali with Bruno Sorrentino.

For more information on AJEX: https://www.ajex.org.uk/

To donate: https://www.ajex.org.uk/donate

Our social media accounts can be found here:

• Instagram: @ajex_jma
• Facebook: ajexheadoffice
• YouTube: ajex_jma

Interviewed at her care home in Westcliff-on-Sea, Doris tells us about coming of age as WWII began, meeting husband Harry during the Blitz, her ATS service, and working for trade unions after the war.

Like so many, especially women, who served on the homefront, she never claimed the medals to which she was entitled. So Dan put that right, at the end of the interview, presenting Doris with an original Defence and War Medal pair. As well as an Armed Forces Veteran's Badge.

Thank you for your service Pte Rose D W184031! (Yes, of course she remembers her service number).

AJEX would like to thank Doris's son John, and Ben Conway at the Jewish Chronicle, for helping to facilitate this episode.

For more information on AJEX: https://www.ajex.org.uk/

To donate: https://www.ajex.org.uk/donate

Our social media accounts can be found here:

• Instagram: @ajex_jma
• Facebook: ajexheadoffice
• YouTube: ajex_jma