Photo album belonging to A. Hauser, a Jewish resident of Eretz Israel who served in the British Royal Air Force (RAF) during WW II and then returned to Palestine, covering the period of his service in the RAF in North Africa and Italy and his return to and stay in Eretz Israel up until independence. 1940-1948.
A. Hauser was a refugee from Germany who arrived in Eretz Israel in the 1930s. In 1940, he volunteered for the British Army and was drafted into the RAF. In August 1940 joined the Motor Transport Section of Wing 276 of the RAF, which fought in the North African front. Until January 1943, he served in the regional RAF headquarters in Cairo. His unit was then annexed to the Eighth Army of the British forces under General Montgomery. After the victory in North Africa, the Eighth Army moved north to Italy where Hauser served until 1945. He then returned to Eretz Israel and was discharged from the British Army.
The album contains about 400 photos documenting Hauser’s life during WW II and afterwards, from 1940 until mid 1948:
• About 120 photos of his service in the battle zones of North Africa (Egypt, Tobruk, Benghazi, Tripoli, Tunis and more). Many photos show scenes of the war and its outcome: destroyed German tanks and aircraft, Italian and German prisoners of war, mine fields, an aerial dogfight, destruction of buildings and towns, and more, a number of personal images, photos of encounters with other Jewish soldiers serving in the British Army and with local Jewish communities (including a photo of the “Maccabi†organization in Tripoli, a group photo of Jews in Tripoli, and more).
• Circa 70 photos of Hauser’s army service in Italy, including photos of: Jewish refugees on their way to Eretz Israel; the Great Synagogue in Rome (with a Shabbat Service); the interior of the destroyed synagogue in Florence in 1944 (after the German bombardment); funeral services of Jewish Brigade soldiers who fell during the battle for the Senio River, showing also the Brigade’s rabbis; Hanna Rovina during a visit with Brigade soldiers; and more.
• About 80 photos of the British Mandate period in Eretz Israel, starting with Hauser’s release from the British Army in late 1945 up until June 1948. These images document life under the Mandate, the struggle for independence, the Ha’apala, the War of Independence and more: illegal wall placards hung by the various underground movements; British forces boarding the Ha’apala ships “Geula†and “Medinat HaYehudim†carrying illegal immigrants; the Exodus illegal immigrant ship; bombardment of Netanya; Etzel’s [Irgun] secret “ Flying Barrel†operation to blow up the British Police HQ in Haifa (including an unknown photo); the terrorist attack on the National Institutes Building in Jerusalem; the Egyptian bombardment of the Central Bus Station in Tel-Aviv; Day of Independence celebrations; the Irgun ship Altalena stranded off the Tel-Aviv shore (an unknown photo); and more.
• Around 130 personal and family photos of life in 1940s Eretz Israel: Folk dances festival in Kibbutz Dalia, trips and hikes to Netanya, Caesarea, Safed, Kalia, Tel-Aviv, Jerusalem, and others).
Average size of photos circa 6X8.5 cm, some 4.5X6 cm or larger. Almost all the photos titled with a description of what they show. Album 28.5 cm, lacking a cover. Good condition. Some of the photos are glued to the album’s pages. Minor spots. Minor wear to margins.