Under a false identity behind enemy lines: the last Jewish fighter from the secret unit has passed away
Jack Mann lied about his age and joined the British Army at 17, after being exposed to the atrocities committed by the Nazis against the Jews of Europe. He operated deep behind enemy lines and participated in secret missions. At the age of 100, he passed away as the last fighter from the founding generation of the elite SAS and LRDG units.
Jack "Zaki" Mann, the Jewish fighter who was the last of the soldiers from the British elite units SAS and LRDG dating back to their establishment in World War II, has passed away at the age of 100.
Dan Fox, president of the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women (AJEX), paid tribute to him:
"The last of the original SAS, Jack, has passed away at the age of 100. A hero, a gentleman, and an inspiration. We wish his wife Helga and his family long life. May his memory be a blessing."
Mann was born in Cairo to Jewish parents. After hearing from relatives living in Europe about the fate of the Jews and the atrocities of the Nazis, he decided to join the British Army. To do so, he lied about his age and enlisted at 17.
In 1942, he was accepted into the Royal Corps of Signals, but thanks to his command of several languages, he was quickly assigned to special operations. He was transferred to the LRDG, an elite unit that carried out patrols and raids deep behind enemy lines in the Libyan Desert against the forces of German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.
Members of the unit specialized in navigation across terrain considered impassable, cutting off enemy supply lines and collecting intelligence. The LRDG also served as a "desert taxi service" for the SAS in its early days, transporting fighters behind enemy lines for sabotage missions against Nazi aircraft and airfields.
"Churchill's Secret Warriors"
Later in the war, Mann served in the Special Operations Executive (SOE), whose men were known as "Churchill's Secret Warriors." They were sent in small teams on missions deep behind enemy lines, operated without uniforms, and blended into the local population, knowing that if captured, they would be executed as spies.
One of the famous operations in which Mann participated as a radio operator was "Operation Postmaster" in 1942, during which a British force raided and seized German and Italian ships off the coast of West Africa.
Later, Mann also served in the Special Air Service (SAS), one of the most famous and oldest commando units in the world, which became a model for special units globally, including the Israeli Sayeret Matkal.
