Israel’s War of Independence – Large Collection of Ephemera, 1947-1949 – Military Orders and Notices, Unit ...

Israel’s War of Independence – Large Collection of Ephemera, 1947-1949 – Military Orders and Notices, Unit Information Brochures, Soldiers’ Letters – Ceasefire Agreement between IDF and Etzel following Altalena Affair

Some 450 pieces of ephemera dating from the period of Israel’s War of Independence. Palestine-Israel, 1947-1949 (some items from later years). Hebrew.
The Collection includes rare and exceptional items of special historical significance:
· Order disbanding the Palmach, November 6, 1948. The last order (no. 30/48) ever to be issued by the Palmach to its combatants, effectively calling for the disbanding of the organization. Signed in print (Hebrew): "Be strong!".
· Ceasefire agreement between the IDF and Etzel (Irgun Zva’i Le’umi, National Military Organization) in the wake of the Altalena Affair ("Arrangement Form"), June 22, 1948: Signed in the margin by Ya’akov Meridor, deputy commander of the Etzel and Dan Even, commander of the Alexandroni Brigade. Mimeographed copy of the original form (the original form has been lost, and only a handful of such mimeographed copies are known to exist).
· List identifying fallen interred in common graves on Mt. Herzl: fallen members of the Lamed-Heh platoon; and soldiers who fell in the battles for Latrun, the battle for Gush Etzion, and the battle for Giv’at HaRadar (Radar Hill). Seven mimeographed printed pages, with one handwritten correction.
· Two booklets, containing the hand-written diary of a Palmach combatant, written over the course of five years (1945-1950). The diary contains various eye witness reports on important events that took place in Palestine: the arrival of six Illegal immigrant ships ("Sefinot Ma'apilim"), the release of persons detained during the British Army's Operation Agatha ("Black Sabbath"), the Sergeants affair, the vote on the UN's partition plan for Palestine on 29 November 1947, and more.
In addition, the collection includes a significant number of important ephemera items:
· Some 130 information sheets issued by fighting units, and booklets for soldiers (“Kol Tzfat”, “Igeret La-Hayal”, "HaLochem”, “BaMivtza”, "Hed HaTikhon”, and others).
· Some 100 documents and forms issued during the course of the war (draft notices, draftees’ identity documents and pocket notebooks, certificates certifying rank, deployment notices, official order papers).
· Some 30 "Shanah Tova" greeting cards from combatants in the War of Independence, most with small pictures of the regiment or corps, or of IDF commanders (including "Shanah Tova" cards bearing emblems of the Israel Navy, the Palmach, "Mechanized Attack Regiment 79"; most sent by mail, indicating the name of the soldier, along with a brief greeting).
· Some 65 letters from soldiers (some with first-hand accounts of various battles).
· Various items, including photographs, diaries, brochures printed in various places, and more.

Size and condition vary.