After the First World War, a joint British-French military administration—the Occupied Enemy Territory Administration—was established to oversee the former Ottoman territories in the Levant. The Administration ended when the Mandate for Syria and Lebanon was assigned to France and the Mandate for Palestine assigned to Britain in April 1920; the mandates were ratified by the League of Nations on 24 July 1922. The Palestine Mandate came into effect on 29 September 1923 and it ended at midnight on 14 May 1948, when the State of Israel came into being. The 30 years of the Administration and Mandate were characterised by almost continuous conflict: inter-tribal fighting, the ‘Black Hand’ anti-Zionist and anti-British insurgency between 1930 and 1935, the Arab revolt from 1936 to 1939, the Second World War, and the Zionist insurgency from 1939 to 1948.^[1]

Seven hundred and fifty-four British service personnel and policemen died in Palestine in the post-Second World War period (which ignores the large number of Arab and Jewish policemen who died in the same period), but the number of soldiers killed in terrorist attacks or in outbreaks of violence is difficult to determine with accuracy. Two hundred and twenty-eight all ranks were reported killed in such circumstances between 1 January 1946 and 14 May 1948;^[2] the clear majority were killed by the Jewish militant groups.^[3]

From the declaration of the state of emergency on 27 September 1945 until the withdrawal of British troops in June 1948, one officer and 23 Royal Signals soldiers were killed by terrorist action—a very high casualty rate when compared to the 16 soldiers killed by terrorist action during the entire Northern Ireland campaign. A much larger number were wounded, some very seriously. In addition, one officer and 26 soldiers (including one locally-enlisted signalman) died of illness, in accidents and of other causes.

As is the case with some other campaigns, the records of commemoration are incomplete and inconsistent. Uniquely, the period of the campaign overlaps with the period of commemoration for the Second World War.

• All 51 of the Royal Signals casualties of the Palestine Campaign 1945-1948 are commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission or on the Armed Forces Memorial or both. Forty of these are commemorated in the Royal Signals Campaigns Roll of Honour.
• All who died before 31 December 1947 (36 all ranks) are commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as casualties of the Second World War. The earliest casualty, Driver E. W. Melton, is recorded on the Royal Signals Second World War Roll of Honour. Only one of the two officer casualties, who both died in 1946, is commemorated on the Roll of Honour of Commonwealth Officers.
• Only thirty of those who died before 31 December 1947 are commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and on the Armed Forces Memorial. Anomalously, five British all ranks who died in 1946 and 1947 are not commemorated on the Armed Forces Memorial (nor on the Armed Forces Roll of Honour as having died in-service). The sixth is locally-enlisted Signalman G. Coucoutas who was not eligible for such commemoration.
• All who died after 1 January 1948 (15 all ranks) are commemorated on the Armed Forces Memorial and on the Armed Forces Roll of Honour.
• Only 40 all ranks are commemorated in the Royal Signals Campaigns Roll of Honour. Of the remaining 11 casualties, two died as a result of terrorist action, and nine, including Signalman Coucoutas, died of other causes.

The Palestine, 1945-1948 Roll of Honour
(Click on the link on the title immediately above or on the image of the document below.)

(For the casualties in the overlapping period with commemoration for the Second World War (i.e. up to December 1947) reference is made to whether or not the casualty is also commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and on the Royal Signals Roll of Honour (Second World War).)

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Back to Commemorating Royal Signals’ War Dead

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1. (Back) Honours, Decorations, and Medals to The Royal Corps of Signals for Gallantry & Distinguished Service 1920-2020, p. 20.
2. (Back) ‘British Casualties in Palestine’. (9 June 1948). Hansard. House of Lords Debate. Vol. 156, cc. 528-9.
3. (Back) Service in Mandatory Palestine between 27 September 1945 (the declaration of the state of emergency) and 30 June 1948 (the final withdrawal of British troops) was recognised by the General Service Medal 1918-1962 with the clasp ‘PALESTINE 1945-48’.