Bravery of British PoWs who made human shield around Jewish soldier

The extraordinary moment British PoWs formed a human shield around a Jewish soldier to stop him being taken by the Nazis has come to light in a new book.

Corporal Alec Jay was captured at Dunkirk in 1940 and taken a notorious German prison camp.

One afternoon, while the prisoners were playing football an SS officer arrive, stopped the game and shouted out: ‘Were is Alex, the Jew?’

The British soldiers formed a protective ring around him and told the Nazi he would have to ‘shoot them all’ to get to him. A tense stand-off ensued and the German guards carrying machine guns eventually backed down. 

Corporal Alec Jay (pictured back row, centre) was captured at Dunkirk in 1940 and taken a notorious German prison camp. One afternoon, while the prisoners were playing football an SS officer arrive, stopped the game and shouted out: ‘Were is Alex, the Jew?’. British soldiers formed a protective ring around him and told the Nazi he would have to ‘shoot them all’

The remarkable story has now come to light after Cpl Jay's son John discovered his late father's memoirs and has published them in a book 'Facing Fearful Odds'. It all began when the British soldiers were captured in Calais. Cpl Jay was captured at gunpoint and taken to the notorious Stalag VIIIB at POW camp where he was in great danger because he was a Jew

The remarkable story has now come to light after Cpl Jay’s son John discovered his late father’s memoirs and has published them in a book ‘Facing Fearful Odds’. It all began when the British soldiers were captured in Calais. Cpl Jay was captured at gunpoint and taken to the notorious Stalag VIIIB at POW camp where he was in great danger because he was a Jew

The remarkable story has now come to light after Cpl Jay’s son John discovered his late father’s memoirs and has published them in a book ‘Facing Fearful Odds’.

His father never spoke of his wartime experiences although in his final years he began to write his memoirs before abandoning the project.

John, a 61-year-old financier, discovered the transcript which had been typed out on his late mother’s typewriter in a plastic bag while sorting through her belongings following her death.

He said: ‘In recent years I have often puzzled over why my father began yet abandoned his memoir.

Cpl Jay was born in Clapham Common in 1919 and worked on the stock exchange before the outbreak of war. He was a Bren gunner in the Queen Victoria Rifles who although vastly outnumbered held out for four days against two German Panzer divisions during the siege of Calais

Cpl Jay was born in Clapham Common in 1919 and worked on the stock exchange before the outbreak of war. He was a Bren gunner in the Queen Victoria Rifles who although vastly outnumbered held out for four days against two German Panzer divisions during the siege of Calais

The crucial rearguard of 3,000 British soldiers against an enemy force of 25,000 enabled the Allies to evacuate hundreds of thousands of soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk and regroup in Britain. 

The crucial rearguard of 3,000 British soldiers against an enemy force of 25,000 enabled the Allies to evacuate hundreds of thousands of soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk and regroup in Britain. 

‘Perhaps he began because he felt he could finally confront his demons; perhaps he stopped because he felt no one would be interested; perhaps it was too painful.

‘After the surrender, my father faced fearful odds because he was imprisoned by a regime dedicated to exterminating his race.’

Cpl Jay was born in Clapham Common in 1919 and worked on the stock exchange before the outbreak of war.

He was a Bren gunner in the Queen Victoria Rifles who although vastly outnumbered held out for four days against two German Panzer divisions during the siege of Calais.

Reflecting on the rearguard, Cpl Jay wrote: 'We were three crack regiments, we were brilliantly led and we had a great esprit de corps. 'There were about 3,000 of us, against two and a half German divisions, 25,000 men plus the most sophisticated weaponry. 'How did we do so well? Truthfully I do not know. For a long time we didn't know we were beat'

Reflecting on the rearguard, Cpl Jay wrote: ‘We were three crack regiments, we were brilliantly led and we had a great esprit de corps. ‘There were about 3,000 of us, against two and a half German divisions, 25,000 men plus the most sophisticated weaponry. ‘How did we do so well? Truthfully I do not know. For a long time we didn’t know we were beat’

The crucial rearguard of 3,000 British soldiers against an enemy force of 25,000 enabled the Allies to evacuate hundreds of thousands of soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk and regroup in Britain.

Reflecting on the rearguard, Cpl Jay wrote: ‘We were three crack regiments, we were brilliantly led and we had a great esprit de corps.

‘There were about 3,000 of us, against two and a half German divisions, 25,000 men plus the most sophisticated weaponry.

‘How did we do so well? Truthfully I do not know. For a long time we didn’t know we were beat.

The remarkable story has now come to light after Cpl Jay’s son John discovered his late father’s memoirs and has published them in a book ‘Facing Fearful Odds’. John (right), a 61-year-old financier, discovered the transcript which had been typed out on his late mother’s typewriter in a plastic bag while sorting through her belongings following her death

'Perhaps he began because he felt he could finally confront his demons; perhaps he stopped because he felt no one would be interested; perhaps it was too painful', John said of his father, pictured here years later. In later life, he became the partner in a stockbroking firm, although he would remain haunted by what he witnessed during the war and suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. He died aged 73 in October 1993

‘Perhaps he began because he felt he could finally confront his demons; perhaps he stopped because he felt no one would be interested; perhaps it was too painful’, John said of his father, pictured here years later. In later life, he became the partner in a stockbroking firm, although he would remain haunted by what he witnessed during the war and suffered from post traumatic stress disorder. He died aged 73 in October 1993

Cpl Jay was moved to Setzdorf work camp in the Sudetenland where he faced the worst antisemitism, culminating in the football match stand-off

Cpl Jay was moved to Setzdorf work camp in the Sudetenland where he faced the worst antisemitism, culminating in the football match stand-off

‘Until 26 May there were still rumours that we might be evacuated but at that stage if we’d been told we were to be issued with cheeses to throw at the Germans we would have believed it.

‘We still fought on, having to withdraw yard by yard, house by house, being Stuka’ed unmercifully, being mortared and being shelled by German heavy tanks.’

The captured Allied soldiers were subjected to an over 300 mile ‘long march’ to Aachen in Germany where they were herded 40 at a time into cattle trucks and transported to Stalag VIIIB at Lamsdorf, Germany’s largest prison camp, which housed 13,000 men.

Cpl Jay was then moved to Setzdorf work camp in the Sudetenland where he faced the worst antisemitism, culminating in the football match stand-off.

The captured Allied soldiers were subjected to an over 300 mile 'long march' to Aachen in Germany where they were herded 40 at a time into cattle trucks and transported to Stalag VIIIB at Lamsdorf, Germany's largest prison camp, which housed 13,000 men (pictured front right)

The captured Allied soldiers were subjected to an over 300 mile ‘long march’ to Aachen in Germany where they were herded 40 at a time into cattle trucks and transported to Stalag VIIIB at Lamsdorf, Germany’s largest prison camp, which housed 13,000 men (pictured front right)

. As the guards tried to take Cpl Jay, the prisoners formed a protective ring around him and began booing and hissing

. As the guards tried to take Cpl Jay, the prisoners formed a protective ring around him and began booing and hissing

As the guards tried to take Cpl Jay, the prisoners formed a protective ring around him and began booing and hissing.

In response, the Germans fired shots in the air as off duty guards ran from their guardhouse armed with machine guns.

At this point, a British sergeant stepped forward to address the guards, pausing for his words to be translated into German.

He said: ‘You are soldiers of the German Reich; we are soldiers of the British Empire, first-class frontline troops.

‘I don’t care whether Alec is a Jew or a Freemason or whatever.

‘He is a British prisoner of war, he is in British uniform and he was captured fighting for his country.

‘He was in the Queen Victoria’s Rifles, part of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, and is known by many of his comrades here and he is well respected.

In response, the Germans fired shots in the air as off duty guards ran from their guardhouse armed with machine guns. At this point, a British sergeant stepped forward to address the guards, pausing for his words to be translated into German. He said: 'You are soldiers of the German Reich; we are soldiers of the British Empire, first-class frontline troops. I don't care whether Alec is a Jew or a Freemason or whatever. He is a British prisoner of war, he is in British uniform and he was captured fighting for his country.

In response, the Germans fired shots in the air as off duty guards ran from their guardhouse armed with machine guns. At this point, a British sergeant stepped forward to address the guards, pausing for his words to be translated into German. He said: ‘You are soldiers of the German Reich; we are soldiers of the British Empire, first-class frontline troops. I don’t care whether Alec is a Jew or a Freemason or whatever. He is a British prisoner of war, he is in British uniform and he was captured fighting for his country.

‘He is entitled to Geneva Convention protections and there is no way you are going to take him away from us.

‘The soldiers in this working party are soldiers, they are not riff-raff, and they mean what they say.

‘If you take Alec away, you’ll never hold them.

‘They will mutiny and you will have to take us all away by force or shoot us all.’

Courageously, Cpl Jay then stood forward to address the SS officer in German, explaining his work as an interpreter and the role he played in resolving disputes between guards and PoWs.

Courageously, Cpl Jay then stood forward to address the SS officer in German, explaining his work as an interpreter and the role he played in resolving disputes between guards and PoWs

Courageously, Cpl Jay then stood forward to address the SS officer in German, explaining his work as an interpreter and the role he played in resolving disputes between guards and PoWs

The SS officer, belatedly, instructed the guards to lower their weapons.

Cpl Jay escaped four times from Setzdorf but was recaptured on each occasion, until the guards sent him back to Lamsdorf where he stayed until early 1945.

His fifth, successful escape, took place on the night of March 20, 1945, during the march of the inmates westwards to evade the advancing Russians.

Cpl Jay used a smuggled hacksaw blade to break the lock of the barn the prisoners were being kept in and sneaked into the woods at 1am while the Germans were asleep in the farmhouse.

Cpl Jay escaped four times from Setzdorf but was recaptured on each occasion, until the guards sent him back to Lamsdorf where he stayed until early 1945. His fifth, successful escape, took place on the night of March 20, 1945, during the march of the inmates westwards to evade the advancing Russians

Cpl Jay escaped four times from Setzdorf but was recaptured on each occasion, until the guards sent him back to Lamsdorf where he stayed until early 1945. His fifth, successful escape, took place on the night of March 20, 1945, during the march of the inmates westwards to evade the advancing Russians

After the conflict ended, Cpl Jay (back row 5th left) made the long journey back to Britain. Upon his return, he weighed just 7st. Facing Fearful Odds, by John Jay, is published by Pen & Sword on August 30 and costs £14.99.

After the conflict ended, Cpl Jay (back row 5th left) made the long journey back to Britain. Upon his return, he weighed just 7st. Facing Fearful Odds, by John Jay, is published by Pen & Sword on August 30 and costs £14.99.

He trekked through the night to the Czechoslovakian border where he was confronted by Czech revolutionary fighters who asked him to fight the Nazis with them for the remainder of the war.

After the conflict ended, Cpl Jay made the long journey back to Britain. Upon his return, he weighed just 7st.

In later life, he became the partner in a stockbroking firm, although he would remain haunted by what he witnessed during the war and suffered from post traumatic stress disorder.

He died aged 73 in October 1993.

John, from London, said: ‘Writing this book has brought me much closer to my father and helped me understand why he was so troubled in later life.

‘I also think it is important to remember the 40,000 British soldiers who were left behind at Dunkirk, including my father.’

Facing Fearful Odds, by John Jay, is published by Pen & Sword on August 30 and costs £14.99.

 

 

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