Germans and Austrians who fought for Britain  

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Refugees from Nazism, Holocaust

More than 75,000 German and Austrian refugees arrived in Britain in the 1930’s to escape Nazism.

One in seven of the German and Austrian refugees who came to Britain between 1933 and 1939 volunteered for, and enlisted in, the British Forces; a surprisingly high percentage. They took the unprecedented step of swearing allegiance to King George VI even though, with a few exceptions, they did not receive British nationality until after the war.

The majority began their army life in the non-combatant Pioneer, the pick and shovel on their badge emblematic of hard physical labour. They became affectionately known as The King’s Most Loyal Enemy Aliens. The vast majority were of Jewish origin, but there were also a significant number of other political refugees: Communists and ‘degenerate’ artists.




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