Just in time for Israel’s Memorial Day, archaeologists announced they had discovered artifacts belonging to the heroic “Lamed Heh” platoon that was tragically wiped out in the 1948 War of Independence.
Researchers Dr. Rafi Lewis from Ashkelon Academic College and Haifa University, and Eyal Marco from the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Monday that they had discovered the compass belonging possibly to the commander of the division, Dani Mass, or to one of the two scouts, Yitzhak Halevi or Yitzhak Zevuloni. The compass was discovered at the top of Battle Hill in the Yehuda Lowlands, next to Bren machine gun bullet casings. The compass, determined to have been produced between 1900 and 1933, had its glass panel shattered by a bullet, according to an Israel Police forensic investigation.
“At this point, it is impossible to associate the compass with a specific fighter, but it is likely that it belonged to one of three – the platoon commander Dani Mass, or one of the two rangers who fought with the force – Yitzhak Halevi or Yitzhak Zevuloni,” said Lewis. “Certain identification of the original owner of the compass is not possible at this stage, but we have hope that in the future archival material will be discovered that will make this possible.”
“The fact that the compass corresponds to the period in which the battle took place, and the fact that the compass was found to have been hit by a projectile, reinforces the assumption that it was used in the Battle of the Lamed He, and also shows that a commanding figure – or at least a leading figure, was present at the scene of the last battle,” Marco added.
The ‘Lamed Heh’, standing for 35 in Hebrew numerology, was a convoy of 38 Haganah fighters sent to resupply the blockaded kibbutzim of Gush Etzion in January 1948. The convoy attempted to arrive by foot after numerous attempts by motorized convoys failed to break through to the beleaguered kibbutzim. Three were sent back after one soldier sprained his ankle, leaving 35 fighters. The force was discovered by local Arabs who attacked en masse. The 35 fought until they ran out of ammunition. After the war, the bodies were returned to Israel, many mutilated beyond recognition, and were buried on Mount Herzl.
The find comes as a result of special work being carried out by Marco and Lewis who met during reserve service in the Eitan unit for locating missing persons in the IDF. The two applied their archaeology backgrounds to their efforts and for the last two years, have been conducting a unique study on the Lamed Heh Battle Hill.
“We saw that the material evidence from the battle was disappearing,” said Marco and Dr. Lewis. “The objects are weathering in the field, and travelers are collecting souvenirs, and we felt that if we don’t do it now, in a few years we won’t have the opportunity to recreate the battlefield. With the help of colleagues, family members and reserve friends, we set off.” Forensic research done at the Israel Police laboratories showed that the glass of the compass was shattered as a result of a bullet that pierced the frame of the compass, scratching and shattering its glass.
The research findings will be published at the beginning of May in the scientific journal Studies of the Land of Judah of the Israeli Antiquities Authority and Kfar Etzion Field School, produced in cooperation with the KKL-JNF, Bar-Ilan University, the Nature and Parks Authority, the Jesselson Foundation and Mizrah R&D. The journal is produced as part of the “Studies of the Land of Yehuda” conference which will be held on May 8 (Lag B’Omer).
