The Obligation To Give Tanks

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Mayo-born, British Army deserter and tank thief Mike Flanagan

On This Day In Irish History writes:

On this day 72 years ago – 29 June 1948 – Mike Flanagan of Foxford, County Mayo – a Sergeant in the British Army – stole two British tanks and delivered them to the Haganah.

Flanagan [who had participated in the liberation of the Nazi-operated Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945] is said to have seen parallels between Jews fighting for a nation-state and the Irish 25 years earlier.

Via Wikipedia:

The tanks were hidden in Givatayim and later formed the basis of the Israeli Armored Corps.

Flanagan subsequently converted to Judaism, adopted the Hebrew name Michael Peleg, and married Ruth Levy, fellow soldier whom he had met on active service. They lived in Israel on Kibbutz Sha’ar HaAmakim.

He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Valor from The Wiesenthal Center in the United States.The Israeli Defense Forces honored Flanagan for his immense and critical contributions to the formulation of the IDF….

Mike Flanagan

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35 thoughts on “The Obligation To Give Tanks

  1. Rob_G

    Very interesting!

    Also, I see how one could steal a single tank without much bother, but to steal two is pretty impressive.

    1. theo kretschmar schuldorff

      The guy in the other tank (Harry MacDonald) was from the mainland, so we don’t like to talk about him

    1. theo kretschmar schuldorff

      What would the republicans do with that statue?
      He stole a tank from the brits who they dislike, and gave it to the Israelis who they dislike.

          1. Rob_G

            “people who view the Jews(sic) current annexation plans”

            … I think you mean ‘the state of Israel’, rather than ‘the Jews’. Of course, it’s not at all surprising that you would be an anti-semite to boot.

          2. bisted

            …I think you mean the ‘apartheid zionist regime’ in occupied Palestine…not at all surprising that you would be part of the weaponise anti-semitism rant…agree with you though, nothing to do with jews…

          3. Johnny

            Oh stop it Rob,just lighten up on the northern paramilitary stuff and I’m sure we will get along just fine,its a New York thing, the Guardian piece uses that commonplace term-I’m not in slightest anti anything,a lot NY Jews also oppose the current plans.

            The current state of Israel is taking advantage of Trump who is unfit for office,if they proceed with their annexation plans they should be isolated and boycotted by the international community at the very least.

            is this about the guy who defected ok sure he sounds like a terrific chap who served his king (s) well-happy now and stop being such a d…

            You get one olive branch.

          4. Rachamim Slonim Dwek

            Johnny: Annexation is a Declaration of War? Jews living in Judaea may seem criminal to the uniformed but Jews happen to be the indigenous people of the land. When the first Arabs INVADED in 634 CE Jews had been continuously on the land for 2,000+ years. Indeed, when the very first Arab stepped into history IN ARABIA in 853 BCE Jews had been on the land for half a millenia. I applaud your interest in my homeland but if you are going to take a partisan position in its domestic affairs, at the very least you should educate yourself about ir objectively.

            77% of Mandatory Palestine has already been handed to Arabs. Still, Israel has consigned all of Gaza to Arabs. Israeli Annexation is within the context of a Territorial Swap whereby the Greater Wadi Ara Triangle within the Greenline & contigious to Samaria will be unilaterally ceded to Arabs. The sum result is that Arabs will posses a territory that is significantly larger than the so called “West Bank” as it sits today.

            As for “the Jews,” this will evidently come as a great shock to you so you ought to sit down before reading this. Only 75% of Israelis are Jews. 20% are Arabs and 5% are non Arab and non Jewish.

  2. Johnny

    “Flanagan is said to have seen parallels between Jews fighting for a nation-state and the Irish 25 years earlier.”
    Is that why he volunteered to take the Kings shilling ?

    1. Rob_G

      Yeah to fight the Nazis – what a rotter. He should have collaborated with them instead, like the IRA.

      1. yupyup

        Nah, he should have just stayed at home like Charlie’s daddy and gave stand up speeches in the Dáil….”rout the Jews out of this country.. where the bees are there is honey, and where the Jews are there is money” 9th July 1943.

        1. Rob_G

          Ok. I’m not Oliver J Flanagan, so not sure why you are throwing that at my feet as some sort of ‘gotcha’

          1. Johnny

            ..absolute drivel everyday its RA/Rape/Murder/Riots/Incest/Nazis/IRA…everyday..
            “He should have collaborated with them instead, like the IRA.”

        1. Johnny

          …yeah 4 years later glad it wasn’t a quick decision like oh say his decision volunteer for Brit Army, he certainly wasn’t going home Mayo- quite quickly entered the jewish witness protection program and emigrated Canada- shur no shekel’s involved ?

  3. Junkface

    So interesting! History is incredibly complex, especially in the middle East. This would make a documentary

    1. dav

      I think I something about how a German Tiger or Panzer Tank ended up in a Syrian tank group during the 6-day war.

  4. Shitferbrains

    More Brit soldiers deserted to the Arab side. Became known as the blond Arabs and seemed to be motivated by revenge for attacks by , for example , Lehi on British soldiers.

  5. Me

    So Foxford is behind the foundation of the Argentine Navy and the IDF. some effort from the wee town!

      1. Cian

        We used to be a lot bigger (relatively).

        In 1840 Ireland (island) had about 0.6% of the world population. (1 in 160 were Irish)
        today Ireland (incl. NI) is only 0.09% (1 in 1,150 are Irish)

  6. Vanessanelle

    Nonetheless
    Tis a great story

    There’s another one about a lad that was given time for desertion
    but all he was at was on the lang and out sight with the camp’s wireless tuned into the All Ireland
    Former Louth player I think

    I’ll dig it out

  7. Jake38

    This one must be giving the Brit-hating Israeli-hating Shinnerbots on BS a tough time.

  8. Johnny

    One the most fascinating and interesting Irishmen of the 19th Century passed way on this day in Staten Island,NY his funeral route to a patriots grave in Galsnevin was lined with over 50,000 proud Irish republicans.

    Rest In Peace O’Dynamite Rossa.

    Pearse delivered what became one the most famous Irish graveside orations.

    “They think that they have pacified Ireland. They think that they have purchased half of us and intimidated the other half. They think that they have foreseen everything, think that they have provided against everything; but, the fools, the fools, the fools! — They have left us our Fenian dead, and while Ireland holds these graves, Ireland unfree shall never be at peace.”

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