Ze'ev Jabotinsky

Ze'ev Jabotinsky had been instrumental in getting the British Government to agree to form a Jewish Formation. Although command for the Jewish Legion was given to John Patterson, Jabotinsky was very much the most senior Jewish soldier in the regiment and a guiding light in both political and military matters as far as its creation, training and deployment were concerned. He would go on to play a hugely influential role in the Palestine Mandate during the Interwar years and was one of the leading Zionist voices of his generation. He is considered by many Israelis to be the Father of the Israeli Defence Forces. In the dedication below, note the first signature of his Commanding Officer J.H Patterson.