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Abstract:

Richard Abrahamowicz was the Jewish nephew of my great grandfather, who after managing to escape from Austria to the UK around early 1939, was interned before being shipped to Australia in 1940 on the notorious HMT ‘Dunera.’ Upon arrival in Sydney, Richard, along with others from the ‘Dunera,’ was sent and interned in Hay, N.S.W. Eventually, he made his way back to the UK, joining the ‘No 10 Pioneer Corps’ which enabled him to join a combat unit.

In 1942, desperate to turn the tide of war, Churchill created a top-secret commando unit, known as ‘X’ Troop comprised of Austrian and German Jews who fought against the Nazis during World War II. Richard was one of these. Using fake British names and personas, the men of X Troop were used both as commandos—killing the Nazis—and in counterintelligence—interrogating the enemy on the battlefield. Richard Abrahamowicz became Richard George Arlen. Participating in the ‘D Day landing at Normandy on June the 6th 1944, Richard was reported missing on the 7th of June 1944, later presumed killed in action on or shortly after that date. He has no known grave but his name is on the Bayeux memorial, in Normandy’.

Terry Ashton: Terry Ashton is the Honorary Secretary and committee member of AJGS-VIC and has been involved in researching her family’s Polish/Lithuanian/Romanian/Austrian background for over 35 years. In late 2024, she undertook a two-and-a-half-week genealogical tour of parts of Poland, connected to the maternal side of her family. Terry is also an active volunteer with the Jewish Museum of Australia and has researched and led heritage walks on behalf of the Jewish Museum for nearly 30 years.