BENJAMIN, ERNEST FRANK

BENJAMIN, ERNEST FRANK (1900–1969), British army officer and commander of the jewish brigade in World War II. Born in Toronto, Canada, Benjamin was educated in England at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and at the Staff College, Camberley. He was commissioned in 1919 and served in Turkey, Malaya, and Madagascar. During World War II Benjamin commanded the marine division of the Royal Engineers and later the Combined Training Center for the Middle East and Italy. From 1944 to 1946 he commanded the Jewish Brigade which went into action in north Italy in 1945 as part of the Eighth Army. Brigadier Benjamin later served in Hong Kong and retired in 1950. He was joint honorary treasurer of the Jewish Lads Brigade. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: J. Ben Hirsh, Jewish General Officers (1967), 78; E. Rubin, 140 Jewish Marshals, Generals and Admirals (1952), 252–6.