ABSTRACT
Perceptions of the Jewish soldier in wartime Britain had their foundation in the decades before 1914. Since the Napoleonic wars, Britain had been unique among the combatant nations of the First World War in maintaining its military manpower on a voluntary basis until early 1916. Few British Jews had been attracted to join the Regular Army in this period, although a considerable number had fought as Reservists in the Boer War to confirm their patriotism. However, the military image per se had been greatly elevated in Britain in the prelude to the First World War in the national drive towards greater manliness and manly duty. The image of the timid Jew, who shirked his military duty, remained prevalent in British public opinion to the extent that during the Second World War it was felt necessary to stress the Jewish military contribution in British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) broadcasts.
