ABSTRACT
Throughout 1943, Reuven became more deeply involved in cooperative projects with the British, particularly regarding the issue of sending Jewish volunteers from Palestine into Europe. Beyond the limited joint actions with the SOE, another channel for cooperation opened up, this time with another department of British intelligence: ‘Evasion and Escape’, or ‘MI9’. This unit’s main task was to arrange escape plans for British POWs or soldiers on the run behind German lines. The unit’s operations expanded as it turned its attentions mainly towards the extrication of air crews downed over enemy territory. As the number of bombing runs over Germany and the occupied countries increased, so did the number of air crews in need of rescue operations. The shortage of experienced air force personnel and the length of time needed to train new crews made these rescue operations a high-priority issue.
