Yom Kippur War treasure trove released by IDF

[Marsh]

https://yomkipurwar.mod.gov.il/Pages/default.aspx

Hope this is the appropriate forum. The Israelis have just released a treasure trove of documents, photos, maps and recordings about the 1973 war. Much of the stuff has not been available previously. Although much, including all the documents, are in Hebrew and are not translated, the website itself is in English and is navigable.

[RETAC21]

Great source, thanks!

[Stuart Galbraith]

Oh God, its going to be the 50th anniversary this year. I feel old.

Thanks for that Marsh. The site, not the feeling old bit.

 

[Marsh]

1 hour ago, Stuart Galbraith said:

Oh God, its going to be the 50th anniversary this year. I feel old.

Thanks for that Marsh. The site, not the feeling old bit.

 

Stuart, it makes you feel old? I was there as an 18 year old watching all this mess happen on the Golan and its environs. I feel positively ancient!

[Stuart Galbraith]

Oh dear, I feel your pain.

I would have been about 6 months old when this all kicked off. I like to think I was propped up on the sofa watching all those Centurions on the news, educating me to be a tank nut.

 

[Marsh]

Stuart I know what you mean. I have indelible memories of that time. I saw the reserves arriving on the Golan. Loved the Centurion ever since. Pele's Ugda climb the heights south of the  Sea of the Galilee and the next day saw Laner's Centurion Ugda climb the heights North of the sea. I hitched between the two points in the back of a military ambulance. It was covered in blood and smelt of burnt meat. Awful.

Later in the war I saw literally scores of undamaged T-54/5s being recovered during daytime. The main road ran through the middle of the Kibbutz where I lived. At night they brought down the damaged Centurions for repair. Saw loads of knocked out T-62s T-55s, BTRs on the Golan Heights. I hitched up there,strictly against the rules, with three other friends from the Kibbutz. We bypassed a military checkpoint and some friendly reservists let us travel up to El Rom in their half-track. Looking back on it, I was stark, raving mad. There were still airstrikes going in about a mile away.

The best memory I have was in April 1974. The period was very tense, there had been border clashes and it seemed the war could restart at any moment. The main road, which at the time ran through the middle of Kibbutz Machanayim, had just been repaired and relaid post war. I lived in an asbestos cement hut right by the edge of the road. Early morning I was literally shaken out of bed, I thought it was an earthquake. It was a whole brigade of Centurions being rushed up the Heights. They travelled on their tracks and tore the road to shit.

 

Edited May 30, 2023 by Marsh
Spelling! And being daft

[DB]

I was 6 years old. It made no impression on me at all, but then, neither did the Vietnam war. Much more proximate issues for us were the IRA bombing everything they could reach, the Cod War and eventually the impending financial collapse, fuel shortages and the three day week.

[sunday]

7 minutes ago, Marsh said:

Stuart I know what you mean. I have indelible memories of that time. I saw the reserves arriving on the Golan. Loved the Centurion ever since. Pele's Ugda climb the heights south of the  Sea of the Galilee and the next day saw Laner's Centurion Ugda climb the heights North of the sea. I hitched between the two points in the back of a military ambulance. It was covered in blood and smelt of burnt meat. Awful.

Later in the war I saw literally scores of undamaged T-54/5s being recovered during daytime. The main road ran through the middle of the Kibbutz where I lived. At night they brought down the damaged Centurions for repair. Saw loads of knocked out T-62s T-55s, BTRs on the Golan Heights. I hitched up there,strictly against the rules, with three other friends from the Kibbutz. We bypassed a military checkpoint and some friendly reservists let us travel up to El Rom in their half-track. Looking back on it, I was stark, raving mad. There were still airstrikes going in about a mile away.

The best memory I have was in April 1973. The period was very tense, there had been border clashes and it seemed the war could restart at any moment. The main road, which at the time ran through the middle of Kibbutz Machanayim, had just been repaired and relaid post war. I lived in an asbestos cement hut right by the edge of the road. Early morning I was literally shaken out of bed, I thought it was an earthquake. It was a whole brigade of Centurions being rushed up the Heights. They travelled on their tracks and tore the road to shit.

Wow! Those are really awesome memories.

Thanks for sharing!

[Murph]

8 hours ago, Stuart Galbraith said:

Oh God, its going to be the 50th anniversary this year. I feel old.

Thanks for that Marsh. The site, not the feeling old bit.

 

No kidding!  I remember when it was happening!  I was 13 at the time.  

[Stuart Galbraith]

And in the Immortal words of Mr Ben, as if by magic...