X Troop

Leah Garrett's "X Troop: The Secret Jewish Commandos of World War Two" tells the little-known story of a specialized British commando unit composed almost entirely of German and Austrian Jewish refugees who fled Nazi persecution before the war. Garrett, a scholar of Jewish literature and history, brings meticulous research to a subject that has received surprisingly little attention despite its dramatic historical significance. The book traces how these young men, many of whom had lost family members to the Holocaust and had themselves narrowly escaped Europe, volunteered to fight against the very regime that had destroyed their former lives.

The unit, officially designated No. 3 Troop of the 10th Inter-Allied Commando, became known as X Troop, a name chosen partly to protect the true identities of its members. Because these soldiers had been born in Germany or Austria, they faced execution as traitors if captured by German forces. To mitigate this risk, they adopted new names, invented cover stories, and were trained to pass as native English speakers. Garrett does an admirable job explaining the elaborate identity transformations these men underwent, illustrating how deeply the war forced them to bury their own histories even as they fought to avenge what had been done to their people.

One of the book's strengths lies in its attention to individual biography. Rather than presenting X Troop as a monolithic entity, Garrett introduces readers to specific soldiers, detailing their prewar lives in Germany and Austria, their harrowing escapes from Nazi-controlled territory, and their subsequent training in Britain. These personal narratives humanize the broader historical account and give weight to the psychological complexity of men who were essentially fighting a two-front war: one against a physical enemy and another against the erasure of their own identities. The author draws on interviews, memoirs, and archival material to reconstruct these experiences, lending the narrative a sense of immediacy and authenticity.

The military history sections of the book are equally compelling. Garrett describes the specialized training these commandos underwent, which emphasized language skills, interrogation techniques, and close combat, given their unique value as multilingual operatives who understood German culture and military structure intimately. Their participation in significant Allied operations, including the D-Day landings, receives detailed treatment. The author highlights how X Troop members were frequently deployed in dangerous forward positions, tasked with interrogating captured German soldiers and gathering intelligence, work that placed them in constant peril given the consequences of exposure.

Garrett also addresses the broader historical context surrounding the unit's formation, including British attitudes toward German-Jewish refugees before and during the war. Many of these men had initially been classified as "enemy aliens" and interned in camps, a bitter irony given their fierce opposition to Nazism. The book explores how this internment experience shaped their subsequent military service and their determination to prove their loyalty to their adopted country.

The narrative extends beyond the war years to examine what happened to these veterans afterward, including their efforts to locate surviving family members and rebuild lives shattered by the Holocaust. This postwar material adds emotional depth to the book, showing how military service intersected with personal loss and the broader Jewish experience of displacement and recovery in the aftermath of genocide.

While the book excels in its research and storytelling, some readers may wish for more extensive discussion of the unit's long-term historical legacy and its place within broader commando operations. The pacing occasionally slows during transitional sections, though this is a minor issue compared to the overall quality of the work. Garrett's prose remains accessible throughout, avoiding excessive military jargon while still conveying the technical aspects of commando operations.

Overall, "X Troop" succeeds in illuminating a genuinely remarkable chapter of World War Two history that deserves wider recognition. Garrett has performed a valuable service in documenting these soldiers' contributions and preserving their stories for future generations. The book will appeal to readers interested in World War Two history, Jewish history, and the complex intersections of identity and warfare. It stands as both a work of careful historical scholarship and a moving tribute to men whose courage and sacrifice have long remained in the shadows.