A brief biography of Charles Wingate
On hearing the tragic and sudden death of Orde Wingate, then British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill said, “We placed our hopes at Quebec on the supreme commander Admiral Mountbatten and his brilliant lieutenant Major General Wingate who alas, has paid soldier’s debt. There was a man of genius who might well have become also a man of destiny. He has gone, but his spirit lives on in the long range penetration groups, and has underlain all these intricate and daring air operations and military operations based on air transport and on air supply”
Israel prime minister, David Ben-Gurion stated “Wingate would have been Israel’s first military Chief of Staff if he had lived”
According Moshe Dayan, The hero of six day Arab Israel war “Wingate taught us everything we know.”
Introduction
Charles Wingate was one of the greatest generals ever born in the world. He shoots across the horizon of world military history like a flashing meteor leaving behind him strong memories of his legendary conquests. The modern military and political leaders forgot his great contributions for the freedom of the world.
He was a brilliant and unorthodox military leader during the Second World War enhanced by his uniqueness of personality. His achievements created a legend in military history and helped to develop modern warfare. During the pre-war in British Palestine, his innovative techniques in the warfare helped to defeat and decimate the insurgents and terrorists. Later this great achievement of Wingate became a subject of study in the book of History. The stressing of well motivated and trained individuals using intuitive speed, and surprise helped to lay the ground work for a future nation’s survival. On strategic level, he was the first military leader who practiced linking of air power with ground forces behind enemy lines, indefinitely, to force a conclusive decision.
As a military leader, he could inspire great confidence in his men in their abilities. He used to exhort his troops on to challenges, and his charisma elevated them with his speeches. Wingate generated tremendous loyalty in those who believed in him and his ideas and insights. He acquired military tactics from the Bible. The book of Genesis chapter 14 describes the first major battle. Abraham’s nephew Lot had been captured by enemy forces. Abraham had a batch of 318 men who were born in the house hold of Abraham. These specially trained men were equal to modern day special forces of America. Abraham led his 318 men and pursued the enemy. During the night, Abraham divided his men to attack them and routed them. A small force of 318, specially trained men defeated four kings. Wingate is the first modern commander to form a special force and develop a system to fight at night in order to defeat a large force.
Chapter 1
Orde was born on February 26, 1903 in British India in a place called Nainital. He was the third of seven children born into a military family. His father was a Scottish officer long-serving in the Indian army from a family of soldiers. His mother was related to T.E. Lawrence of Arabia, a missionary family. Both parents were strong believers of the Brethren movement.
Moving back to Britain, Wingate grew up in a very strict religious family. They believed the doctrine of the Bible, taught by John Nelson Darby. Plymouth Brethren believe in literal interpretation of the Bible and the second coming of Christ. Orde Wingate was subjected to intense Bible Studies and became an ardent believer, who began to practice his faith in real life. Memorizing passages of the Bible was a required task while mingling with children of other faiths was strictly regulated; Orde Wingate became a separated Christian youth and dedicated his life to Christ.
His Bible knowledge and training developed a strong Christian preparation toward life, the belief in the fear of God, original sin balanced with a hatred of oppression, and a disdain for a mediocre Christian life. Yet cultural exposures and intellectual pursuits were encouraged, independence being a part of his learning experiences. He enjoyed freedom to explore the country side, and opportunity to develop self-reliance. He despised the ordinary life of mankind not because of their foolish habits but for not taking themselves as servants of God’s will. Later in his life this sense of almost religious duty toward life crept into his thoughts about the evil of war. Wingate says “War, I suppose is a necessary evil as a surgical operation. The drugging of one human being by another and the hideous mutilation by the knife are in themselves evil by becoming good through motive. Can one fight in a war with good motives? If not one ought not to fight. I believe one can. I do not believe in carrying on war with hatred for one’s enemy. On the contrary it is a police operation which as in view the welfare of the criminal as well of the community protected.”
In 1921, Wingate was accepted to the Royal military Academy at Woolwich. He was reluctant to obey blindly immoral and illogical orders from superiors. An act of bullying hazing and dressing down from the Academy and commandment, created a sense of humiliation. He was determined never to experience such a humiliation and loneliness again. One result of this was zeal to become well educated and mentally agile, a driving energy to ensure, he made his mark on the world.
He also developed two other characteristics, “a natural sympathy toward the oppressed and the underdogs, with a corresponding contempt for the herd and for the establishment.”
He was commissioned in 1923 as an officer in an army recovering from the Great War and shrinking in size. This was a time when the neglected British army with its small budget and lack of sympathy was “a back water of British life, complacent amateurish and comatose.” Wingate showed a distinct seriousness and intensity when setting out to master whatever task he applied himself to, a “consuming fire of earnestness.”
Chapter 2
Service in Sudan
Wingate’s uncle, Sir Reginald Wingate was the Governor-General of Sudan. Charles Wingate was appointed Captain in Sudan’s defense forces. He served in Sudan from 1928 to 1933.
Orde Wingate was a visionary and he was about 100 years ahead of his time in military tactics and warfare. So he had constant disagreement with his peers and superiors concerning military tactics. He was admonished by his commanding officer about his non-conservative and unconventional tactics in war.
Command of a self contained, autonomously operating infantry unit of the Sudan’s defense forces meant high quality officers were needed. Wingate was its only European among an all-Sudanese force of Muslim Arabs and African Blacks numbering close to 300 patrolling a large area of eastern Sudan. The commander was required to be both a military officer as well as a colonial administrator. In such a situation, there was an ample opportunity to develop tactical skills by way of maneuvering in remote areas, by attending the welfare of the unit, by being responsible for their own military training, and by acting independently of higher authorities in combat. Orde Wingate would learn much about leading men in combat, training and administering them.
The desert, hills and scrub land of eastern Sudan was primitive, remote, without good roads to enable mechanical transportation. Poachers and bandits mingled with the civilians. (Insurgents, criminals and immoral fighters used to hide behind the women and children from time immemorial. In Iraq, insurgents and Al Qaeda fighters hide behind the civilian cover to attack and maim and kill US forces. They pursue same tactics in Lebanon and west Bank against Israel. When Americans use force against the insurgents, civilian deaths take place. Then ACLU and International one sided pacifists express their moral outrage against the USA for collateral damage.
The Hamas and Hezbollah also use the same tactics in the Middle East.) Wingate noticed existing standard practices of all military units followed until that time were inefficient.
The idea of preemptive strike to decimate the enemy germinated in his brain. Wingate wrote in a note “The actions taken against poachers are limited to maintenance of highly mobile patrols operating at irregular intervals and in various directions, such as wide toothed and occasional combing has not the smallest chance of success in an inhabited country”.
Instead of deterring or trying to locate and bring to battle the small poacher gangs by irregular patrols, Wingate found his success by developing other methods. He began to introduce deception, deceiving the enemy about his patrols ultimate destination and routes. He aimed to supplement such measures with achieving surprise from “Using cover and concealment to surround the gangs, and then surprise them with attack from all sides”. Such technique led to success with one early patrol from a combination of deception, information from the local population, good tracking, and military skills, all leading to the domination of one armed criminal gang. Wingate developed his skills and taste for raising training and leading forces in his own image free of intervention from above.
In keeping with his character toward the end of his tour while on leave, Wingate set off on personal expedition of discovery into the Libian Sand Sea at the eastern end of the Sahara Desert. He was one of several Europeans entranced by exploration and discovery in the unknown North African dessert and like others became romantically drawn into an attempt to find the legendary Oasis of Zerzura.
Chapter 3
Wingate in Palestine
In 1936 Orde Wingate was sent to Palestine as a captain in military intelligence. Palestinians led by Grand Mufti Hajj Amin Al-Husseini (hero and guru of late Yasar Arafat) had begun a campaign of riots massacres and attacks against both British administration and Jewish communities; known later as the “Palestine Arab Revolt.”
Charles Wingate studied the tactics of the Arab guerillas who were striking Jews in Palestine and successfully evading British troops.
It is important to note that the whole Western world despised the Jews, but only Hitler went into action to eradicate Jews. This hatred toward Jews goes back to 2000 years.
The British government with the 1917 Balfour Declaration committed to the establishment of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. After the First World War ensuring the stability of their Middle-Eastern empire with the large Arab population (and friendly monarchies with still underdeveloped oil) and safe-guarding the strategic route through the Suez Canal became the most important goal. Jewish immigration was limited favoritism toward the Arab leadership was practiced, and appeasement toward the more radical leadership undertaken.
As one solider of the time put it about the negative British attitude toward the Jews “The indigenous Arab’s manners, good humor, and haphazard way of life had more appeal to most of the sharper, more intense and dedicated life style of the Jew – I could always sense a subtle barrier between us which was not only of language maybe it was brought about by the mild endemic antipathy towards Jews we had all grown up with over the centur
Haganah
Jews organized an underground defense fore called the Haganah. The Jewish leadership had realized that they could not rely upon the British for protection, and was turning to self-defense.
When Captain Wingate reported for duty as an intelligence officer in September of 1936, there were no visible clues as to the future of his young and ambitious British officer. It was assumed by all that as an Arab-speaking officer with blood relations to a former governor general of the Sudan, and with the typical English romantic Pro-Arab feelings, he was going to be no different than any other British military officer assigned to the colony of the empire.
Soon after his arrival in Palestine, he began making contact with the Jewish leadership. Wingate told the Jewish policy of self-restraint was wrong and the passive defensive measures were wrong and impractical. Emanuel Wilenski, the Jewish leader was surprised to hear Wingate declare that the Jews were practically in a war and that it was his ambition to lead a Jewish army in the battles ahead. Wilenski came away feeling Wingate was the most remarkable man he had ever met.
Wilenski introduced Wingate to David Hacohen one of the prominent Jews in Haifa. Wingate told Hacohen, “I count it my privilege to help you fight your battle. To that purpose I want to devote my life”. The future Israeli leaders became his best friends including future Prime Minister Moshe Sharrett, David Ben-Gurion, future Prime Minister, Chaim Weizmann future president, Moshe Dayan, future defense minister and world famous military leader.
Respect in him grew for spiritual actions of the land Zionists who were working to fulfill the prophecies of the return of the Jews to the land of Israel. Being in the Holy Land was bringing a special meaning to him, the history which he had grown up with and studied, real and inspirational. He saw the Bible not as a prayer book but as a history of a great people who had lived in Palestine and have now returned to the country again. Seeing the Jewish community working to persevere in the face of hostility he declared “when I came to Palestine, I found a whole people who had been looked down upon and made to feel unwanted for scores of generations yet at the end of it, they were undefeated and building their country anew. I felt I belonged to such a people”. Orde Wingate fell in love and grew committed to the Zionist goal. He resolved to help the Jews in Palestine fight to defend themselves and fulfill their Zionist dream.
New Tactics
To Wingate success came from a thought-out plan depending upon surprise quickness and intense violence. His Jewish unit was operating not just near the pipe line but also in the nighttime mobile patrols near Arab villages. Wingate told his men, “We are the best night fighters and the Arabs are scared stiff of the night”. Wingate believed in nighttime moving ambushes, feeling a squad when moving out is likely to be revealed by its tracks from local civilians. And he reasoned a moving would lead to greater surprise of rebel gangs both on the move and at rest. This would reduce their ability to terrorize villagers into acquiescence.
Initially this audacity in his belief that he alone could teach the Haganah to fight and win led some in the Haganah to view him as “mad and maddening”. On operations he often took one of the positions of forward scout, leading patrols himself. During these he took to wearing an old-style military pith helmet. Cultivating a casual appearance, Wingate prioritized nothing but the highest performance on the battle field demanding the highest standard.
Moshe Dayan was a young leader in one of the units and he often worked with Wingate. They had first met in early 1938 when Wingate journeyed with a pistol and Bible to Shimron settlement where Dayan was stationed. Dayan invited him to give a lecture on his ideas of mobile ambushes. Wingate did, then announced to the shock of the Haganah men to demonstrate his words, he would lead them night time ambush to a nearby Arab Village. Not satisfied with the pace set by the lead scout, he placed himself at the front. Though no contact was made, his navigation skills and strength of will to overcome his physical pain impressed Dayan, removing his doubt about the British officer.
Working together in military actions, Dayan learned much from Wingate. The two men became friends. Dayan respected Wingate for his military professionalism and audacity, learning about retaliatory raids to ambushes to deception.
To receive praise from Wingate was a moment of excitement. Dayan wrote in a letter after one action that “Everybody thinks our action was quite good. Captain Wingate praised our operation and we may be getting a citation. After all, we were just seven and there were eighty of them. Our boys behaved wonderfully”. Reflecting later on, Dayan wrote “As for military matters I thought of him as a genius, an innovator and non-conformist”. And he remembered that “Wingate was not physically robust, there were times when he reached the edge of exhaustion, and I thought he would collapse. But he would march on, driven by an iron will. Before going on to action he would read the passage in the Bible relating to the places where he would be operating and finding testimony to our victory – the victory of God and the Jews”. Jewish soldiers became courageous and skillful under Wingate. As the Haganah men found success and knowledge, one would later recall that, “Wingate was almost hypnotizing us, and when we went after him we were filled with confidence, such that we could not receive from anyone else”. With the success of his methods he picked up the nickname “The Lawrence of Judea”, in reference to his famous relative.
While Wingate treated ordinary Arab citizens with respect and targeted only known guerillas, the new recruits were trained vigorously. They were drilled hard day and night. Wingate reminded them frequently “We are establishing here the foundation of the army of Zion…If it fights it will achieve its independence in its land”.
Charles Wingate was setting high standards, leading by example of formidable will power and discipline. Wingate’s self-discipline on patrol, his energy in setting and leading actions, and his commitment to the Zionist cause impressed all Jews. Besides stressing military tactics such as the importance of fire and silence discipline, he stressed that a commander had responsibilities not privileges, and that he was responsible for his men. One veteran said “Wingate maintained strong discipline, which he did not teach us by military phrases but by personal example and immediate responses – If you would take something with you that interfered with the battle, you would be punished. If there was no bullet in the rifle barrel, you would be punished. If you kicked a stone, you would be punished. If you fired without being ordered to do so, that was the worst offense”.
Chapter 4
An Inglorious End
His Pro-Zionism and involvement in politics of Zionist cause finally reached the limit his superiors would tolerate. In November 1938 he took leave to travel to England. He met with Ben-Gurion and Weizmann to discuss ways of influencing British decision makers on favorable schemes of partition. Wingate was granted permission to say good bye. The Hagnah leaders and men were sad to see their best friend leave. He met with his men and friends to say good bye and offer some advice and hope for the future. At one Kibbutz a farewell was held for him. Upon his entry he was met with great applause. He gave a speech saying war with Nazi Germany was imminent and that afterward there would be a war for Jewish independence that the Jews would win. He urged a more aggressive policy but cautioned against using violence directly against the British authority. At the end of another farewell party he raised his right hand pledging that someday he would return to an independent Jewish homeland, and he recited the Biblical verse from the Psalm 137.5-6 “If I forget you O Jerusalem, let my right arm forget its skill. If I do not remember you, Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth-If I do not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy”.
Wingate had a great vision from above. He knew that Israel as an independent nation would be an oasis of democracy and freedom in the Middle East. History has proven beyond any doubt that civilized nation can only rely on Israel in the Middle East. Even in the third millennium Islamic nations follow the seventh century barbaric culture in their countries. The world is facing the retrograde throw backs from the middle ages.
Wingate testified before a commission examining partition and spoke favorably about the value of Jewish state and of his reasons for doing so, “Nowadays people seem to imagine that impartiality means readiness to treat lies and truth the same readiness to hold white as bad as black and black as good as white…I believe that righteousness exalteth a nation and righteousness does not mean playing off one side against the other while you guard you own interest.” He also spoke to a cabinet minister and newspaper editors on how the Jews were the only reliable force in the region Britain could rely upon.
For these actions he was ordered back to Palestine. There his military superiors were angry at this breech of military protocol and political partisanship. When he returned he was removed from command of SNS and was transferred to staff intelligence duties in Jerusalem.
Wingate was accused of being Jewish and became the target of anti-Semitic innuendo. He found it necessary to make the following official declaration: “Whether I, nor my wife, nor any member of our families has a drop of Jewish blood in our veins. I am not ashamed to say that I am real and devoted admirer of the Jews – Had more officers shared my views the rebellion would have come to a speedy conclusion some years ago”.
Lessons Learned
Jewish state Israel was born to a tumultuous beginning. Daring Israel’s war of Independence (1948-49) the fledgling state struggled to survive its first year as Arab armies attempted to strangle the state in its infancy. During the war, the critical situation was not overcome until a more offensive strategy was undertaken, taking the war to the enemy. Imploring surprise, speed and mobility, moving away from defensive minds became the way to achieve survival. This was due to Wingate who imparted his bold ideas achievements upon the Haganah. The Israeli military leaders believe the impact of Orde Wingate has been the greatest significance on Israeli military theory and practice. As one of Israel’s Army chief of Staff put it “of science His basic contribution and it was a great one was to teach us that warfare is a science had an art at the same time. He was the perfect example of a military man, being himself the excellent combination and artist”.
Wingate installed a sense of purpose in a military operation any army in the world needs that sense of purpose. Israel commander wrote “Wingate’s second greatest contribution was to make us realize something which he had felt, but had never been consciously aware of before, that our faith in our cause and our morale resulting there from is an invincible weapon.
Commander Sadeh said “I have learned from Wingate, that a solider has to think and not act like a sheep, we could hardly say that we learned from him a certain system, because he always found a new system that fitted in with the new situation. Wingate was meticulous and careful in planning before operations, yet at the same time there was a willingness to improvise and to recognize the necessity of doing so. He gave power to subordinates to use their initiative and so training them to be skilled small-unit leaders. Another important skill was in knowing when to operate a multiple or small unit and in recognizing the need when to concentrate one forces.”
Chapter 5
Wingate in Ethiopia: The Gideon Force
When Word War Two began in September 1939, Wavell was the commander in chief of the middle East which was based in Cairo He invited Wingate to Sudan to begin operations against Italian occupation for as in Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
Akin to a whirlwind Wingate descended upon the British command in Sudan. He assembled the Gideon force, a commando group of British, Sundaes and Ethiopian soldiers. Wingate arranged to bring his former Haganah interpreter, Avraham Akavaia to Ethiopia as his personal clerk. The force lacked medical services, and Wingate eventually prevailed on his superiors to allow him to bring a group of Jewish doctors from Palestine.
Wingate told commander Wavel that it was vital to support Haile Selassie 100% and that the revolt could be made the vital factor into coming campaign. Wingate met with Emperor Selassie frequently. The first time they met, he pledged his loyalty and support for the cause of liberation assuring him he would lead a force to return him to his throne. In return he received Selassies’s respect and trust.
Wingate expanded the mission from a holding action to one of liberation from harassing to defeating the Italians in the northwest. He dismissed General Sanford’s plan of waging a guerilla war with distributing money to those Ethiopian tribal leaders who promised to fight Italians as disrespectful inefficient. Wingate was against bribery and appeasement. As Wingate wrote “First we have to convince the Ethiopian that contrary to his previous experience, these white men with whom he has to treat will give him a fair deal, he must see us first not fighting by his side, but in front of him.--- Example instead of precept is what we want.” He believed a guerrilla force hoping to raise revolt must demonstrate strength and appeal to the better side of human nature.
The plan he formulated involved a trained core forming the mobile striking force. The Italians were aware of the British support for the patriots and of Selassie’s arrival. Immediate Italian forces faced Wingate numbered 15,000 men in 13 colonial and 3 Italian battalions. They were backed by light artillery and armored cars. In December 1940 Wingate made preparation of the war to liberate Ethiopia. He arranged the local patriots to stage an effective revolt simultaneously. He saw the revolt and his force with a David and Goliath theme and along the line Wingate christened his mixed unit Gideon Force. Familiar with Guerilla warfare and the Bible, he founded the biblical story of Gideon with his small band of men defeating the larger Midianite force appropriate. So he christened the force, the Gideon Force.
The Wingate’s forces began moving forward in late December and January 1941, with 15,000 camels and horses, the main force of two battalions along with the two ready operational centers departed in several groups from their forward base in Southern Sudan. They were heading for Mount Belaiya inside Ethiopia. Orde Wingate and his army crushed the Italian forces. On January 20th at the little Ethiopian border town of Umiddla, Wingate greeted the emperor as he arrived by plane. On May 5th Wingate led the march on a white horse waving his large sun helmet, ahead of a company from the Ethiopian battalion, the emperor following in an open car.
Chapter6
Wingate in Burma
Wingate left for India in February of 1942. Instead of trying to organize guerilla activity in Burma, Wingate created a commando force that could operate behind enemy lines. The long range Penetration unit became known as the chindits, after a mythical Burmese lion, the “Chinthe”.
Orde Wingate’s exploits caught the imagination of the press. He was promoted to Brigadier General. He and his wife Lorna accompanied Winston Churchill to the quadrant conference in Quebec, Canada. There he explained his doctrine of deep penetration to American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Returning to India with a promotion to major General and given six brigades. As the deep penetration tactics became very successful against Japanese, The British and Indian morale increased considerably. The raid was perceived as a successful effort at taking the war to the Japanese in a theater where the allies were lacking success. It was the perfect psychological medicine for an army sadly devoid of confidence in its methods, its purpose and its ability to fulfill them. The propaganda achievement was enormous and the press and government made much out of the mission. Accompanied by photographs of gaunt, bearded men wearing Australian slouch hats, newspapers stories began to glamorize their efforts referring to the force as, “Wingate Circus” or the “Ghost Army”.
The bearded Wingate with his sun helmet and casual dress was written as the “Clive of Burma”, and that a relative of Lawrence of Arabia led a guerilla army behind enemy lines and ran circles around the Japanese. Soon the force was popularly recognized even within its ranks as the “Chindits”. But apart from the impact of the army, his impact on civilian morale was even more noticeable. Wingate’s name was on every one’s lips; it was a symbol of hope.
Winston Churchill and Wingate via Leo Amery, an uncensored copy of Wingate’s after action report reached the Prime Minister of Britain in July. After defeats and disappointments at the lack of action and arguments in discussions with the Americans on strategy, Churchill was impressed an elated to find someone with daring and vision. In July he wrote, “I consider Wingate should command the army against Burma. He is a man of genius and audacity, and had rightly been discerned by all eyes as a figure quite above the ordinary level. There is no doubt that in the welter of inefficiency and lassitude which has characterized our operations of the Indian front, this man, his force and his achievements, stands out, and no mere question of seniority must obstruct the advance of real personalities to their proper stations in war”. The Prime Ministers proposal to promote Wingate up four ranks and over the heads of others met with shock, then resistance from senior army officers. While agreeing not to implement this, Churchill summoned now Brigadier--General Wingate back to Britain in July to talk with him about the future of the war.
(It is interesting to note that even after obtaining freedom
from Great Britain, Indian armed forces and civil services followed the same
old British pattern, and promoted people based on seniority. USA did not
follow this foolish pattern and promote people based on merit). Wingate led
force acting offensively behind Japanese lines attacking their weaknesses.
The operation demonstrated the ability to support ground troops with arial
re-supply and ground support directly by radio across large distances in
difficult country successfully. The enemy had been unable to prevent the
force’s infiltration or exfiltration. Wingate felt that once he could prove
its effectiveness in Burma; his concept of building strongholds behind enemy
lines could become the way to take Hanoi and Bangkok, and eventually China.
He believed that armies could extend the range of ground forces by
exploiting two factors relatively new in warfare – aircraft and radio.
The operation was launched on March 5, 1944 using gliders as troop carriers and the chindits set up three bases deep in enemy territory. The best known of these was “Broadway”, a jungle clearing 200 miles behind Japans lines. This included a relatively large air strip that enabled supplies and reinforcements to be flown in and the wounded flown out. Japanese came to the gate of India due to the inefficiency of the British troops. But Orde Wingate restored the British glory.
Chapter 7
The Sudden Death of Orde Wingate
Orde Wingate was 41 and major General when he died in a plane crash on March 24th, 1944. He is buried in the US Arlington National Cemetery near Washington D.C. After his death the three leaders whose nations he fought for personally wrote to President Truman asking for a more suitable internment. David Ben-Gurion future Prime minister, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, and Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Great Britain, had all been impressed by the man and his devotion to their causes.
Winston Churchill said of Wingate in the House of Commons in August of 1944. He remembered Orde Wingate the man and as an instigator of mobile warfare. “We placed our hopes at Quebec on the new Supreme Commander Admiral Mountbatten and his brilliant lieutenant Major-General Wingate who, alas, has paid soldiers debt. There was a man of genius who might have become also a man of destiny. He has gone, but his spirit lives on in the long range penetration groups, and has underlain all these intricate and daring air operations and military operations based on air transport and on air supply”.
Israel Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, wrote that Wingate would have been Israel’s first military Chief of Staff if he had lived. Moshe Dayan the hero Six Day Arab-Israel war said “Wingate taught us everything we know”. Yigal Yadin said of Wingate “his basic contribution and it was a great one-was to teach us that warfare is a science and an art at the same time. He was the perfect example of the military man; begin himself the excellent combination of scientist and artist.
Wingate’s wife, Lorna was loyal to the Zionist cause and organized Youth Aliyah in Britain. Lorna flew over the embattled Kibbutz Ramot Naftali during the Israeli War of Independence, and dropped Wingate’s Hebrew Bible to the embattled fighters.
Conclusion
Controversy
The close of World War II did not end all the battles of Orde Wingate. Most of the controversy exists in Great Britain. It was hard for many elite to accept the new modes of military operation from a lower level person, so his detractors with prejudice use selective evidence and twist the actual record of a great general.
Israel
In Israel, his accomplishments are properly acknowledged. The immediate aftermath of his death amidst growing revelation of Holocaust meant to the Jewish community another sad day. Flags were lowered in half-mast in Palestine. All Israeli leaders agree one thing it is one of Pro-Zionist figure that contributed to safe guarding Israel’s future in an uncertain time. Preaching a determined self-reliance, as one SNS veteran put it, “He believed in Zionism as an idea, and believed in the power of Jewish Yishuv in Eretz Israel to realize the idea and to defend itself”. The Israeli defense forces, as well as historians, view him as one of its founding fathers for his ideas on offensive action and small units.
Ethiopia
In Ethiopia, Orde Wingate is fondly remembered and viewed as an important figure in modern Ethiopian history such was his appreciation that, upon heaving the news of his death, Emperor Haile Selassie asked that Wingate’s body be interned in Ethiopia. The Emperor sent a gold chain and cross to Wingate’s son born six weeks after his father’s death.
Wingate is the fighter, the single-minded champion of Ethiopian freedom, the man who brought the Emperor in a legend then and a legend still today. A school for boys in Addis Ababa is named in his memory.
Great Britain
After Churchill rejected Mountbatten’s request to censor the news of Wingate’s death lest there be a drop in morale, an official announcement was made April 1st of 1944. Journalists and participant accounts in articles and books during and in the immediate aftermath of the war presented Wingate in a favorable light. One SNS veteran wrote “He seems also to have a personal magnetism, causing men to follow him without knowing why. He had a magnetic personal manner and spirit, but that was not enough. He also knew his job.”
Today the Special Forces community on both sides of the Atlantic as well as the military in Israel understands Wingate’s accomplishments and respects his foresight of ideas which have made what was uncommon then common today.
Charles Wingate was the right man at the right time during the Second World War. God appointed him to be an instrument to carry out His counsel in order to re-establish the nation of Israel. As a strong devotee of the Lord Jesus Christ, Wingate gave 100% to his profession. All Christians can emulate one important thing from the history of Charles Wingate. God has put all Christians in different places on earth. Each Christian should consider that he or she is an employee of Jesus Christ and perform their task as if it is their own company. One may serve as a chairman, another as a janitor. Every work is precious and important in the sight of our Lord.
Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes wrote “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.” Wingate knew that man’s efforts are futile. Wingate’s own epitaph might be best given in his own words which wore his battle order before the opening of the initial Chindits operation in Burma.
“It is always a minority that occupies the front line. It is a still smaller minority that accepts with a good heart tasks like this that we have chosen to carry out. We have all had the opportunity of withdrawing and we are here because we have chosen to be here: that is we have chosen to bear the burden and the heat of the day. Men who make this choice are above the average in courage. We therefore have no fear for the staunchness and guts of our comrades. Victory in war cannot be counted upon, but what can be counted is that we shall go forward determined to do what we can to bring this war to the end. We believe best for our friends and comrades in arms- without boastfulness or forgetting our duty, resolved to do the right, so far as we can see the right.” Our aim is to make possible a government of the world in which all men can live at peace and with equal opportunity of service. Charles Wingate concluded.
“ Finally, knowing the vanity of man’s effort and the confusion of his purpose, let us pray that God may accept our service and direct our endeavors, so that when we have done all, we shall see the fruit of our labors and be satisfied”. Charles Wingate is a dazzling star in the horizon of the military history of the world.
Orde Charles Wingate confidently could quote 2nd Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith”
2. Moshe Dayan, story of my life (New York: William morrow Lco. 1976(46)
3. http://members.aol.com/ordewingate/postwar2.html
4. http://members.aol.com/ordewingate/burma/G.html
5. Field Marshall Slim, Defeat into Victory (London:Cassell,1956
6. http://members.aol.com/ordewingate/etheopiaE.html
7. http://members.aol.com/ordewingate/begin2.html
8. http://members.aol.com/ordewingat/israelA.html
