Israeli WWII veterans to be honored by Britain

Thirty-two members of the Disabled IDF Veterans Association, who were injured during World War II, will be awarded the British Ministry of Defense medal on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II for their contribution to the war against the Nazis.

The IDF veterans who served in the British army will be honored 65 years after WWII. They will be receiving the Queen's medal by British Ambassador to Israel Tom Phillips during a special ceremony to be held on Thursday in Tel Aviv.

Some of the soldiers' stories will be related during the ceremony, including that of Moshe Dotan, 92, who fell captive in 1941 while serving in the Jewish Brigade. Dotan spent four years in labor camps as well as in the Nazi death camp Auschwitz before being liberated priot to the end of the war.

Zvi Avidror. Helped organize the ceremony

Bezalel Gilboa, 88, will also be receiving a medal for his service as a recruit instructor in the Jewish Brigade's Italian battalion. He was seriously injured after stepping on a dud.

Despite the injury, Gilboa went on to serve as a captain during the War of Independence. Only after being discharged from the IDF did he tell his commanders that his leg had been cut off as a result of the WWII injury.

Zvi Avidror, 85, chairman of the British Royal Navy veterans organization in Israel, who had previously received the token via mail, helped organize the event. He served in the Royal Air Force during World War II and later joined the IAF.

"I served in the British Navy and was badly injured during WWII. I realized that anyone who served during the war is entitled to receive the medal and decided to initiate the bestowal for all the soldiers."

He noted he was particularly excited at the prospect of seeing many of his fellow soldiers after 60 odd years.