FOSH

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The FO'SH (Hebrew abbreviation for PLUGOT SADEH or Field Companies) was an elite Jewish strike force established as the commando arm of the Haganah in 1937, during the Great Arab Revolt of 1936-1939 in the British Mandate of Palestine. Its members were hand-picked by Yitzhak Sadeh, commander of the Jewish Settlement Police.

By March 1938 the FO'SH had 1,500 trained fighters divided into 13 regional groups. They were armed with stolen British SMLEs, grenades, rifles and some small arms, and attacked Arab villages in swift raids with Charles Orde Wingate's Special Night Squads, taking full advantage of their mobility.

The FO'SH was disbanded in 1939 to create a larger force known as the HISH (HEYL SADEH or Field Force). During World War II FO'SH veterans were trained by the British for commando night raids.

[edit] References

• Katz, Sam (1988). Israeli Elite Units Since 1948. Osprey Publishing.
• Oring, Elliott (1981). Israeli Humor: The Content and Structure of the Chizbat of the Palmah. SUNY Press. ISBN 0-87395-512-9