The heavy losses of the eleven days between the two ceasefires had depleted the lower command level. Many squad leaders had fallen. Leaders were missing from all the battalions of the brigade. To fill these gaps a special course for squad leaders was organized at brigade level. In its three months’ duration it was to cover (nearly) all topics which used to be reserved for officers’ courses.
Most of the veterans of the brigade were selected for the course. They met each other again in the tents for the trainees. They were the ones who had survived dozens of engagements and who had also refused all the chances of setting themselves up at the rear. This group consisted of fighters with a clear attitude: they came from the front, and to the front they would return.
5 September 1948
Training course for squad leaders
School for combat leaders
The time for lights out is approaching. The men are lying on their beds, exhausted from the long day’s training. Their muscles are aching. They are not used to courses and hard training any more. The two on watch duty take their rifles, swear in the best army tradition, and go out.
"What a dark night," grumbles one of them, "almost like in Isdud."
"What?" comes a voice from a far corner of the big tent. "Y ou were at Isdud? Which unit?"
A discussion quickly starts about that operation. Two others in the tent were also there. Each recounts what they experienced on that