The Ron Penhall Collection

The Second World War Commando operations D.C.M. awarded to Lance-Corporal F. S. Houseman, Royal Army Service Corps, attached No. 2 Commando, a very gallant German-Jew who had earlier served in the “Palestine Brigade”

Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.VI.R. (PAL. 1344 L. Cpl. F. S. Houseman, R.A.S.C.), minor official correction to unit, edge bruise, good very fine £3500-4000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Ron Penhall Collection.

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D.C.M. London Gazette 20 July 1944.

The original recommendation - written by Lieutenant-Colonel J. M. T. F. “Mad Jack” Churchill, D.S.O., M.C. - states:

‘In the Commando raid on Brac Island on the night of 5 March 1944, Driver Hausmann was the leading scout of the section which carried out this raid. The section was seen approaching and two sentries opened fire with schmeiser automatics which pinned them to the ground. Driver Hausmann dashed forward firing his T.S.M.G. and killed one sentry, but the other ran into the house. Hausmann followed, kicked open the door and threw in a hand grenade. When it exploded, he dashed in shouting to the Germans to surrender, and having killed one and wounded two more, the remaining five men gave themselves up.

On the morning of 19 March during the Commando attack on Solta Island, the behaviour of this man was exemplary. In the forefront of the final assualt on the village, he led a small group of men in house-clearing in an area where the German garrison was holding out, and during this operation severely wounded a German who was holding up the advance with a Spandau M.G. which was mounted in an upper window.

Driver Hausmann is a Palestinian of German origin serving in the Commando. He has taken part in three Commando raids in these islands during the last six weeks, and in each of these his behaviour has been outstandingly bold and aggressive. He insists on being the leading scout on all approaches by day or night and is not content to await his turn for this duty. He has set a magnificent example and his conduct under fire is in the highest traditions of the Army.’

Fritz Sigmund Houseman (or Hausmann) was born in Germany, the son of a Wermacht officer. His mother was Jewish and, like her husband, detested the Nazi movement, sentiments that would ultimately result in their arrest by the Gestapo and early demise in a concentration camp. Their son, however, managed to escape the net and make his way to Palestine, where he joined the Haganah organisation, which guarded Jewish settlements against the Arabs.

A well-educated man, who was fluent in English, German, Italian and Yiddish, Houseman made no secret of the fact he hated the British, but since he ‘hated the Germans a hell of a lot more’, he enlisted in No. 650 Company, R.A.S.C., a component of the “Palestine Brigade”, around its formation in November 1942 - a unit whose members openly wore “Star of David” uniform insignia and were accordingly executed on the spot if captured. He did, however, change his name by deed poll to ‘Houseman’ and adopted a cover story that he was British and from Manchester, facts that appear to have been lost on those responsible for the publication of his name in the London Gazette at the time of his D.C.M. - in the name of Hausmann - an error compounded by the fact the accompanying recommendation had clearly been endorsed, ‘No publicity to be given to this citation’.

Having served in North Africa, and survived the sinking of his troop ship, he went on to participate in the Salerno landings in September 1943, but in early 1944 he transferred to No. 2 Commando, a unit of Force 133, charged with holding the island of Vis in the Adriatic, and with mounting regular raids against neighbouring islands off the coast of Yugoslavia.

Thereafter, as vividly outlined in the recommendation for his D.C.M., he displayed notable gallantry in several such Commando raids, his transparent aggression probably only being matched by the likes of his C.O., Lieutenant-Colonel J. M. T. F. “Mad Jack” Churchill, D.S.O., M.C., the sword brandishing, bow and arrow marksman who had recently been recommended for the V.C. in the Sicily operations, or for that matter the Commando’s adopted figurehead, 71-year-old Admiral Sir Walter Cowan, Bt., K.C.B., D.S.O., M.V.O., a very ferocious character indeed. A good summary of the events surrounding the raid on the Island of Solta on 19 March 1944, in which Houseman excelled himself again in “house-clearance duties”, is to be found in the recommendation for the Bar to “Mad Jack” Churchill’s D.S.O.:

‘On 19 March 1944, Lieutenant-Colonel Churchill, who commands No. 2 Commando, lead a combined force of Commandos and U.S. Operation Groups in an attack on the German Garrison of Solta Island. The sea approach was made in darkness and disembarkation was completed by 0200 hours. Lieutenant-Colonel Churchill led his heavily laden H.Q. in its rendezvous overlooking the town of Grohote where the enemy garrison was known to be located. The advance was difficult and slow, over rocky ground intersected by walls and piles of stones, and the guides called many halts because of suspected enemy machine-gun posts on the route. Whenever necessary, Lieutenant-Colonel Churchill went forward alone to investigate and when necessary to pick an alternative route. Enemy fire was opened at 0530 hours, by which time the Commandos had surrounded the town. An air bombing attack had been arranged at 0630 hours and the Commandos assault on the town was to follow this bombing ... At 0630 hours the bombing attack by aircraft was carried out, and immediately it was completed the Colonel gave the order to fix bayonets and enter the town. He himself led the advance and directed the house to house searches and street clearance in the face of enemy automatic fire and hand grenades which were thrown from windows and doors. The entire German garrison, consisting of an officer and 108 ranks, was either killed or captured, the Commando party led by the Colonel himself capturing 34 Germans including the Garrison Commander.’

Described by one contemporary as something of a loner - and more of the guerilla fighter mould than a regular team-player - Houseman was not very popular with his fellow Commandos, although his courage in battle was undoubtedly appreciated by his C.O. Perhaps as a result of this ongoing unpopularity with his fellow ranks, Houseman returned to duty with the “Palestine Brigade” in August 1944, this time as a despatch rider. Taking his discharge in Italy after the War, he briefly returned to Palestine before settling back ‘among dubious friends’ in the former country. Little more is known of him, although the fact his D.C.M. first appeared for sale in Los Angeles many years ago suggests he may have emigrated to the U.S.A.

Sold with several letters to Ron Penhall from ex-members of No. 2 Commando, one of these correspondents adding a great deal of background to Houseman’s wartime career.