Why should I be interested in what became of Ann Turton?
I was asked by a good friend for some background information on military activity during the underground resistance campaign waged by Jewish undergrounds against the British Mandatory regime which had reneged, in its 1939 White Paper, on its international legal obligations to reconstitute the Jewish national home.
Perusing online newspapers from the period, I came across this from the Davar Hebrew-language daily on December 28, 1945:-
It appeared following three attacks that occured the previous evening conducted by the Irgun and Lechi - two joint operations on the Jerusalem and Tel Aviv Police HQs and another attack in north Tel Aviv against an army arms and munition site - and relates that a nine-year old girl was left, for the second time, an orphan from her father.
The newspaper informs that 9-year old Ann(e) Turton, daughter of Evelyn Thomas Turton, of the Palestine Police Force, who was killed on January 21, 1942 as a result of a bomb blast set off in Tel Aviv by the Lechi (Stern Group) underground, was adopted (?) by George F. Smith, Assistant Superindendent of Palestine Police Force, when her mother married him.
Her mother passed away in March 1945 and her step-father was killed in a blast at the Jaffa Police HQ on December 27, 1945 which was attacked in a joint Irgun-Lechi attack.
I know that Michael Winterbottom was planning a film on this early period of the Jewish anti-British Revolt, and that he would be taking some license with the historical reality.
But this case is real. And is quite an emotional chapter of the time.
She could be 76 today.
What happened to her?
If anyone has any information as to the fate of the daughter, please contact me by leaving a comment here.
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