The Palmach’s staff – Hashalishut (the Army Personnel management)
The functioning of the Army Personnel Management was necessary in order to manage an organized and exact record of the Palmach’s personnel, as part of the Palmach’s expansion process from two to six companies. Both warriors and commanders had difficulties in recognizing the importance of a reliable systematic updating of the manpower quota.
The Palmach’s army personnel management office (which is known today as the adjutancy), was established in 1942 under the management of Shoshana (Shosh) Spector. The functioning of the adjutancy was necessary in order to manage an organized and exact record of the Palmach’s personnel, as part of the Palmach’s expansion process from two to six companies. Both warriors and commanders had difficulties in recognizing the importance of a reliable systematic updating of the manpower quota; clear regulated management and organizational order was not one of the Palmach’s prominent traits; its atmosphere being one in which every one knew the other. The Palmach’s system was very dynamic and unstable, constantly altering itself to meet the ever-changing needs. Various new military units were set up spontaneously and men would be transferred from one unit to another. The underground life and the need to abide to strict safety regulations made it difficult to regularly keep track of the manpower quota. These factors stood at the base of the Palmach’s organizational neglect which accompanied its voluntary way of life with which the adjutancy was force to deal.
The office’s first goal was to provide the Palmach’s commander with daily updated information regarding the manpower quota which was divided into companies, from several aspects: the number of men, their names, professions and training, their health condition, family status, period of service and so on. This basic information was a vital factor in the making of operational and organizational decisions. From fear that the secret information might fall into British hands, the card index was designed so that it would be easy to carry around and included only the essential details without referring to the men’s names, and the index was secretly coded. When the British caught the index card during the raid on the Palmach’s headquarters in Kibbutz Mizra on the Black Sabbath - the 19th of June 1946, they could not decode it because its key was removed prior to the raid. The index card was painstakingly reconstructed by the office while the technical unit of the Hagana prepared a fake identity card for each Palmach member, with their original first names and fake surnames and addresses.
The adjutancy appointed a unit commander secretary for each company. Each new recruit received a personal number and card, a copy of which was sent to his company. The company’s secretary would update the changes in each recruit’s personal details and his family status. Correspondingly, a professional military index card which allowed to keep track of the men’s ranks, their military and civil occupations and training (and thus the Palmach was able to make use of their men’s civil professions, such as carpenters and drivers, in times of need) was prepared. The reserve force’s index card was central and arranged according to the various regions in Israel. It was used when the reserve forces were recruited for training, advanced studies, operations and gatherings.
The follow up reports were managed independently within the companies and later within the battalions, and then collected in the staff adjutancy. These reports were the base upon which the Palmach’s monthly budget was prepared, courses were planned and arms and weapons were distributed for training. These reports reflected the force’s activity according to its subunits; the number of men according to rank who were undergoing advanced studies, work or journeys. The report’s summaries were passed along each month to the Hagana’s General Headquarters’ commander. Miryam Zaltsman played an important role in the framework of the adjutancy office; she was in charge of the mail and of summarizing the Palmach’s decisions and orders which were distributed to the various companies. Miryam would carry the mail on her body and go from one unit to another to receive and distribute mail to and from the Palmach’s staff. Not once, when the British would impose curfews and conduct searches, she would risk herself and reach the units secretly. Later, a special vehicle which contained a hidden cache, would convey the mail twice a week.
The Palmach’s adjutancy and its branches in the various units was an essential tool for the everyday management of the Palmach’s activity and a vital means which enabled the force to train and operate.
The office’s first goal was to provide the Palmach’s commander with daily updated information regarding the manpower quota which was divided into companies, from several aspects: the number of men, their names, professions and training, their health condition, family status, period of service and so on. This basic information was a vital factor in the making of operational and organizational decisions. From fear that the secret information might fall into British hands, the card index was designed so that it would be easy to carry around and included only the essential details without referring to the men’s names, and the index was secretly coded. When the British caught the index card during the raid on the Palmach’s headquarters in Kibbutz Mizra on the Black Sabbath - the 19th of June 1946, they could not decode it because its key was removed prior to the raid. The index card was painstakingly reconstructed by the office while the technical unit of the Hagana prepared a fake identity card for each Palmach member, with their original first names and fake surnames and addresses.
The adjutancy appointed a unit commander secretary for each company. Each new recruit received a personal number and card, a copy of which was sent to his company. The company’s secretary would update the changes in each recruit’s personal details and his family status. Correspondingly, a professional military index card which allowed to keep track of the men’s ranks, their military and civil occupations and training (and thus the Palmach was able to make use of their men’s civil professions, such as carpenters and drivers, in times of need) was prepared. The reserve force’s index card was central and arranged according to the various regions in Israel. It was used when the reserve forces were recruited for training, advanced studies, operations and gatherings.
The follow up reports were managed independently within the companies and later within the battalions, and then collected in the staff adjutancy. These reports were the base upon which the Palmach’s monthly budget was prepared, courses were planned and arms and weapons were distributed for training. These reports reflected the force’s activity according to its subunits; the number of men according to rank who were undergoing advanced studies, work or journeys. The report’s summaries were passed along each month to the Hagana’s General Headquarters’ commander. Miryam Zaltsman played an important role in the framework of the adjutancy office; she was in charge of the mail and of summarizing the Palmach’s decisions and orders which were distributed to the various companies. Miryam would carry the mail on her body and go from one unit to another to receive and distribute mail to and from the Palmach’s staff. Not once, when the British would impose curfews and conduct searches, she would risk herself and reach the units secretly. Later, a special vehicle which contained a hidden cache, would convey the mail twice a week.
The Palmach’s adjutancy and its branches in the various units was an essential tool for the everyday management of the Palmach’s activity and a vital means which enabled the force to train and operate.