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WWII Refugees Fought Nazis as Elite Intel Agents
1 May
Summary
- Jewish refugees became elite Allied intelligence assets during WWII.
- The Ritchie Boys rescued almost 60 percent of credible intelligence.
- Filmmaker Avi Nesher will direct the adaptation of a bestseller.
Acclaimed Israeli filmmaker Avi Nesher will direct an adaptation of Bruce Henderson's bestselling book, "Sons and Soldiers." The story centers on German-born Jewish refugees who fled Nazi-occupied Europe in the 1930s. After resettling in America, they were recruited by the U.S. Army to serve as interrogators and translators.
These refugees, known as the Ritchie Boys, returned to war-torn Europe to fight for their new homeland and the families they left behind. Their efforts were remarkably effective, with a postwar report indicating they gathered nearly 60 percent of the credible intelligence during the European theater of World War II.
Nesher noted the story's urgency amid rising antisemitism, challenging stereotypes of Jewish people. He emphasized that the Ritchie Boys employed unique warfare tactics involving language and psychology. Producer Josh Green highlighted the film's celebration of these unsung heroes who risked everything to turn the tide of the war.
