Jewish WWII British special forces veteran who fought against Nazis in Africa dies, aged 100

Jack Mann, a Cairo-born British WWII veteran and the last survivor of the Long Range Desert Group, died in August 2026 at age 100. Mann served as a radio operator in the LRDG, later joining the SAS and SBS, and was posted across the Middle East and North Africa, including Mandatory Palestine. He enlisted at 17 and fought against the Nazis in North Africa, including countering Rommel's Afrika Korps. He told The Jewish Chronicle he joined after learning about the Holocaust. Eulogized as a hero by AJEX and the SAS Regimental Association.

Jack Mann, a Cairo-born British World War II veteran and the last surviving member of the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG), died in August 2026 at the age of 100. Mann enlisted in the British military at age 17 and served as a radio operator in the LRDG, a reconnaissance and raiding unit formed to fight the Nazis in North Africa, including countering Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and the Afrika Korps. The LRDG played a key role in the success of the Special Air Service (SAS), including maintaining control of the Suez Canal. Mann later served in the SAS, the Special Boat Service (SBS), and the Special Operations Executive (SOE), with postings across the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe, including a posting in British Mandatory Palestine. He told The Jewish Chronicle in 2014 that he joined the army after learning about the Holocaust. In 2024, he said, "I can't say I'm a hero. My job was communications, and that's what I did," adding, "never forget, because war is terrible." Dan Fox, president of the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen (AJEX), eulogized Mann as "A hero, a gentleman, an inspiration." The SAS Regimental Association also eulogized him, noting his "daring missions behind enemy lines."