Over 3000 German and Austrian Jewish refugees fled from mainland Europe and joined the British army, ending up in Ilfracombe for their training.
Once they were vetted these refugees were permitted to join the Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps, affectionately called “The King’s Own Loyal Enemy Aliens” and later simply as the Royal Pioneer Corps.
Intellectuals, scientists, artists and musicians made up much of their number, and it became something of a joke to refer to them as the most highly educated corps in the British army. Six future Nobel Laureates trained on Ilfracombe’s beaches and amongst its surrounding cliffs, sleeping in its hotels and aiding the war effort even before they actively marched off to fight.
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