14 – Sergeants Grove

Sergeants Grove stretches across an area of approximately 255 dunams at the southeastern end of the city, in the Kiryat Hasharon neighborhood. The grove is pleasant, shaded by majestic eucalyptus trees and dotted with oak trees that grew wild here. The grove is home to over 300 types of plants that are indigenous to the Sharon region, such as the purple iris, hyacinth squill, anemone and tulip. There are also many rare species of plants here and flora enthusiasts from all over the country come to see them. There is a seasonal vernal pool in the grove that was preserved by the municipality. A bridge stretches across the pool. The pool fills up when the first rains begin to fall and dries up toward the end of May. In season, there are many amphibians and different types of ducks who live in the pool. At the site are signs featuring explanations about the biological diversity of the site, as well as quaint hiking paths.
The grove is named after a historical event from the days of the British Mandate. After the Etzel underground movement attempted to break into Acre Prison in May 1947 and several Etzel members were taken captive, the British sentenced three of these members to death. Their names were Yaakov Weiss, Avshalom Haviv and Meir Nakar. In an attempt to save them, the Etzel organization kidnapped two British sergeants in Netanya on July 12, 1947 – Clifford Martin and Mervyn Paice, and held them hostage. The two were held in an abandoned diamond polishing plant in a neighborhood of the city called Tubruk. Throughout the second half of July, the British army conducted mass searches of the region, including a military cordon around Netanya and Avihail (Operation Tiger), but were unsuccessful in finding the British hostages. Leaders of the Jewish settlement also joined the search to find the British hostages, and the head of the Netanya local council, Oved Ben Ami, even called for all of the residents of the city to assist in the search effort.
The British refused to comply with the Etzel’s ultimatum to release those they had sentenced to death in exchange for the sergeants’ release. On July 28, 1947, the three Etzel members were hung at Acre Prison. The next morning, on July 29, the bodies of the two British sergeants were found in this grove. They had been hung by the Etzel. Afterward, the British stopped implementing the death sentence in Israel, which the Etzel claimed was a direct result of this operation.
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