Posh (Haganah unit)

POSH (Hebrew: פו"ש, also Romanized Fosh, an abbreviation for Plugot Sadeh (Hebrew: פלוגות שדה), lit. Field Companies) was an elite Jewish strike force that served as the commando arm of the Haganah during the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine when the country was under British Mandate control.^[1]

POSH (Plugot Sadeh)
פו"ש (פלוגות שדה)
POSH unit in Kfar Bilu
Active	1936–1939
Disbanded	1939
Country	British Mandate of Palestine
Branch	Haganah
Type	Commando
Role	Anti-guerilla warfare Artillery observer Bomb disposal Clandestine operation Close-quarters battle Counterinsurgency Crowd control Desert warfare Direct action Force protection HUMINT Maneuver warfare Patrolling Raiding Reconnaissance Riot control Screening Security checkpoint Special operations Special reconnaissance Tracking Urban warfare
Size	1,500 fighters (by March 1938)
Part of	Haganah
Garrison/HQ	Various locations in Mandatory Palestine
Engagements	1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine
Commanders
Notable commanders	Yitzhak Sadeh

A POSH unit passes through Yasur, Gaza

POSH members were hand-picked by Yitzhak Sadeh, commander of the Jewish Settlement Police.

By March 1938, POSH had 1,500 trained fighters divided into 13 regional groups. They were armed with British SMLEs, grenades, rifles and some small arms, and operated in swift commando style raids under Charles Orde Wingate's Special Night Squads (SNS), taking full advantage of their mobility.

POSH was disbanded in 1939 to create a larger force known as the Hish (Heil Sadeh, "Field Corps"). During World War II POSH veterans were trained by the British for commando night raids.

Mission

The unit's missions primarily involve anti-guerilla warfare, artillery observer, clandestine operation, combat patrol, commando style raids, counterinsurgency, maneuver warfare, operating in difficult to access terrain, providing security in areas at risk of attack or terrorism, special reconnaissance in difficult to access and dangerous areas, support crowd control and riot control, and other tactical special operations.