Abdullah el-Tell
| Abdullah el-Tell عبدالله التل |
|
|---|---|
Abdullah el-Tell
|
|
| Born | 17 July 1918 Irbid, Jordan |
| Died | 1973 Irbid, Jordan |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom Jordan
|
| Service/branch |
 British Army Arab League
|
| Years of service | 1941 – 1950 |
| Rank | Major |
| Commands held | Sixth Regiment of Arab Legion Military Governor of Jerusalem |
| Battles/wars |
Battle for Jerusalem Battle of Gush Etzion |
| Other work | Author |
Abdullah Yousef el-Tell (Arabic: عبدالله التل, 17 July 1918–1973) served in the Transjordanian Arab Legion during the 1948 war in Palestine rising from the rank of company commander to become Military Governor of the Old City of Jerusalem. He was later accused of being involved in the assassination of King Abdullah I and spent many years in Egypt before returning to Jordan in 1967.
El-Tell was born into a wealthy family in Irbid just as the Ottoman army were retreating from the town. His mother held him up to the window to witness the soldiers leaving. His secondary education was in Egypt. When he was 18 years old, he was jailed for demonstrating against the British. In 1941, he joined the British Army and in 1942 completed an officer training course in the Suez Canal area.
El-Tell's ancestors, the Banu Zaydan, had lived in the Jordanian cities of Amman and Irbid from the 17th century. They adopted the surname el-Tell (or al-Tal) in reference to their previous habitation near the Amman citadel, which was built on a tell (Arabic for "hill"). El-Tell was born in Irbid on 17 July 1918. He received his primary education in the city, but moved to Salt for his high school education. It was there that he became skilled in the English language. He graduated in October 1937.
After working as a customs officer for the Transjordanian government, he joined the Arab Legion in 1942. He initially served in the 1st Brigade as a second lieutenant, becoming a first lieutenant in May 1943, and captain in September 1944. He was deployed at an Arab Legion training base in Sarafand al-Amar near al-Ramla in Palestine. He was promoted to major in March 1948.
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