On 19 October 1944, several club players were among 251 persons who were deported to Eritrea, Kenya and Sudan by the British Mandate Authorities. Among the deportees were David Horn and Rabinovich and some members of Beitar Jerusalem's "First team of 1936." A Beitar Jerusalem team was set up in Gilgil where many deportees played in city-of-origin based teams. A big running away plan was made involving a tunnel dug from the centre of a football pitch in old Gilgil detention camp in Kenya. Two of the deportees were murdered by Sudanese guards for an alleged "escaping attempt". Six succeeded in reaching Europe. All living deportees reached Israel in July 1948.