Jewish airmen in WWII

[Brian]

Hi Franz

May I correct one or two statements - Ezer Weizmann was a former president of Israel. He did not serve in the Battle of Britain but towards the end of the war, as did Aaron Remez, the first commander of the Israeli Air Force, and many others from those early days. As for George Goodman, he was born in Palestine, as it was then, so strictly-speaking was Palestinian.

Cheers
Brian

[Franz von Werra]

Originally Posted by Brian

Hi Franz

May I correct one or two statements - Ezer Weizmann was a former president of Israel. He did not serve in the Battle of Britain but towards the end of the war, as did Aaron Remez, the first commander of the Israeli Air Force, and many others from those early days. As for George Goodman, he was born in Palestine, as it was then, so strictly-speaking was Palestinian.

Cheers
Brian

Many thanks!!

[drgondog]

At least one fighter pilot in 358Fs/355FG was jewish, was shot down in March 1944 and survived Buchewald..

[Mifletz]

At the very end of the film "Battle of Britain" it lists the number of foreign pilots who fought in it.

The last on the list says "Israeli - 1".

This caused some stir at the time since Israel didn't exist in 1940, and by rights it should have said "Palestinian".

But no fuss was made because this was 1969, just 2 years after the Six Day War, and the atmosphere in the West was generally pro-Israeli.

If it wasn't Weizman, any idea who this one BOB "Israeli/Palestinian" was?

[Franz von Werra]

The pilot the film refers to might be George R. Goodman, although he died long before the Israeli State was established.