Militaryבנימין כהנא

Binyamin Kahane

Binyamin Kahane was an Israeli Air Force pilot and former Irgun member who was killed in a dogfight during the 1956 Sinai campaign and was awarded the Medal of Courage after his death.

1911 to 1956Early Hebrew aviation pilotAir link to Sodom1956 Piper dogfight with MiGsPosthumous Medal of Courage

Born: 5 March 1911, Jaffa
Died: 30 October 1956, Sinai Peninsula
Occupation: aircraft pilot, military personnel
Rank: rav seren
Wars: 1948 Palestine war, Suez Crisis

Binyamin Kahane was born in 1911 in Jaffa

Kahane was born in Jaffa in 1911, the youngest of 3 brothers and a sister. His mother, Miriam, came to the country with the Bilu movement. His father, Ephraim, helped the Nili underground during World War I.

He studied at schools in Tel Aviv and at the Mikve Israel agricultural school. He joined Betar in 1927 and later the Irgun, and he competed as a motorcycle rider. In 1937 he took a Notrim command course.

He began flying gliders and joined the first gliding course at Givat Brenner in 1936. In 1939 he finished an Irgun flying course at Lod and received pilot license number 6. In 1943 he became the pilot of the potassium works at Sodom.

He enlisted in the Israeli Air Force in 1948 and flew supply sorties, including to besieged Sodom. In 1950 he became a Piper flight instructor, and in 1956 his family moved to Eilat. On October 30, 1956, he drew 2 Egyptian MiG-15 jets away from Israeli ground forces and was shot down.

Binyamin Kahane's life in 8 milestones

1911
Born in Jaffa.
1927
Joined the Betar movement.
1936
Took part in the first gliding course at Givat Brenner.
1939
Received pilot license number 6 after an Irgun flying course.
1943
Became the pilot of the Sodom potassium works.
1948
Enlisted in the Israeli Air Force.
1950
Became a Piper flight instructor.
1956
Killed in a dogfight during the Sinai campaign.

Binyamin Kahane served in IDF Pilot Course

Kahane served in the Irgun and the Notrim before joining the Israeli Air Force in 1948, where he reached the rank of captain. He was killed as a liaison pilot in the 1956 Sinai campaign.

IDF Pilot Course