WORLD MACHAL - Volunteers from overseas in the Israel Defense Forces

Dov Sugarman

dovsugarmansDov Sugarman, the son of Rosa and Avraham, was born on February 17th, 1923, in London, U.K. From his youth he had wanted to become a pilot and when World War II broke out, he joined the Royal Air Force, where he served for four years as a navigator.

At the time of the War of Independence, he decided to help in the struggle of the Jewish state for its independence, and on July 5th, 1948, he arrived in Israel and joined the Israel Air Force.  His wife Lily followed him a few weeks afterwards, and also served in the same 103 Squadron, in administration.

On October 20th, 1948, while serving as navigator to one of the two Bristol Beaufighter bombers attacking the Egyptian fortress Iraq-el-Suweidan, his aircraft was hit by heavy ground fire as it made its second low-level pass.  His plane caught fire and Dov was killed, along with the Canadian non-Jewish pilot Leonard Fitchett and an American pilot, Stanley Andrews. Following his death he was awarded the rank of Flight Commander (Captain).

Translated from the Yizkor site with additional information provided by Joe Woolf