JACK OLFMAN
Jack Olfman (right) with his brother Mickey
At the outbreak of World War II, Jack volunteered and enlisted in the Canadian Air Force. He trained as a wireless operator, and as an air gunner, and served Canada as a wireless air gunner during World War II. When the war ended Jack rejoined civilian life, making his living as a grocer.
After Israel received its independence in 1948, despite being a well-settled civilian in his early thirties, Jack volunteered to join the fledging Israel Air Force.
Trained wireless operators were in short supply in the Israel Air Force. However, they were desperately needed for the essential job of obtaining coded weather forecast transmissions, which the air force depended upon to plan its flights and bombing missions. Because of his five years of wireless operations experience during World War II, Jack was able to train other volunteers and Israelis in the operation and use of wireless equipment. He also worked as a wireless operator in Aqir’s crucial underground wireless center, receiving and passing on coded messages for the Israel Air Force.
At the end of the War of Independence, because of his excellent service, the Israel Air Force asked Jack to remain in Israel as an instructor. However, he decided to return to Canada and for the second time he settled back into civilian life.
Source: American Veterans of Israel Newsletter: Winter 2003