Binyan, Ilan

Ilan, son of Aliza and Shimshon, was born on 11.1.1950 in Teddington, England, and immigrated to Israel with his family in 1959. He attended elementary school in his hometown, continued his studies at the elementary school in Mombasa, Kenya, In the Sha’ar Hanegev elementary school. He later studied at the agricultural school in Kfar Silver near Ashkelon. He was going to study biology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Ilan had many hobbies. He was a sports and swimming enthusiast (he crossed the Sea of Galilee three times), diving and underwater photography. He had a large collection of slides he had taken while he dived, and he even translated a book on underwater photography from English. He loved biology and archeology. He got this hobby in Mombasa when he was asked to help Professor Karkman in his research on the remains of one of the fortresses of Portuguese soldiers in Kenya. He was one of the members of delegations who went to archaeological excavations and even wrote a work on biblical archeology, based on Nelson Gluck’s book. Ilan devoted himself to reading, especially in the fields of science and the army. He has purchased many books, both in Israel and abroad, on army and armor. He loved the flora and fauna and loved the paintings of Dali and Asher. He dedicated his spare time to his collection of stamps and to music from its various periods, from Beethoven to Beatles. Ilan was,a man who was friendly, courteous, honest and conscientious. He was cheerful and optimistic and humorous. Ilan was drafted into the IDF in early August 1968 and assigned to the Armored Corps, where he completed a course for the commanders of the Centurion tanks and completed a series of officer courses. In the end, he was sent to serve in the Beit Shean Valley, Mount Dov, and the Golan Heights, and participated in raids across the Syrian border. After completing his regular service he volunteered to serve in the regular army. Two and a half months before the war broke out, he was appointed to be the commander of the artillery section of the Armored Corps School. His commanders wrote: “Ilan is a good officer, disciplined and responsible, with a great deal of professional knowledge and excellent execution ability. He is very strong, very quiet and modest, obedient, dedicated and loyal.” He was not meticulous about discipline but demanded exact execution. For his service on the front lines and beyond, he was awarded the “Operational Service Award”. When the Yom Kippur War broke out, Ilan was drafted and sent to the Sinai front. Near Kantara, he lost the traces of his men but managed to join the unit that had formed near the Firdan Bridge. On the morning of the 12th of Tishrei 5734 (October 8, 1973), in the morning he left with his new unit towards the canal. On the way there was a strong artillery fire and Ilan, who was exposed in the tank turret, was hit in the waist and fell unconscious. The medical team tried to save him for a long time, but he could not. He was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery in Kfar Shmaryahu. He was survived by a father, a mother, and three sisters. After his fall, he was promoted to captain. His parents donated a Torah scroll to the “Young Israel” synagogue in Herzliya and opened a kinder garden in Kfar Silver.