Honig, Amichai
Son of Hanna and Mordechai. He was born on the 9th of Elul (4.9.1919) in Western Australia, where he was given a Hebrew name by his Zionist father, the Hebrew teacher, under the influence of the Balfour Declaration. At the age of twelve, he stopped his studies at the Gymnasium, and immigrated to Eretz Israel with his family. His early years in Israel were difficult, his knowledge of Hebrew was insufficient for his studies in the new school. After much effort he overcame the difficulties and also became well-versed in society He also participated in the defense of the Mossad in the events of 1936-1938, and at the beginning of World War II he volunteered for the army and was sent to a pilot school in Egypt, where he received pilot’s wings. He participated in many operations, including the bombing of enemy concentrations in Tobruk, Benghazi, etc. In one of the operations he emptied his explosive charges on an enemy base and was awarded the prestigious DFM Medal of Honor. On 27 Tamuz, August 30, 1943, he set out to attack enemy bases along the western shores of Greece. As the squadron commander he first went into attack but the bombs did not explode and other pilots saw his plane go up in flames, crash and fall into the water. For seven years he was missing. With the establishment of the State of Israel, his parents were allowed to come to Greece and after four weeks of tracing their son, he was found with the help of a diary of the Greek underground of the war and with the help of a boy who was present when the Italians buried the body after stripping it of its uniform. In 1950, Amichai was buried among the victims of the World War and the War of Independence in the Hadera cemetery.
