The fledgling
Israel Air Force (IAF) of 1948 was unique in the annals of modern history in that it was born in battle, and that most of its aircrew and technical personnel were overseas volunteers -- Machal -- rather than Israeli. The reason for this unprecedented anomaly, the Israelis a minority in their own Air Force, was that Britain, ruler of Palestine prior to May 15, 1948, did not accept Palestinian Jews for RAF aircrew training until 1943 - almost four years into
World War II, and then only grudgingly. As a result, fewer than 25 had qualified as RAF pilots by the time the war ended, and only a few had acquired other aircrew trades.
There were overseas volunteers involved, albeit not many, as early as November 1947, when the
Haganah set up its Sherut Avir (Air Service). Their numbers had increased considerably by May 15, 1948, when the State of Israel was proclaimed and Sherut Avir became the IAF.
Most of the
IAF's fliers over the entire
War of Independence period, some 70 percent, were overseas volunteers from 15 different countries. They served with distinction as pilots, navigators, radio operators, bombardiers, air gunners, aerial photographers, and bomb-chuckers, without rank or uniform. Of the 205 WW2 pilots in the IAF over the same period, 181 were Machal.