Phillip Ozinsky

Phillip Ozinsky (24 March 1923 Vilnius Lithuania - 23 June 1997 Herzliya Israel) was the son of Zalman Ber Ozinsky (1892-1966) and Rachiel Ozinsky born Gurwicz (1898-1978) of Cape Town. His father emigrated to South Africa in 1926 and his mother, he and his 2 brothers followed in 1928. The family settled in Cape Town. He qualified as a civil engineer. 

During World War Two, he and his younger brother Julian Ozinsky (1924-2009) served in the Union Defence Force. Phillip served in the South African Engineering Corps. 

After the war he worked for the Cape Town City Engineers Department. 

In 1948, during the War of Independence, he volunteered with Machal. He, Ezra Sakinofsky (1920-2014) and Bernard Friedland (1923-1989), all ex-servicemen, were members of the Roads and Drainage branch of the Cape Town City Engineers Department. Other Capetonians in their group who volunteered with Machal included Hymie Kurgan (1924-2016), also an ex-sapper. Phillip served in the Engineering Corps. He recalled 'We were attached to the Alexandroni Brigade for food rations and told we had a month in which to train the unit. This we did in the best military fashion. Probably for the first time in Israel, there was morning parade and inspections, and we kept the men busy all day'. He returned to South Africa. He married Rebecca Gootman on the 28 May 1950 in Cape Town. He and his wife subsequently emigrated to Israel. 

Source: South Africa's 800. The Story of South African Volunteers in Israel's War of Birth. Henry Katzew 1998 Julian Ozinsky https://www.jwmww2.org/soldier.aspx?id=36832 https://www.geni.com/people/Phillip-Ozinsky/6000000009149414831?through=6000000009149414834.