Sid Cohen was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. At the outbreak of World War II, he was a medical student. He left his studies and enlisted in the South African Air Force (SAAF). In early 1942, he was sent to North Africa, where he flew Kittyhawks as part of the 4th Squadron.
Shortly thereafter, his unit was re-equipped with Spitfires. He was then assigned to the 11th Squadron, which was deploying to Italy. During his service with the SAAF, Sid Cohen rose to the rank of Captain.
Service in Israel’s War of Independence
In the spring of 1948, Sid was among the pilots recruited by Boris Senior in South Africa for the war in Israel. He arrived in the Promised Land in late June, as a passenger aboard one of the Dakotas purchased by Senior. However, just a few days later, he was sent to Czechoslovakia for retraining on the C-199 fighter aircraft.
Despite only a few days of training, his rich military experience allowed him to quickly fly with the 101st Squadron. His first combat sortie took place on July 12, alongside Les Shagam, covering Mishmar Hayarden. While patrolling, Cohen decided to test his onboard weapons, and one of the bullets struck his own propeller—a common C-199 malfunction caused by compacted gunpowder in the German-made ammunition sold by the Czechs.
In mid-September, Cohen was shot down by Arab artillery fire over the Mediterranean Sea and had to parachute out again. He also participated in Operation Velveta 1, which involved ferrying Czechoslovak Spitfires to Israel on September 24, 1948.
A Life After the War
After the war concluded, Sid Cohen returned to South Africa to complete his medical education. He subsequently emigrated to Israel and joined the medical department of the Israeli Air Force. He retired from service in 2000, but continues to work as a consultant.