Burial site of fallen IDF soldier identified nearly 78 years after his death
Nearly 78 years after he was killed while attempting to escape a British detention camp in Cyprus, an IDF investigation has identified Shlomo Chaimson’s final resting place in Haifa
The Israel Defense Forces announced Wednesday that it has identified the burial site of Shlomo Chaimson, an IDF soldier whose final resting place had remained unknown for nearly eight decades.
An investigation by the IDF’s Missing Persons Investigation Department determined that Chaimson is buried in grave No. 11, row 2, in the Ma’apilim section of the Haifa cemetery.
Chaimson was killed on the night of September 29–30, 1948, after attempting to escape the Karaolos detention camp in Cyprus, where Jewish refugees and immigrants were being held by the British. He was shot by camp guards and subsequently buried in the Jewish cemetery in the town of Margo, Cyprus.
In 1970, the remains of those buried in the Margo cemetery were transferred to Israel. Many of them were buried in Haifa without identification, leaving Chaimson’s exact burial place unknown.
A lengthy investigation conducted by the Missing Persons Branch of the IDF Casualties Division and the Military Rabbinate, together with the Ministry of Defense and the Cyprus Immigrants Association, ultimately established Chaimson’s identity and burial location.
Chaimson was born in Romania in 1930. He lost his father during World War II and later decided to immigrate to what was then Mandatory Palestine with his mother, Ita, and his girlfriend, Perla. The three boarded the immigrant ship Pan York–Kibbutz Galuyot, but British forces intercepted the vessel and deported its passengers to Cyprus.
While in the detention camps, Chaimson joined the Shurot HaMeginim, a Haganah-affiliated organization that operated among the detainees. He trained with the group in preparation for joining the IDF after reaching Israel.
On the night of his attempted escape, Chaimson and eight other detainees broke through the camp fences. Guards discovered them and opened fire. Chaimson was killed, while the other escapees were captured and returned to the camp.
The following day, Chaimson was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Margo, which served the town’s Jewish community and later became a burial site for refugees who died in Cyprus. His grave was left without an inscription because those living in the camp did not know his identity well enough to identify him.
Chaimson’s family, who now live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were informed Tuesday night that the investigation had been completed and his burial place identified.
In a statement, the family expressed gratitude to those involved in the decades-long effort to locate his grave, saying the identification brought them a sense of peace and allowed the story of Chaimson’s life and his commitment to Israel to finally culminate in a known final resting place.