IDF: Grave of fallen soldier from 1948 found in Haifa; he was shot by guards at Cyprus detention camp
The IDF Spokesperson announced that after an intensive investigation by the Casualty Identification Unit and the Military Rabbinate, the burial place of Shlomo Chaimson was found in Haifa. Chaimson, born in 1930 in Romania, fell in 1948 from gunfire by guards at the Karaolos detention camp in Cyprus during an escape attempt. His remains were brought to Israel in 1970 and buried in Haifa, but were not identified until now.
The IDF Spokesperson announced this morning (Wednesday) that after an intensive investigation by the Casualty Identification Unit in the Casualty Division and the Military Rabbinate, the burial place of the late Shlomo Chaimson was found in Haifa. Chaimson fell from gunfire by guards at the Karaolos detention camp in Cyprus during an escape attempt on the night between September 29 and 30, 1948. His family stated: "We are deeply moved, satisfied, and forever grateful for the unwavering dedication, meticulous efforts, and sensitivity shown by every professional and researcher involved in this noble mission." Chaimson was born in 1930 in Romania. After World War II, in which he lost his father, he decided to immigrate to Israel with his mother Ita and his girlfriend Perla on the immigrant ship "Pan York - Kibbutz Galuyot." The ship was captured by British Mandate soldiers, and its passengers were deported to Cyprus. In the detention camp, Chaimson enlisted in the "Shurot HaMeginim" (Defenders' Rows) that operated under the auspices of the Haganah, and within them trained to become a fighter in the IDF upon his arrival in Israel. With the establishment of the state, Chaimson's mother and girlfriend were released and immigrated to Israel as part of a group destined to establish Kibbutz Magen in the western Negev. In September 1948, Chaimson learned that his daughter Miriam was born, and he decided to escape the camp and immigrate to Israel. On the night between September 29 and 30, Chaimson joined eight of his friends. They broke through the camp fences and tried to flee, but were discovered by camp guards who shot at them. Chaimson fell from the guards' fire, and his friends were caught and returned to the camp. The next day, Chaimson was brought for burial in the Jewish cemetery in the town of Margo, which served the town's Jewish residents and later also the deceased among the activists. The tombstone placed on his grave bore no inscription, due to the camp members' lack of familiarity with Chaimson.