IDF Soldier Killed in Cyprus Detention Camp Identified After 78 Years

Shlomo Haimson’s story began as a Jewish refugee attempting to immigrate to Mandatory Palestine aboard a ship intercepted by the British and sent to a detention camp in Cyprus. Haimson, deported along with his mother and wife, escaped from Camp 55 in Kalochori after learning of his daughter Perli’s birth. During the escape attempt on the night of September 29-30, 1948, British guards shot and killed Haimson while arresting eight others. He was buried in a Jewish cemetery in Margo, Cyprus, where 164 refugees were interred, many of them infants or Holocaust survivors in poor health.

In 1970, following a visit by Golda Meir and her promise to recognize the detainees as citizens of the future State of Israel, the remains of the refugees were transferred to Israel and reburied in Haifa. Most graves were anonymous, including about 120 unknown individuals. A descendants’ association led by Amir Orgel, together with Lieutenant Colonel Y., head of a special investigation team in the IDF’s Missing Persons Unit, undertook a four-year effort to identify the unknown graves using fragmented rabbinical records, old cemetery maps, and artificial intelligence.

Their research pinpointed Haimson’s exact grave as number 52, matching the original burial site in Cyprus. The identification process was described as intense and immersive by Lt. Col. Y. A moving Zoom call marked the conclusion of the investigation, attended by representatives from the Ministry of Defense, the association, IDF personnel, and Haimson’s family, including his daughter Miriam and three grandchildren.

Shlomo Haimson is now officially recognized as a fallen IDF soldier nearly 78 years after his death. His identification brings closure to a long-standing chapter in the history of Jewish refugees detained in Cyprus during the British Mandate period and commemorates their sacrifice in the establishment of Israel.