Identity
Person No.
2192
Old ROH no.
34802
Service No.
28077
Last Name
First Name
Arthur
Initials
A
Date of Birth
Unknown
Est. Birth Year
Age at Death
26
Death Record
Date of Death
Cause code
KIA 14,780
Killed in action
Cause of Death
Killed in action. In the North Italian village of Carpane on 27 September 1944 the Germans executed 16 Allied soldiers captured fighting with Italian partisans in that area. Escaped with other South Africans from a nearby POW camp and joined up with local partisans to carry on fighting the Germans. They became such a thorn in the flesh of the Germans that a special operation was mounted in the Monte Grappa region to capture them. They were eventually captured and murdered by the Germans. Every year on this day since the end of the war the villagers of Carpane have held a memorial service at this spot by the side of the road where they were killed. For many years the identity of the 16 was not known and the monument was simply inscribed to "16 unknown". It was only about 4 or 5 years ago that their identity was uncovered by Sonia Residori, an Italian academic researcher
Military Service
Location
Country
Locality
Unknown
Cemetery
Grave Reference
Coordinates
Unit History
Role at time of death
Infantry
Status
Active Citizen Force (Reserve)
Part of
Originated 1905 as the Transvaal Cycle Corps; became 11th Infantry (Rand Light Infantry) and transferred to the Active Citizen Force in 1913; renamed Rand Light Infantry 1932. Merged with Duke of Edinburgh's Own Rifles 1942-45 (WWII), re-established as a reserve unit post-war, serving in the Border War.
Notes
Son of Arthur Johannes Benjamin Botes and Martha Elizabeth Gray (formerly Botes). Born Jeppestown, Johannesburg. A drill sharpener. Also known as Anton Botes.
Citations
Unknown
External References
Stories 2
28077 Pte. A Botes, died 26th September 1944, killed while fighting with partisans. Buried in the Padua War cemetery.
Pte A Botes was a member of 10 Platoon RLI First Battalion under Lt A, Crewe, which formed part of the First SA Division rearguard covering the withdrawal of First SA Division. He was captured with the rest of his platoon at Tobruk on 16 June 1942. In Italy he escaped from his POW camp together with several other South Africans and joined the partisans. They caused so much trouble for the Germans that a massive manhunt was mounted to track them down, resulting in the massacre of some 200 partisans, civilians and allied soldiers at Carpane (Bassano del Grappa). Pte Botes was killed on 26 or 27 September 1944. The Germans removed all identification from the murdered Allied soldiers and attempted to destroy their remains, but the identities of twelve South Africans, two Britons and one Indian have been established through the efforts of an Italian researcher, Sonia Residori, who has written a book about the massacre called "Il Massacro del Grappa". Pte Botes is buried at Padua and his name appears with the others on a memorial recently erected by the citizens of Carpane. Previously there was a memorial simply inscribed "18 unknown".
Dedications
No dedications have been added yet.