Eskarov, Shimon (Mento)

Son of Luba and Hillel. He was born in the city of Tiflis in southern Russia on December 2, 1920. As a child, the family moved to Istanbul, Turkey, and in 1932 immigrated to Eretz Israel. Shimon graduated from Bialik Elementary School in Tel Aviv and continued his evening studies as part of the “HaNoar HaOved” courses. He worked as a car mechanic in the garage of the “Ichud-Regev” transportation company in Petach Tikvah and also worked in sports, boxing and swimming. He was a handsome young man who loved life and people. During the 1936-1939 riots he enlisted in the Nutras as a driver of a car to discover mines on the roads, and this role was fulfilled with dedication and courage. In 1939 he enlisted in the British Army and was assigned to the Transportation Corps, the Hebrew Unit 462. He first served in Haifa and was later transferred to Egypt, where he participated in the Battle of El Alamein. During his army service he participated in sports competitions, mainly boxing, and won several victories. On May 27, 1943, he was among the 140 Jewish soldiers who were members of his unit who drowned together with the ship “Arinapura”, which was bombed by German planes on its way from Alexandria to Malta. In the military cemetery on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, a ship-shaped monument was erected in memory of the fallen, and next to it is a water pool with the names of those missing in the background. This fallen hero is a “maklan” – a hero whose burial place is unknown.