Gissner, Arthur

Son of Yeshayahu. He fell in battle during a search operation in the vicinity of Dweima in the Negev, on 21.4.1949. Towards the end of the War of Independence, a movement of Arab villagers who fled from the Negev to the Mount Hebron area began. In order to block the movement of the infiltrators into the territory of the State of Israel, on the night of April 20, 1949, soldiers from the 8th Battalion (the “Southern Negev”) of the 12th Brigade (“the Negev”) were deployed on a hill overlooking the village of Idina Amazia region). The platoon was based on an ambush and prevented the infiltrators from moving westward towards our territory. Following the shooting, the location of the platoon was discovered, and a large Arab force that left the village of Idna attacked our forces. As the attack intensified, the platoon commander decided to withdraw, having exhausted all ammunition and most of the fighters, including himself, had been hit. Of the three classes, only two managed to withdraw safely. The third class was captured by enemy fire, and only a few of its members succeeded in returning to our forces. Twelve people were killed. The next day our forces returned to the area and took over. Nine of the soldiers killed were found. Shortly after the incident, the Red Cross returned two or three more casualties through the Jerusalem border crossing. Two bodies were identified and buried near their nine friends. Next to the eleven graves there is another tomb of an unknown army. Private Arthur Giesner, who took part in the Duweima operation, is still missing, and is considered a space whose burial place is unknown. This fallen hero is a “maklan” – a hero whose burial place is unknown.