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Son of Hermanus Johannes Botes and Mary Magdalene Gibson (formerly Botes)(nee Gibson). Born in Shongweni, Natal. A student. He was unmarried. Attested into the Union Defense Force on 11 May 1943 as a Trooper with the S.A.A.C.D. He was later transferred to the Royal Natal Carbineers and arrived in the Suez on 1st October 1943 to form part of the 6th SA Armoured Division. After many months of campaigning, Botes eventually found himself in Italy, caught up in a life and death struggle on the slopes of Monte Stanco. After having fought so hard to capture this vital objective, the Carbineers had to face fanatical German resistance in the form of I and III Battalions of the 36th SS Panzer Grenadiers. This battle raged back and forth with the Carbineers outnumbered and outgunned, bravely fighting on in an attempt to hold at all costs. Eventually and inevitably, this highly regarded Natal Regiment, was forced from the mountain slopes and peaks. During this fiercely contested mountain dual, Herman Botes, aged 21, was one of 10 Carbineers to lose their life during the SS onslaught. |
