WW2 CASUALTIES IN ITALY - THE MARAIS BROTHERS - JULY 1944

THE MARAIS BROTHERS

KILLED DURING THE WW2 ITALIAN CAMPAIGN

WITHIN 14 DAYS OF EACH OTHER IN JULY 1944

Few incidents illustrate the sadness of war as much as a family losing two young sons, in a foreign country thousands of miles from home, within weeks of each other.

F.M.J. MARAIS & P.J. MARAIS

The pair of Memorial "Death" plaques.

(Awarded to next-of-kin of casualties by the Union Defence Force)

FRANCOIS MARTHINUS JOHANNES MARAIS

29/8/1920 - 28/7/1944 (Age 23)

 

He attested with the Kimberley Regiment in 1940.

Was killed in action 28/7/1944 whilst serving with the combined Imperial Light Horse & Kimberley Regiments attached to the 6th South African Armoured Division and General Mark Clark's U.S. 5th Army.

The summer of July 1944 saw the allies final push for Florence.

Marais was K.I.A. during the assault on San Caciano, north-west of Mercatale, whilst driving the enemy back across the Greve River.

The dreaded "Killed in Action" entry on his medal index card

Scroll details on his Memorial plaque.

F.M.J. MARAIS lies buried in the Florence War Cemetery.

The site for the war cemetery was selected in November 1944 for burials from the hospitals established in and around Florence but the greater part of those buried here lost their lives in the fighting in this area from July to September 1944.

Florence War Cemetery now contains 1,632 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War.

His medal group awarded to him posthumously.

1939/45 Star, Africa Star, Italy Star, Defence Medal,

1939/45 War Medal & silver Africa Service Medal.

(All six medals named to: 20488 F.M.J. MARAIS)

Naming on the reverse of the Campaign Stars.

Two weeks prior to F.M.J. Marais's demise his younger brother P.J. Marais was killed in a "battle accident" on 12 July 1944.

PETRUS JOHANNES MARAIS

8/11/1924 - 12/7/1944 (Age 19)

His medal card bears an entry which shows his age as 16 when he attested with the Regiment De La Rey. In 1942 he was transferred Kimberley Regiment thereafter in 1943 to the Cape Town Highlanders.

At the time of his death he was, like his older brother, attached to the 6th S.A.A.D - 

P.J. MARAIS was wearing the insignia of the combined First City & Cape Town Highlanders Regiments.

KILLED IN BATTLE ACCIDENT

Scroll details on his Memorial plaque.

P.J. MARAIS lies buried in the FOIANO DELLA CHIANA WAR CEMETERY.

Most of the burials in the cemetery date from the first two weeks of July 1944. Foiano della Chiana War Cemetery contains 256 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War.

His medal group awarded to him posthumously.

1939/45 Star, Italy Star, Defence Medal,

1939/45 War Medal & silver Africa Service Medal.

(All five medals named to: 152604 P.J. MARAIS)

Naming on the reverse of the Campaign Stars.

The two sons of Mr. & Mrs W.M. Marais of Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa

Lay buried in the soil of ITALY.