Cecil Abraham Botibol was born in 1917, the son of Leslie David Botibol (1889-1977) and Dora Botibol née Gartman (1894-1977). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1917 in the Hampstead Registration District, London.
In the 1921 census he was shown as aged 3 years and 10 months and living at 10 Melrose Avenue, Willesden, Middlesex (now Greater London), with his parents and his sister Valerie Rachel Botibol (1915-1976), together with a children's nurse. His father was described as an artificial flower manufacturer employing workers at 50 Fann Street, London, EC1.
Having served in the Honourable Artillery Company, on as a Second Lieutenant in the Leicestershire Regiment, service number 105270).
He was killed in action, aged 22 years, on 28 May 1940 during the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from France. His body was in the Malo-les-Bains Communal Cemetery, Rue de Roubaix, 59240 Dunkerque, France.
From the we learn that 'on the 26 May 1940 the battalion was fighting in and around Carvin, France, parts of the battalion were withdrawing from the village when a shell burst within a few yards of Second Lieutenant Botibol severely wounding him in the stomach. An ambulance was just a short distance away and reached him within 2 to 3 minutes. He was taken away and seen around an hour later passing through Brigade HQ and was not seen or heard of again for around 2 months. It was hoped by his comrades that he had been taken prisoner and was now alive and well in a PoW camp. Eventually news arrived via a French Officer that Second Lieutenant Botibol was taken to a French hospital just outside Dunkirk (I think it may have been at Zuydcoote). Sadly he had died of his wounds 2 days later on 28th May 1940'.
He is shown as 'CECIL ABRAHAM BOTIBOL' on both the Bevis Marks Synagogue war memorial, Bevis Marks, London, EC3 and on the Lauderdale Road Synagogue, 2 Ashworth Road, London, W9 1JY and as 'CECIL BOTIBOL' on the , 6 Lansdowne Road, Hove, BN3 1FF. He is also commemorated on the .
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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