Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

Shaen Adey and Fiona McIntosh cite: "Three kilometres north of the village of Bambous, in the shadow of the Corps de Garde Mountain, is the St. Martin Cemetery, where 127 identical tombstones mark the graves of some of the Jewish refugees from Eastern Europe who were refused entry to Palestine by the British in 1940. They were shipped to Mauritius, but conditins were so poor in the refugee camp where they were retained until the end of the war that many perished."

128 Maapilim died in the Camp at Beau Bassin, 54 of them during the first year, and they were laid to rest in the Jewish section of the St. Martin Cemetery, about one-mile distant from the camp.
Before leaving the island, the Maapilim placed the cemetery under the protection of their good friend, the Anglican Bishop of Mauritius, who had the cemetery cleared of weeds.

In 1958, the St. Martin's cemetery was restored, thanks to a subsidy of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies and a few individuals, among them the French Maurtians Pierre de Comarmond and J. Demarais.

On April 26,1999, under the leadership of Rabbi Moshe Silberhalft, the Congress, along with 50 former refugees, restored and consecrated the cemetery.
In May, 2001, another special ceremony was held by the South African Jewish community to unveil 66 graves.