The son of Dr. Leo (a delegate to the Zionist Congress) and Johanna (Joanne, nee Hyman) Weiler, Raphael was born in Saarbrucken in the Saar region of Germany on 1st March 1924.
After completing high school, he participated in Jewish studies at a private school, and continued his higher education in hydraulic and electrical engineering at the National College of Aix in the Provence District; known to be the best polytechnic school in Europe.
When the German army reached unoccupied southern Vichy France and began to hound of the Jewish population, he escaped to Spain where he was imprisoned for eight months, but he managed to flee to Morocco.
In 1943 he was mobilized into the 2nd Armored Division of the Free French Army, stationed in England. He was amongst the first to land on the beaches of Normandy in the Allied invasion of Europe on 6th June 1944. His division took part in the capture of Paris and Strasbourg, continuing into the heart of Germany until Hitler was killed at Berchtesgaden.
On his discharge from the army, he continued his academic studies and qualified as a hydraulic engineer at the Polytechnic School of Grenoble, where mathematics was of special interest to him. With his qualifications he was offered employment as a hydroelectric engineer in Switzerland, but he declined the job as he was planning his move to Israel.
In July 1948 he contacted the Haganah recruiting officer in France, and on 1st August he arrived in Israel, reporting to the IDF. His army number was IDF No: 63898.
He began his service with examining and repairing IDF vehicles, and as a qualified engineer his contribution was of great value. He was finally granted his request to transfer into a fighting unit, and joined the French-speaking Commando Company of the 9th Battalion Palmach Hanegev with the rank of Lieutenant.
Taking part in the capture of Beersheva, Raphael Weiler was seriously wounded, and died the following day, on 22nd October 1948. He was buried at Kibbutz Dorot and on 4th May 1950 his body was re-interred and laid to rest at the Nachlat Yitzhak military cemetery.
Source: Translated from the Yizkor website by Joe Woolf