Asia – Tel-Hai
The ship sailed on its mission from a port near Marseille on March 17th 1946; it was the first ship to depart from a French port in service of the Haapala endeavor. It carried 736 immigrants on board.
The "Tel-Hai" Haapala ship (named after the Jewish settlement in the Upper Galilee, whose defense chapter in 1920 became the learning material of generations of Hagana and Palmach members) prepared to depart for Israel in Marseille port in France, by Hanan Geismar and Joe Bahrelia. The captain of the ship was Ahmed Igma (a Turk.) The ship commander was Palyam member Yisrael Rotem. The 'Gidoni' was Yoash (Chato) Zidon. An additional escort was Chaim Miller, Brigade soldier and member of the Palmach German platoon.
"Tel-Hai" had previously served as a Turkish ship carrying produce and cattle in the Mediterranean. The ship sailed on its mission from a port near Marseille on March 17th 1946; it was the first ship to depart from a French port in service of the Haapala endeavor. It carried 736 immigrants on board.
It was spotted by the British on March 26th, and a British destroyer followed it to Haifa port. The immigrants were unloaded and taken to detention at Atlit camp. At first, the escorts intermingled with the immigrants; they entered their bus, escaped from it to the "Solel Boneh" offices in Haifa port, took some fake identification cards and used them to leave the area.
"Tel-Hai" had previously served as a Turkish ship carrying produce and cattle in the Mediterranean. The ship sailed on its mission from a port near Marseille on March 17th 1946; it was the first ship to depart from a French port in service of the Haapala endeavor. It carried 736 immigrants on board.
It was spotted by the British on March 26th, and a British destroyer followed it to Haifa port. The immigrants were unloaded and taken to detention at Atlit camp. At first, the escorts intermingled with the immigrants; they entered their bus, escaped from it to the "Solel Boneh" offices in Haifa port, took some fake identification cards and used them to leave the area.