Beuharnois – Josiah Wedgwood
"Josiah Wedgwood" sailed from a port north-west of Savona on June 19th 1946, with 1,257 immigrants on board.
The "Josiah Wedgwood" Haapala ship (named after a British Parliament member who was an avid supporter of Zionism and died in 1946) was prepared to depart for Israel in Savona port, Italy by Yehuda Arazi, the Palyam members on site and the team of escorts. The ship had previously escorted the Canadian navy convoys in the Atlantic Ocean during WWII. The captains of the ship were Garry (a Jewish-American) and Flake (an American.) The "Josiah Wedgwood" commander was Palyam member Dov (Berchik) Magen. The 'Gidonim' were Moshe Yerushalmi and Milton Miller. Additional escorts were Palyam members Yisrael Averbuch, Bob Strasberg (Binyamin Nativ), Zvi Kazhenelson, Shalom Schwartz and the Jewish-American Arieh Klumeitsek. The ship crew included some volunteer and some paid Jews from Canada and the U.S.
"Josiah Wedgwood" sailed from a port north-west of Savona on June 19th 1946, with 1,257 immigrants on board. The British had gotten word of the preparations for the voyage and summoned the Savona police to prevent the ship's departure. Yehuda Arazi, in charge of Haapala in Italy at that time, caused a scandal with the help of the famous American journalist, Y.P. Stone, who was going to join the voyage. With the help of the riot that took place in the port, the ship slipped away on its mission.
The British, who know of the ship's departure, spotted it at sea on June 25th. Four destroyers surrounded "Josiah Wedgwood" and followed it to Haifa port. The attempt to download a boat with 25 immigrants off the ship near Kiryat Chayim failed, due to British fire that was aimed at them "Josiah Wedgwood" ran out of fuel a short distance away from the shore, and was towed by the British to Haifa port on June 27th.
Its immigrants were taken to the Atlit detention camp and were released two weeks later. The escorts slipped away while the immigrants were unloaded at Haifa port.
"Josiah Wedgwood" sailed from a port north-west of Savona on June 19th 1946, with 1,257 immigrants on board. The British had gotten word of the preparations for the voyage and summoned the Savona police to prevent the ship's departure. Yehuda Arazi, in charge of Haapala in Italy at that time, caused a scandal with the help of the famous American journalist, Y.P. Stone, who was going to join the voyage. With the help of the riot that took place in the port, the ship slipped away on its mission.
The British, who know of the ship's departure, spotted it at sea on June 25th. Four destroyers surrounded "Josiah Wedgwood" and followed it to Haifa port. The attempt to download a boat with 25 immigrants off the ship near Kiryat Chayim failed, due to British fire that was aimed at them "Josiah Wedgwood" ran out of fuel a short distance away from the shore, and was towed by the British to Haifa port on June 27th.
Its immigrants were taken to the Atlit detention camp and were released two weeks later. The escorts slipped away while the immigrants were unloaded at Haifa port.