The Naval Blockade of Palestine

[SCRG1970]

The Palestine blockade was a very distasteful task that the RN had to carry out.
These photos taken from HMS LEANDER and an unknown destroyer show how desperate the refugees were to enter the new state of Israel. Apparently the boarding parties were subject to a lot of abuse.The photos were taken off Haifa in 1947.

Regards

Gerry

[jainso31]

This is a particularly vexed question-the Royal Naval crews say they were abused;the Jewish passengers aboard the ships trying to get into Israel, say the Brits treatment of them was brutal.Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in between.

jainso31

[nigelweysom]

Gerry thanks for posting these pictures, they capture forever an important part of world history and deserve to be in this Forum for all to see
Nigel

[Old Salt]

i once sailed with someone who was there as a very young sailor. He said he was armed with a rifle and had orders to shoot anyone trying to get past. He described a little about the desperate state these people were in, and had made up his mind to disobey orders. He would not shoot civilians, especially children. In the event the situation did not arise.

What an unenviable position for a young man to be in.

[jainso31]

I have been reading up on this subject to see why there is so little information about this invdious action by the Royal Navy. Mulling over what I have read, I can see what an unenviable task this was for crews of the RN ships enforcing the blockade.The amount of mudslinging and worse left the UK and it's navy viritually "without a name".The ending of the Mandate was
a blessing in disguise.

jainso31

[Rob Hoole]

The attached photo shows Lt Cdr (later Cdr) Lionel 'Buster' Crabb OBE GM RNVR - front and centre - with other naval divers at Haifa in Palestine in 1947. For the full story and more pictures, see the entry for 23 Oct 08 in 'News Archive 24 (http://www.mcdoa.org.uk/News_Archives_Frames.htm)' of the MCDOA website.

[jainso31]

A clearly impressive amount of information-including the Buster Crabb story, for which many thanks Rob. A bit like working underground -a "dangerous trade"-well- one in which you follow the rules to the letter; or the devil take the hindermost!