43. Parita
Departed Galatz, Romania 13-Jul-1939, arrived 23-Aug-1939
ex- Bute, ex- City of Cork, ex- Merrannio, built 1881, 939 gross tons, iron steamer.
850 passengers
Ship was converted at S�te, sailed as Bute on 26 Jun with 80 refugees already on board, renamed Parita. Embarked refugees at
Constanta, sailed on 13 Jul 1939 with 850 total refugees including 540 Betar members. Many Czech refugees were still in their army uniforms. Arriving off Cyprus, the rendezvous ship was not there. She turned back running out of food, water, and fuel. At a port in Turkey passengers on the cruise ship Marco Polo collected money to help the refugees. On August 9th she was at Izmir with engines disabled and without provisions. Conditions on board were indescribable and Turkish authorities quarantined the ship. The passengers ordered the captain to head for Palestine. On August 23rd they let the crew leave and ran the ship onto the beach at Tel Aviv. Hundreds of people came down with clothing and food. Eventually thousands gathered in the streets to cheer the refugees as they headed for the Sarafand internment camp. Some evaded arrest.
Photograph source: Haganah Archives
Parita