British and Greek naval units were today thrown into the air-sea mercy mission to aid 800 visaless Jewish immigrants shipwrecked Saturday on the two-and-a-half mile long island of Sirini, 50 miles from Rhodes in the Dodecanese group. Three large Royal Air Force Lancaster bombers returned to Lydda airport today and announced that they had been “completely successful” in dropping five tons of relief supplies to the castaways.
The four-motored aircraft which were assigned to the rescue mission by the Palestine Government at the request of the Jewish Agency, were loaded to capacity with food, blankets, clothes and medical supplies. In addition, a Jewish Agency transport also loaded with supplies and carrying a party of Jewish doctors and nurses will take off for Rhodes tomorrow where they will continue their journey by sea. The terrain on the island makes it impossible for planes to land.
In addition to the British destroyer Chevron which is speeding to Rhodes followed by a supply-laden British minesweeper, the Greek navy has dispatched two destroyers and a landing ship to Sirini. One destroyer is due to arrive there tomorrow morning. The Hadassah is reported to have charted a small vessel and is adding more relief supplies for a trip to Sirini. The vessel will have to wait for the heavy seas caused by a storm now lashing the eastern Mediterranean to subside before it can head for the Dodecanese.
(In London a spokesman for the Jewish Agency revealed that a plan to drop a Jewish parachutist on the island to establish radio contact between the immigrants and the Jewish Agency has been abandoned because the island is very rocky and it would be too dangerous for a parachutist to attempt to land.)
It was revealed here today that the 800 refugees left a Greek port six days ago in a small overcrowded vessel and were caught in a terrific storm in the Aegean Sea Saturday. With their ship in immediate danger of sinking, the passengers took to life boats and rafts and reached land after a harrowing, exhausting effort, losing eight persons. They found Sirini inhabited by only a few Greek families which did not have sufficient supplies to replace their clothing torn and lost during the shipwreck and medical equipment to care for the numerous injured men, women and children.
Reports that the Palestine Government intends to send the 800 castaways to Cyprus when they are rescued have not yet been confirmed. Informed circles point out that the transfer is legally possible since the visaless immigrants are in an area which is still under British military control.
Meanwhile, the government press officer, Richard Stubbs, pointed out at a press conference in Tel Aviv that while the government will continue its efforts to halt the “illegal” entrance of refugees to Palestine, and while it has warned prospective immigrants of the dangers of the voyage particularly in winter, it will, nevertheless, for humanitarian reasons, do its utmost to relieve the plight of the 800 shipwrecked Jews
Stubbs also revealed that 1,356 Arabs and 97 Jews were arrested this year while attempting to cross the borders of Palestine and that 9,167 visaless Jewish immigrants have been intercepted en route to this country.
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