Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

On August 13, 1946, the British began using the Cyprus Κύπρος Detention Camps.
Karaolos, near Famagusta Αμμόχωστος, included 5 camps, called summer camps, because the Maapilim were housed in army tents, and a few Nissen huts.
Dhekalia Δεκέλεια, near Larnaca Λάρνακα, included 7 camps, called winter camps, because housing consisted of tin Nissen huts, and a few tents.

On August 14, 1946, the British anchored HMT Empire Rival and HMS Empire Heywood in Famagusta Gazimağusa harbor, marking the beginning of the Jewish refugee camps in Cyprus Kıbrıs.
On August 22, 1946 a limpet mine was attached to her hull at Haifa חיפה, blowing a large hole in her side and beaching her.
Between August, 1946, and October, 1947, the first deportation period, the British created 12 camps.
The first was Camp 55, in Karaolos, and a few days later the British opened Camp 60, nearby.
Altogether, there were five camps: 55, 60, 61, 62 and Camp 63, in Karaolos, all built near the beach area during August and September, and designed to contain 2000 people each.
Between September, 1946, and March, 1947, the next group of camps 64, 65, 66, 67 and 68, was built, between Dhekelia Δεκέλειας and Xylotimbou., also designed for 2000 people each.
In March, 1947, two more camps were built in the Dhekelia Δεκέλειας, numbered 69 and 70.
Camp veterans cite the camps' layout as "surrounded by a double electric wire fence with spotlights and an observation point every 100 meters. British soldiers kept watch with Tommy guns with orders to shoot anyone who tried to escape."

On December 14, 1946, Rafi Tadmor was interned on Cyprus by the British for nearly 2 months

On the evening of February 9, 1947, LaNegev לנגב pulled by HMS Chieftain, entered Haifa חיפה, and the passengers were transferred to HMT Empire Haywood for interment on Cyprus Κύπρος.
Rafi Ben Zur cites: "When the passengers of the Lanegev arrived in Cyprus, in January, 1947, there were seven hundred internees already there. When we left, one year later, there were over thirty thousand, despite the monthly transfer of seven hundred and fifty to Palestine."

On March 8, 1947, an Royal Air Force plane sighted Ben Hecht בן הכט.
Jeno Berkovitz cites: "On March 8, everything changed. That afternoon, I happened to be stationed on deck, at the steering wheel. I still remember how good it felt – how the air smelled different as we got close to Eretz Yisrael. We were less than 10 miles from the coast of Tel Aviv, when three British destroyers approached and a British patrol plane circled overhead. I grabbed this flag, it had a big Jewish star on it, and hoisted it up the mast to show them that we were proud to be Jews fighting for our land.”
She was intercepted by Royal Navy destroyers, because armed resistance was expected, the British did not use minesweepers for the operation, just ten miles froms from the coast of Tel Aviv תל אביב.
At 12:15PM, HMS Chieftain joined HMS Chevron two hours later,
The British hailed Ben Hecht בן הכט in English and in German.
At 16:15PM, Ben Hecht בן הכט stopped, and sent her passengers below deck, while discussions took place.
At 17:30PM, HMS Chivalrous and frigate HMS St. Bride's Bay joined.
Ben Hecht בן הכט resumed, making 10 knots, towards Tel Aviv תל אביב.
When warned again, Ben Hecht בן הכט increased speed to 13 knots.
HMS Cheiftain came along side, and 32 officers and British soldiers wearing red berets, called ‘Red Devils’ boarded, and pushed Ben Hecht בן הכט round towards the west.
HMS Chevron boarded 30 more, while 20 soldiers from HMS Chivalrous boarded.
Jeno Berkovitz cites: "British soldiers wearing red berets – we called them 'red devils’'– jumped aboard. They shoved me aside and quickly took control of the ship. The crew and the passengers were brought to a detention camp in Cyprus. The DPs would end up staying there for more than a year, until after Israel’s creation in May 1948."
A photographer, from Life Magazine, was kicked while taking pictures of the boarding party coming aboard, and three British were killed and several injured in an effort capture passengers who plunged into the water.
At 05:33AM, Ben Hecht בן הכט was arrested when she reached teritorial waters.
HMS Octavia came along side, secured a line, and towed Ben Hecht בן הכט to Haifa חיפה.
The passengers were taken to a Detention Camp Number 66, in Cyprus Κύπρος, while the crew members were jailed at Akko Prison כלא עכו.
The British took the American crew members to the Akko Prison כלא עכו, where they were jailed alongside members of the ITzL אצ"ל and Lehi לח"י Stern Group, and announced they would deport the crew members to the United States.
Jeno Berkovitz cites: "To London’s dismay, the detention of the Ben Hecht crewmen became a lightning rod for criticism from Members of Congress, the American press and the US Jewish community. After holding the seamen for a month, the British decided they were more trouble than they were worth and put them on a ship bound for New York."
Meanwhile, the United States Attorney General announced he would not bring criminal charges against them.

On the morning of March 30, 1947, when Moledet מולדת's pumps stopped working, and the diesel engine died, Fabi Gaver sent out an SOS, and a British destroyer responded, and towed Moledet מולדת to Haifa חיפה.
HMS Haydon sent over a pump and a salvage party, along with the boarding party.
Within 80 minutes, the salvage crew had cleared the engine compartments of water, but Moledet continued to list, forcing partial evacuation.
HMS St. Brides Bay and HMS Octavia joined the operation, and 550 passengers were transferred to HMS Charity, and 265 passengers were transferred to HMS St. Brides Bay.
HMS Octavia took Moledet מולדת under tow.
Moledet מולדת, her crew and passengers were arrested in Haifa חיפה, and the British deported the passengers to Cyprus Kibris, on transport ships.

In May, 1947, the passengers of Theodor Herzl תיאודור הרצל were transported to Detention Camp No.55 at Karaolos Καράολος.

On May 25, 1947, the passengers of Mordei haGetaot מורדי הגטאות were transferred to HMT Runnymede Park, for transport to Detention Camp No.55 at Karaolos Καράολος.

On June 1, 1947, the Maapilim on Yehuda HaLevy הודה הלוי were transferred to HMT Ocean Vigour transfer ship, for transhipment them to Camp No.55 at Karaolos Καράολος.
The Palyam escorts intermingled with the passengers,and arrived in Cyprus with them.

On July 28, 1947, Shivat Zion was located by the RAF 38 Squadron, and intercepted by HMS Haydon, HMS Octavia, HMS Brissenden and HMS Espiegle.
The passengers of Shivat Zion were sent to Cyprus Kibris on the SS Empire Shelter and SS Empire Comfort.

On September 8, 1947, the passengers at Karaolos Internment Camp went on a hunger strike to protest against the non-satisfaction of their demands for increased numbers of transfers to Palestine.
Sporadic incidents took place, and attempts were made to burn down three main gates.
An extra military team was deployed to the camp, led by a Major.
The body of Shlomo Chaimson, who was shot the day before at Karaolos, was buried in the Jewish cemetery at Margo.

In December, 1948, lawyer Lawrence Weston appealed to the High Court for release of the prisoners held at Kessilotimbou (Xylotimbou) Detention Camp, on behalf of Mordechai Herling, who represented the 5,163 Maapilim.

Until February 10, 1949, when the last group of detainees left for Israel, 52,000 Maapilim passed through the Cyprus Κύπρος Kıbrıs Detention Camps, taken off 39 Haapalah boats.
2.200 children were born in the Detention Camps.

There were 134 deaths in the internment camps at Cyprus Κύπρος Kıbrıs.
The dead were buried with the British authorities' assistance in the only Jewish cemetery at Margo Μαργω, renamed Gaziler Πυρογι, halfway between Larnaka Λάρνακα and Nicosia Lefkoşa.
The Cemetery today is considered a military zone, out of bounds for civilians.
In 1969, the remains of the refugees from the internment camps, buried in the Jewish cemetery, were reinterred to Haifa חיפה's military cemetery, on initiative of TzaHaL IDF Chief Rabbi General Y. Goren.
In 2001 an Israeli writer, with permission from the Northern Cyprus Κύπρος authorities, documented the cemetery.