Haapalah / Aliyah Bet

In 1920, 10 year-old, Shmarya Zameret, visited Palestine with his father.a Zionist activist who escaped from Russia to the United States, after the 1905 revolution, and dreamed all is life to immigrate to Palestine.

From 1941-1945, Shmarya Zameret worked undercover for Mossad leAliyah Bet, travelling under the pseudonym Mr. Grey, with an American passport that gave him entry to European countries.

In 1945, Shmarya Zameret was sent to Italy, by Mossad leAliyah Bet as a cultural sergeant in the Jewish Brigade.
He escaped to Milano, when the British uncovered his disguise.
From 1945 to 1948, Shmarya Zameret served as commander of Marseille station.

Shmarya Zameret, working in Paris, received the order to organize the immigration of 300 Halutzim from Holland, 150 from Belgium, and another hundred from France.
He traveled under the pseudonym of Mr. Grey, with an American passport, giving him entry to European countries.
He went to Copenhagen to arrange to acquire a boat.
Shmarya Zameret chose Dora דורה, a relatively small but very strong and stable vessel.
With the helpof Greek sailors, brothers Pierre and Kosta
Arteshides Atychide, he acquired the boat, which would sail under Panamanian flag.

Shmarya Zameret had to assure the Dutch Government several times that the Haluzim would really leave Holland, since they had to delay the trip several times.
Shmarya Zameret cites: "I spoke to a high-level Dutch civil servant who said that he wasn't interested in the plans of the Hagannah, and that the only concern of the government was that the boat would disappear with the refugees as soon as possible."
In a secret letter to the Justice mMnistry, dated July 22, 1939, The government representative for refugees, Mr. B.G.A. Smeets, accused the Jewish Committee of irresponsible behavior. "What I understand makes me ask if the government shouldn't have just stopped the boat from leaving. It was too crowed. Refugees are sleeping under sails on the upper deck, on straw. One storm and they will be gone. There isn't enough safety equipment, four little boats for 20 people each. In Amsterdam the boat was already overloaded, and in Antwerp another 100 refugees were added. The shipping inspection and the camp leader of the Lloyd Hotel can hopefully give more information. You should realize that illegal immigration with ships has already been causing much trouble everywhere. Ships that aren't allowed into harbors, that are at sea for months, that have the plague on board - for example the odyssey with the St Louis - which was actually a comfortable ship, while the Dora...."

When Dora דורה sailed from Copenhagen, Kosta Arteshides Atychide and Shmarya Zameret took the train to Antwerpen to meet the Greek crew that would replace the Danish crew, to hire more sailors and to acquire more lifeboats.

In May, 1940, Shmarya Zameret, working in Greece with Moshe Agami, for Mossad leAliyah Bet, and travelling on a US passport, found Sofia S in Piraeus Πειραιάς, and acquired the boat for $40,000, with help from the Joint Distribution Committee.
He registered her in his name, as an American citizen, and changed her name to Darien, and then prepared her for taking passengers, adding bunks in the storage, and latrines at bow and stern.
When Italy entered the War, Eliyahu Golomb ordered a stop to the preparations, and the milritary leaders discussed selling Darien to the British, with the hope that sharing inyelligence would be advantageous, and hopefully ease the British blockage of Palestine.
The Jewish Agency agreed to turn her over to the British, but Mossad leAliyah Bet agents in Istanbul refused the orders.

Shmarya Zameret died in a work accident at the olive factory.