Telegraf world exclusive: Never before published photo of Tito in breakneck transition from "Galeb" to "Split"

Josip Broz transits from "Galeb" to "Split"; Photo: Private archive

The life, and especially the travels of Josip "Tito" Broz, one of the best known historical figures, are nevertheless not well known to the public.

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As one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the host of its first conference, which was about to be held in 1961 in the SFRJ capital, Belgrade, Josip Broz set out on the ship "Galeb" on a 72-day trip around Africa, to prepare the ground for the organization that was supposed to counterbalance the Cold War ongoing between great powers.

Months before Tito's most expensive trip, extensive and detailed preparations were made. "Comrade marshall" as he was known (Broz also held the title of "marshall") decided to travel aboard the popular Yugoslav Navy vessel.

On the trip around Africa, "Galeb" ("Seagull") was accompanied by destroyers "Split", "Kotor" and "Pula" and the cargo ship "Lovcen" (all named after towns and a mountain in SFRJ) with a crew of a total of 1,500 sailors, officers and other staff, and air support provided by several aircraft. It was the most expensive and longest trip in the history of Broz's "paths of peace," which were carefully planned in utmost secrecy and under countless code "top secret" codes stamped on documents.

Everything that needed to be known about this journey (and there was a lot), was first learned and written down in his diary by General Milan Zezelj, a longtime personal adjutant to Josip Broz. General Zezelj was a caring and uncompromising guardian of Marshal Tito and of everything left behind the lifelong president of the SFRJ, including facts related to this particular trip.

And precisely during it, comrade marshall decided to do something outside all plans and protocols.

The testimony of this "mischief" perpetrated by Tito was recorded in the pages of Zezelj's diary, turned into the book, "The Seagull of Peace and Discord" (Serbian: "Galeb mira i razdora").

Photo: Private archive

Namely, Tito would often go out on the "Galeb" deck to talk with his associates and the ship's staff.

And that's how he found out that a friend from the Merchant Navy would transfer from "Split" to "Galeb" in order to bring mail and newspapers.

Broz then swiftly came up with the idea to himself go over to the destroyer that was escorting "Galeb." But he did not want to do that by boat, instead he ordered that he be taken to "Split" - in a basket suspended over water!

The president's associates responded to the idea frantically, imagining all the scenarios that could play out as he is hanging over the Atlantic Ocean in a basket.

However, what was said had to be done.

You can see what it looked like in the photo that was kindly given to us by the author of the book, "The Seagull of Peace and Discord," Broz's personal friend General Milan Zezelj, the guardian of all his secret and public appearances, including this instance of dangerous and unprecedented acrobatics!

(Telegraf.rs)