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"To Gibli, During Your Absence". Album with 44 photos of Unit 101. The album was prepared for Yitzhak Gibli by Ran Zur. Israel, 1954.
Yitzhak Gibli (1930-2008) joined the Palmach at the age of 17 and fought in the War of Independence. After serving in the IDF as Rehavam Ze'evi's driver, he joined Unit 101 in its early days, in 1953. During an IDF retaliation operation in Jordan on June 28, 1954, Gibli was seriously injured by gunfire shot by the Jordanian Legion. While injured, Gibli insisted that his friends leave him and rescue themselves, a decision which led to his captivity. While Gibli was held captive, his friends worked tirelessly to release him and organized operations aimed at abducting Jordanian soldiers to be exchanged for Gibli. These operations were called "GI"L operations" (Gibli Yitzhak Lehofesh, "Free Gibli Yitzhak"; in time Gibli's son was named Gil). After his release, Gibli was decorated with a medal for distinguished service for his conduct during action and in captivity.
This album was prepared by his friend from Unit 101, Ran Zur, with photos of operations and recreational activities that took place while Gibli was in captivity (photos from 1953 also appear in the album).
The album contains photos portraying the unit in training, patrols or after returning from action: on a command car prior to a retaliation operation (1954), a small group commanded by Meir Har-Zion returning from a patrol (winter 1953), preparations for a patrol on camel back on the Egyptian border; "return from an attack"; "in the base"; "landing course"; Meir Har-Zion and his house in "Ahuzat Shoshana" on "Har HaRuchot", and more.
Photos of the Unit's fighters, in action and during off-time, including: Meir Har-Zion, Eitan Bentov (Nevet), Yonah Bendman, Guy Kochva, Yishai Zimermann, Shmuel Umany, Irmi Bradnov, Shimon Kahner (Kacha), Jacki Lind, Ze'ev Slutzky, and others. Enclosed are six additional photos, including two of Rehavam Ze'evi (ca. 1950).
Average size: 9X6 cm, album: 17X23 cm. Several photos are missing. A metal relief (of a farmer) is inlaid in the album's binding. Overall good condition. Slight defects to album binding. Tears to tissue guards (one is detached).