Velkaverh Branimir

Branimir Velkaverh (Trbovlje, 2 December 1910 – Izola, 6 April 1990)

 

After graduating from the Secondary Modern School in Ljubljana, he attended the Naval Academy in Bakar from 1926 to 1931. In 1936, he acquired his Captain's licence. He sailed aboard different ships owned by the firm Jadranska plovidba with its seat at Sušak, but spent most time on board the ocean-going Predsednik Kopajtić. He sailed with her also in 1942, when she was sunk by a German U-boat in the mouth of the Orinoco River. Severely wounded, he spent several months recovering in Georgetown (British Guiana), where he eventually even married. From there he travelled to New York, then boarded a ship once more and sailed in convoys of merchant ships between the US and England. He soon became very active in the Progressive Sailors Club and in the South Slavs Committee. In 1944 he landed in New York, but was at the end of that year invited to London to work as Secretary General and Nautical Inspector of the Yugoslav Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs, Head of the Yugoslav Maritime Office and Naval Attaché at the London Embassy. He participated at various conferences as Yugoslavia's representative and was also member of the Repatriation Commission. He returned to Yugoslavia in 1948 and worked at the Ministry till the end of 1950. When Splošna plovba Portorož was established, he was one of its most prominent members. He became the firm’s Commercial Manager and eventually Assistant Director-General. For several years he also worked as Head of the firm’s Representative Office for the Far East. Velkaverh was proud of his work in New York, London and of his part in the creation and growth of Splošna plovba Portorož, particularly in the purchase of several ships.

 

Nadja Terčon

Bogdana Marinac

(PMSMP, documentation Yugoslav Royal Merchant Navy, documentation SPP)