The official history of White boats starts at June 1st 1945 or in May 1945. Swedish were obliged to pay war reparations but wanted that it was called "compensations"!

Patients brought from Swedish Transit Hospital to the White boat in the Lubeck port.

The (un)official history of White boats starts at June 1st 1945 or in May.

It was immediately after the war, most probably already in May 1945, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration - UNRRA asked/ordered Sweden to receive 10 000 former concentration camp prisoners, foremost women from the camp Bergen-Belsen.
It is likely that White boat operation in June-July 1945 was part of Swedish war reparations. Swedes, however, wanted that it was called for "compensation"!

After the action to bring DPs from Belsen was officially agreed by a King of Sweden on June 1st 1945, it took just only three weeks to prepare hospital ships, staff and the organisation on land like hospitals.

At the same time, a Swedish Red Cross detachment, called later Swedish Transit Hospital was organised in Lubeck, manned by Swedish, German and British personnel. The purpose of the detachment was to receive an estimated 2 000 displaced persons a week and send them further to Sweden.

Starting June 26-28, on the first trip, five White boats brought 1 200 persons to Sweden. Most of them were patients in beds. Liggande - laying as it was officially called

A few dozen were in such a bad condition that they died during the transport from the temporary British camps, and around 200 died in Swedish medical care (1945-1947).

Starting June 26-28, five White boats brought on the first tour approx. 1 200 persons to Sweden, mostly of the patients in beds. Here, part of the Swedish Inresekort of a patient that came with HMS Prins Carl to Norrköping on July 1st 1945.

Survivor from the Bergen-Belsen camp, lying in bed aboard ship.

The Swedish government agreed to allow 10 000 ex-inmates of Belsen, Buchenwald and other German concentration camps to travel to Sweden and stay there for a period of six months recuperation. Meanwhile UNRRA would try to arrange return to their home countries. They arrived from Belsen at the Cambrai Barracks at Lubeck, Germany, which used to house German soldiers and then became the Swedish Transit Hospital. Here they were desinfected and prepared for the journey to Sweden by members of the Swedish Red Cross. After a day or two here they were taken to Lubeck docks in RAMC ambulances and put aboard a Swedish hospital ship and taken to Sweden. Here one of the two cargo ships that were in 2 weeks rebuild to serve as hospital ships.

Discussion in Swedish Parlement about ex-inmates of Ravensbruck, Belsen, Buchenwald and other German concentration camps that were brought to Sweden thanks to UNRRA negotiations. 

Sweden. White boat, M/S Karskär in the port of Helsingborg. First meal served to the Holocaust survivors when waiting to be taken to the hospital.  

Concerning the White buses action, immediately after the war, already in June 1945, Bernadotte published a book, entitled in English, The Curtain Falls. in which he claimed a large measure of cre­ dit for the conception of the entire rescue operation.