M.V. EMPIRE WINDRUSH

On June the 21st 1948 the M.V. Empire Windrush sailed  in to Tilbury docs with the  first post-war Caribbean migrants  workers which is well documented. Less known is the story of 66 Polish passengers that  boarded ship in Mexico, women and children displaced from Poland. Their epic journey started in 1940 when the soviets deported hundreds of thousands Polish citizens in to the depths of Siberia.   http://www.electronicmuseum.ca/Poland-WW2/colonia_santa_rosa/csr.html

In 1941, after Germany turned and attacked  Russia the Soviets became our allies and  joined the West in fighting the Germans. For a few months  there was a brief  amnesty and the imprisoned Poles were released and, under the leadership General Anders, formed the Second Corps of the Polish army. They crossed the Caspian sea to Pahlavi in Persia the abele bodied men and women went on to fight the civilians were sent to camps in British colonies in Africa and India. In 1942, the Mexican Government agreed to shelter 20 thousand Poles for the duration of the war. In the end 1464 Poles were brought to Mexico, 264 of that group were orphans aged from 5 to 17. After the war many stayed in the Americas the 66 passengers on the Windrush were just some that came to the UK.