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SS Oxfordshire. |
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Polish Refugees from Lebanon |
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Sadly I have not found the passenger list but here
are a few comments found in the National Assistance Board Memos. |
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The S.S Oxfordshire left Beirut on the 10th of July
arriving in Hull on 22nd of July 1950 with 654 Polish Displaced Persons
including about 100 children. The Oxfordshire docked in the King George
Dock - Hull at 11a.m. and disembarkation started at 12 (midday).
The W.V.S.
and the British Red Cross were in attendance with cups of tea and
medical assisters. |
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Customs inspection was
carried out quickly, and the people were transferred by bus to a
transit camp at Priory Road Hull. On arrival the refugees were
checked off by the National Service Hostels Corporation staff and were
given an I.D. card, a meal ticket, knife, spoon, fork, mug and towel.. |
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| One man aged about 60 brought
two hives of bees with him and subsequently took them with him to
Haydon Park camp. |
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| On Sunday morning Mass was celebrated by a priest
from Cottingham and on Monday the 24th July the new arrivals .were
transported by road to their allocated destinations |
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39 went to private accommodation provided by relatives
and friends the other 612 were transported to their allocated camps. |
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| Damfield Lane |
33 |
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Photo from the Daily Mail Hull 24 July 1950 |
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| East Moor |
83 |
| Haydon Park |
91 |
| Husbands Bosworth |
43 |
| Lowther Park |
142 |
| Marsworth |
55 |
| Mepal |
79 |
| Northwick Park Gloucestershire |
47 |
| Springhill Lodges Gloucestershire |
28 |
| Stover Park Devon |
11 |
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| These Poles have known no
permanent home since 1940 many found themselves in POWs camps others
were deported to forced labour camps in Siberia. They made their
way through Persia Africa and India, finally were gathered up in
Lebanon under the auspices of the International Refugee Organisation and sailed to the
UK |
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The next operation of that
kind took place in September 1950 when over 1,000 Polish Displaced
Persons left
Mombasa on the Dundalk Bay. |
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