Abstract
Battles for Freedom. The Case of the Escape of Antoni Klimowicz in 1954From the legal point of view the case of Antoni Klimowicz, a stowaway on s.s “Jarosław Dąbrowski”, was extremely complex. The escape of the young Pole in July 1954 influenced Polish-British relations and mobilised Polish émigré circles in the UK. The illegal passenger was discovered by British dock workers unloading the ship. Initially, everything appeared to indicate that the attempted escape would end badly for him. “Jarosław Dąbrowski” with Klimowicz on deck had already sailed from the Port of London, but soon was halted by the police pursuing it down the Thames. The British, evoking the Habeas Corpus Act, demanded that Klimowicz be handed over to them, and the ship’s captain protested. In this situation, police officers resorted to force and “rescued” the fugitive. The chief role in freeing Klimowicz was played by the Polish émigrés in the UK, who acted in his defence. The Polish Embassy and authorities unsuccessfully protested against the conduct of the British. For several days the case of the Polish runaway was discussed in the émigré and British press. Ultimately, Klimowicz was granted political asylum and subsequently left for the USA, where he died.
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