On 21 July 1952, one of the darkest chapters in post-war Polish history unfolded as the communist authorities sentenced some of the Polish Navy’s finest officers in the infamous Trial of the Commanders.
It was a political show trial, built on fabricated charges of espionage and conspiracy, intended to destroy the honour of officers who had faithfully served an independent Poland.
“Only the Dog Returned”
The personal tragedy of Commander Stanisław Mieszkowski has become one of the most poignant stories of communist repression.
On 20 October 1950, he left home for what appeared to be an ordinary walk with his dog. He never returned.
His son, Witold Mieszkowski, would later recall those heartbreaking words:
“Only the dog returned from the walk.”
Commander Mieszkowski had been arrested by officers of the communist military security service and secretly transported to the notorious prison at Rakowiecka Street in Warsaw, where he endured two years of brutal interrogations and torture.
A Trial Without Justice
On 21 July 1952, the Supreme Military Court sentenced six senior Polish naval officers.
Those condemned included:
● Commander Zbigniew Przybyszewski – death sentence
● Commander Stanisław Mieszkowski – death sentence
● Commander Jerzy Staniewicz – death sentence
● Commander Robert Kasperski – death sentence, later commuted to life imprisonment
● Commander Marian Wojcieszko – death sentence, later commuted to life imprisonment
● Commander Kazimierz Kraszewski – life imprisonment
The charges were entirely fabricated. Their real “crime” was their loyalty to pre-war Poland and their refusal to submit to Stalinist ideology.
Commander Mieczkowski plaque at Oksywie – it says:
REAR ADMIRAL STANISŁAW MIESZKOWSKI
Volunteer in the Polish–Soviet War of 1920.
Defender of Hel in 1939.
Commander of the Coastal Artillery Group.
Commander of the Polish Navy Fleet.
Unjustly executed on 16 December 1952.
His remains were recovered from the “Death Pit” at Powązki and, after 65 years, laid to rest here with full military honours.
Executed in Secret
The death sentences were carried out at Mokotów Prison in December 1952.
Commander Jerzy Staniewicz was executed on 12 December, while Commanders Stanisław Mieszkowski and Zbigniew Przybyszewski were murdered on 16 December.
Their bodies were secretly buried in anonymous graves at the infamous “Łączka” section of Powązki Military Cemetery in Warsaw, where the communist regime attempted to erase all trace of its victims.
Polish Sue at Rakowiecka 37
As part of our commitment to preserving the memory of Poland’s wartime heroes and victims of communist terror, the Polish Sue Association has visited the former prison at Rakowiecka 37, today home to the Museum of Cursed Soldiers and Political Prisoners of the Polish People’s Republic.
Walking through the prison corridors and standing inside the cells where Commander Mieszkowski and so many other patriotic Poles were imprisoned is an experience that leaves a lasting impression.
In those silent walls, we paid our respects to the officers who suffered unimaginable cruelty simply because they remained faithful to their oath and to a free Poland.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the Museum and its dedicated staff for preserving this historic site and ensuring that the stories of those imprisoned, tortured and murdered there continue to educate future generations.
Their work keeps alive the memory of the heroes whose voices the communist regime tried to silence forever.
More on this visit – on the link below:
Restoring Their Honour
Thanks to the work of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), the remains of Commanders Mieszkowski, Przybyszewski and Staniewicz were eventually identified during the archaeological work at “Łączka.”
In December 2017, more than six decades after their executions, they were buried with full military honours at the Polish Navy Cemetery in Gdynia, finally receiving the dignity they had long been denied.
We Remember
The Trial of the Commanders remains a powerful reminder of the crimes committed by the communist regime against Poland’s military elite.
Today we honour Commander Stanisław Mieszkowski, Commander Zbigniew Przybyszewski, Commander Jerzy Staniewicz and all those who suffered persecution for remaining loyal to the ideals of a free and independent Poland.
Their sacrifice must never be forgotten.
Honour and eternal remembrance to the heroes.
🇵🇱⚓️
Text: Polish Sue
Source: Museum of Cursed Soldiers and Political Prisoners of the Polish People’s Republic.
Foto: Polish Sue, Museum of Cursed Soldiers and Political Prisoners of the Polish People’s Republic.
Polish Sue 
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