One of many interesting chapters in the history of WW2 Polish intelligence is the story of the “Station Afryka”. “Station Afryka” was the only WW2 Allied Intelligence Network in North Africa.

 

In 1941, after the successes of the German and Italian troops in the battles in Libya and Egypt, an officer of the Second Department of the Polish Army General Staff, Mieczysław Słowikowski “Rygor”, was ordered to go to Algeria and organise an intelligence network. The cover for the operation was to be an oatmeal factory.

 

Słowikowski recruited 232 assets into his network called “Station Africa,” but apart from the first recruits, most were unaware that they were working for a Polish intelligence agency. Słowikowski provided the Commander-in-Chief’s Staff in London with detailed descriptions of ports, airfields, defence fortifications, navy and air force, anti-aircraft defences, shipments of raw materials, as well as ships movement. His reports also included information on the troops’ morale and reactions of the population, including data on the resistance movement.

 

These is one of Słowikowski’s reports:

 

8 January 1942, Algiers. A report from Maj. Mieczysław Z. Słowikowski Chief of Intelligence Station “Africa” of the II Bureau of Polish General Staff, regarding the establishment of contact with the United States Consulate.

 

“Colonel, I report that on 2 January of this year, I established personal contact with the United States Consulate in Algiers, with vice-consuls Mr. John H. Boyd and Mr. John C. Knox, with whom I determined our cooperation. I did not request any assistance from the consulate because by that time I had managed to prepare my cover of an entrepreneur and co-owner of an oak flakes factory “FLOC-AV”, the first one in Algiers, establish two intelligence cells in Oran and in Tunis, and intelligence posts in the port of Algiers as well as at Maison Blanche Airport. At the meeting, I spoke with an Ally who had an intelligence network already in place, and in the course of the conversation, I became convinced that the consulate had no intelligence information from Northern Africa nor any of its ports. So, when the Vice consuls asked me how they could assist me in my work, I asked how often they dispatched their pouch and whether they could send my correspondence to London the same way. They agreed willingly. It was then settled that every week I would personally hand them the Station’s correspondence to be sent further. The correspondence cannot be sealed because of the regulations of the Department of State. I think it will be the safest and the quickest way for the Station’s pouch. By settling this matter, I got rid of our greatest problem.”

 

The report was published in a book called “Polish-British Intelligence Cooperation During World War II” which is the result of the work of the Polish-British Historical Commission. Its primary task was to identify and evaluate surviving documents concerning the activities of Polish intelligence during WW2. As part of the Commission's work, Polish researchers found many previously unknown files.

 

 

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Source: Institute of National Remembrance Facebook post

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