Krystyna Skarbek

Fascinating new book reveals true life story of the Polish forgers who helped fool Hitler

The task of the team was to produce high quality forged documents including ID cards, passports, visas, driving licences and ration cards to help secret agents from being discovered by the Nazis. Pictured, one of the forgers Ludwik Surała. Private Archive of Dorota Żerkowska

Entitled ‘The Secrets of Station 14: Briggens House, SOE’s Forgery and Polish Elite Agent Training Station’, the book tells the history of Briggens House in Roydon, Essex, and the team of forgers established there in 1941 by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) on the orders of Churchill to “set Europe ablaze”.

Greatest female spy of WWII

Churchill’s favourite spy? An inspiration for Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale? Britain’s longest serving WWI Special Agent, male or female, and the first British female agent to serve in the field was a Polish agent called Krystyna Skarbek, aka Christine Granville. Coming to be known for her daring exploits, she was once described as “the bravest of the brave”. In this episode of Heart of Poland, author, historian and biographer of Krystyna Skarbek, Clare Mulley, talks about Skarbek’s remarkable life story and why she should be seen as much more than just a Bond girl.

UK honours daring Polish agent who became Churchill’s favourite spy

Dropped into enemy-occupied Europe and with a price on her head, Skarbek once persuaded the Gestapo to release a resistance leader and two fellow agents.

Pilot, spy and decorated underground officer who was later jailed by the Soviets, Kazimierz Leski died 20 years ago today

Born in Warsaw in 1912, the life of Kazimierz Leski who went on to head up the counter-espionage activities of the ultra secretive Musketeers resistance group, is still relatively unknown.

Hotel refuses to honour WWII Polish spy who inspired James Bond’s Vesper Lynd because she was murdered in lobby

Described as Churchill’s favourite spy, Krystyna Skarbek was one of Britain’s longest-serving female agents during WWII. English Heritage, the Polish Embassy and author Clare Mulley have been campaigning for the boutique hotel in London’s Kensington where she was knifed to death by a jealous lover to install a blue plaque in her memory.

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