General Jacob Devers with Major Mieczysław "Rygor" Słowikowski, on awarding him the Legion of Merit for his invaluable contributions to the Allied North African campaign.
He has been described as "the only allied agent with a network in North Africa".[1]
Słowikowski joined the Polish Army in 1915 and fought in the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921.
After completing advanced military studies in 1925, he worked at the Polish Ministry of Defense. For four years he served on Marshal Józef Piłsudski's staff. In 1937 he was transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and appointed secretary at the Polish Consulate in Kyiv in Soviet Ukraine. His actual function, however, was collecting intelligence in southern Russia.
Early in World War II, Słowikowski served in the Polish Army in France. When France capitulated to Adolf Hitler's Germany in June 1940, Słowikowski organized the clandestine evacuation of Polish military personnel, and later an intelligence service that reported to Polish military authorities in London.
In July 1941 Słowikowski left for Algiers, where (using the codename "Rygor" — Polish for "Rigor") he set up "Agency Africa," one of World War II's most successful intelligence organizations. His Polish allies in these endeavors included Lt. Col. Gwido Langer and Major Maksymilian Ciężki. The information gathered by the Agency was used by the Americans and British in planning the amphibious November 1942 Operation Torch landings in North Africa. These were the first large-scale Allied landings of the war, and their success in turn paved the way for the Allies' Italian campaign.
British historian M. R. D. Foot, in his foreword to Słowikowski's book In the Secret Service, writes:
Rygor, as he called himself [...], knew all the rules; and knew when to break them. Never go near children; but his son was with him, then in his earliest teens, and was a useful watchman. Never employ women on technical military tasks; but his wife helped him with his ciphering. Never go near the hostile security services; but he made friends with a disaffected senior police officer, who kept him and his family supplied with all the false papers they needed. In the teeth of every sort of obstacle — both locally, and in the shape of impractical instructions from the Poles in exile in London — he and the sub-agents he organized provided masses of data, military, economic and political, which played a leading part in the planning of operation 'Torch', the Anglo-American invasion of Algeria and Morocco in November 1942.
For his invaluable contributions to the Allied North African campaign, Słowikowski was on March 28, 1944, decorated with Britain's Order of the British Empire and received from General Jacob Devers, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces in North Africa, the American Legion of Merit. The ceremony was held on Algiers' Place du Gouvernement. Polish military authorities had already decorated Major Słowikowski in August 1943 with Poland's Gold Cross of Merit with Swords.
In September 1944 Słowikowski transferred to Great Britain, where he was posted to Scotland as chief of staff of the Polish Infantry Training Centre at Crieff.
The story of Słowikowski in French North Africa prior to the Allied Invasion (Operation Torch) is told in the documentary Les ombres de Casablanca (English: In the Shadows of Casablanca/Polish: Powrót do Casablanki), which also draws quite much from the film Casablanca. The documentary was released in 2009. It was directed by Malgosha Gago and Bolesław Sulik and produced by Arte France, Ideale Audience, TVN and Studio N-Art Inc.[2][3]
^Halik Kochanski (13 November 2012). The Eagle Unbowed: Poland and the Poles in the Second World War. Harvard University Press. pp. 234–236. ISBN978-0-674-06816-2.
^"In the Shadows of Casablanca". Polish Film Festival in America (PFFA). Retrieved 2015-01-03.
Major-General M.Z. Rygor Slowikowski, In the Secret Service: the Lighting of the Torch, translated by George Slowikowski and Krystyna Brooks, with foreword by M.R.D. Foot, London, The Windrush Press, 1988.
Tessa Stirling et al., Intelligence Co-operation between Poland and Great Britain during World War II, vol. I: The Report of the Anglo-Polish Historical Committee, London, Vallentine Mitchell, 2005.
April 16, 2024
mieczysław, zygfryd, słowikowski, jazgarzew, near, warsaw, 1896, 1989, london, also, known, rygor, słowikowski, polish, army, officer, whose, intelligence, work, north, africa, facilitated, allied, preparations, 1942, operation, torch, landings, general, jacob. Mieczyslaw Zygfryd Slowikowski Jazgarzew near Warsaw 1896 1989 London also known as Rygor Slowikowski was a Polish Army officer whose intelligence work in North Africa facilitated Allied preparations for the 1942 Operation Torch landings General Jacob Devers with Major Mieczyslaw Rygor Slowikowski on awarding him the Legion of Merit for his invaluable contributions to the Allied North African campaign He has been described as the only allied agent with a network in North Africa 1 Contents 1 Life 2 TV documentary 3 See also 4 References 5 Further readingLife editSlowikowski joined the Polish Army in 1915 and fought in the Polish Soviet War of 1919 1921 After completing advanced military studies in 1925 he worked at the Polish Ministry of Defense For four years he served on Marshal Jozef Pilsudski s staff In 1937 he was transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and appointed secretary at the Polish Consulate in Kyiv in Soviet Ukraine His actual function however was collecting intelligence in southern Russia Early in World War II Slowikowski served in the Polish Army in France When France capitulated to Adolf Hitler s Germany in June 1940 Slowikowski organized the clandestine evacuation of Polish military personnel and later an intelligence service that reported to Polish military authorities in London In July 1941 Slowikowski left for Algiers where using the codename Rygor Polish for Rigor he set up Agency Africa one of World War II s most successful intelligence organizations His Polish allies in these endeavors included Lt Col Gwido Langer and Major Maksymilian Ciezki The information gathered by the Agency was used by the Americans and British in planning the amphibious November 1942 Operation Torch landings in North Africa These were the first large scale Allied landings of the war and their success in turn paved the way for the Allies Italian campaign British historian M R D Foot in his foreword to Slowikowski s book In the Secret Service writes Rygor as he called himself knew all the rules and knew when to break them Never go near children but his son was with him then in his earliest teens and was a useful watchman Never employ women on technical military tasks but his wife helped him with his ciphering Never go near the hostile security services but he made friends with a disaffected senior police officer who kept him and his family supplied with all the false papers they needed In the teeth of every sort of obstacle both locally and in the shape of impractical instructions from the Poles in exile in London he and the sub agents he organized provided masses of data military economic and political which played a leading part in the planning of operation Torch the Anglo American invasion of Algeria and Morocco in November 1942 For his invaluable contributions to the Allied North African campaign Slowikowski was on March 28 1944 decorated with Britain s Order of the British Empire and received from General Jacob Devers Deputy Commander in Chief of Allied Forces in North Africa the American Legion of Merit The ceremony was held on Algiers Place du Gouvernement Polish military authorities had already decorated Major Slowikowski in August 1943 with Poland s Gold Cross of Merit with Swords In September 1944 Slowikowski transferred to Great Britain where he was posted to Scotland as chief of staff of the Polish Infantry Training Centre at Crieff Demobilized in 1947 he settled in London TV documentary editThe story of Slowikowski in French North Africa prior to the Allied Invasion Operation Torch is told in the documentary Les ombres de Casablanca English In the Shadows of Casablanca Polish Powrot do Casablanki which also draws quite much from the film Casablanca The documentary was released in 2009 It was directed by Malgosha Gago and Boleslaw Sulik and produced by Arte France Ideale Audience TVN and Studio N Art Inc 2 3 See also editHistory of Polish Intelligence Services List of PolesReferences edit Halik Kochanski 13 November 2012 The Eagle Unbowed Poland and the Poles in the Second World War Harvard University Press pp 234 236 ISBN 978 0 674 06816 2 In the Shadows of Casablanca Polish Film Festival in America PFFA Retrieved 2015 01 03 Les ombres de Casablanca in IMDb Further reading editMajor General M Z Rygor Slowikowski In the Secret Service the Lighting of the Torch translated by George Slowikowski and Krystyna Brooks with foreword by M R D Foot London The Windrush Press 1988 Tessa Stirling et al Intelligence Co operation between Poland and Great Britain during World War II vol I The Report of the Anglo Polish Historical Committee London Vallentine Mitchell 2005 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mieczyslaw Zygfryd Slowikowski amp oldid 1162541120, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
