The Information Department of the 2nd Corps Staff, 1945–1946. Fates of the Workers of the Department of the 2nd General Staff

In August 1945, a new organization of the Information – Intelligence Department of the NW Staff was introduced. In March 1946, in its place, first the Liquidation Commission was created then the Documentation Commission. Poles tried to remain in their own intelligence structures for the following years. With this goal talks were conducted with the British during conferences in Cairo and London. On 20 September 1946, the Polish side submitted memorandum proposing the principles of the functioning of the Polish intelligence services for the following years. The activities of Polish intelligence were to be based on so-called Schema ‘A’ and ‘B’. The fi rst assumed Poles would be working for local representative of British intelligence. In Schema ‘B’, the aims were informational activities for the British concerning Soviet affairs as well as all countries in the Soviet zone. The Information Department of the 2nd Corps Staff was subordinated to the HQ in London. Despite its subordination it in fact enjoyed signifi cant autonomy of action. The scope of reconnaissance work of the Information Department covered a huge geographical territory, including the Near and Middle East, the Balkans, Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Italy and France. The Department was headed by Dip. Col. W. Bąkiewicz, who was replaced in July 1946 by Dip. Lt. Col. T. Rudnicki. The Information Department of the 2nd Corps Staff had its own liaison offi cer in Athens. Two branches were subordinated to the head of the Information Dept. The fi rst branch ‘ESUW’ with its headquarters in Jerusalem was headed by Maj. F. Wierzbicki. Because of its penetration of the Jewish agency it became a source of excellent information from Poland. Independently, it uncovered the communist underground in Palestine and throughout the Near and Middle East. The second branch, code named ‘W’, was initially headed by Maj. J. Pacak, and subsequently by Maj. Z. Starkiewicz. Branch ‘W’ had beneath it five posts scattered from southern Italy to Austria, Bavaria and France. They gathered detailed information about the communist movement in France and Italy as well as deeply penetrating communist Yugoslavia. Before their liquidation, both branches created a series of companies in Western Europe and the Near East, which allowed them to continue and fi nance their intelligence work over the following years