Poland's overlooked Enigma codebreakers

[Ulenspiegel]

A short BBC story:

Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-28167071

GCHQ's Director at the Polish ceremony said:

We owe the Poles a great debt for their work and decision to share their knowledge as war loomed with France and Great Britain. Curiously two of the Poles fled to France, after May 1940 worked in Vichy France before fleeing to Spain in late 1942 and then to England. Their French partners did not escape when Vichy fell and throughout their captivity stayed silent.

The Enigma story is found in an old book based on BBC series "The secret war". The first crucial break throughs were achieved by Polish guys who got for a few hours hands on a German Enigma of the diplomatic corps and were able to deduce some important basic features.

So at least the UK had no problem to acknowledge the Polish contributions.

[davidbfpo]

It is odd though that @ Bletchley Park Museum, the memorial to the Poles is in a rather obscure spot - although the recommended guided tour ends there. Nowhere else is the Polish contribution displayed from memory.

I always find the fact that the two of Polish crypto developers managed to escape to France, after May 1940 they sheltered in Vichy France and never said anything to the Vichy regime, let alone the Germans.