Throughout the bitter winter weather and fighting of 1944 and 1945 PPA undertook their operations ahead of regular forces, in support of British, Canadian, Indian and Polish armoured, infantry and commando units. They located targets for the Allied Air Force, chased Germans out of rear-areas, saved bridges, captured many prisoners and guns, and accepted the surrender of the entire German garrison at Chioggia. Yunnie, Park "Fighting With Popski's Private Army" Greenhill Books 2002, originally published in 1959 as ‘Warriors on Wheels". Yunnie's story. Your a male babyboomer and you remember sitting in front of the tv while wearing your Monkey Division helmet and cradling the latest weaponry from Mattel, just barely making it through a Marlboro commercial while waiting for the familiar "dum-da-da-dum" strains coming through that 4 inch speaker on the Zenith - and then in a flurry of sand, revving engine sounds and 30cal machine gun clatter - it begins.... THE RAT PATROL. During the night, they crossed the main supply route between Spinazzola and Gravina and almost blundered into a German convoy on the road. They drove on into the hill country of the Murge. Here the patrol split up to watch the roads and report all movements to 1st Airborne headquarters. While this was going on, Popski pulled off a coup. The fighting men of Popski’s Private Army were experts in hit-and-run tactics. One of their camps is shown in Italy late in the war as preparations are made for the departure of a patrol.

On Sunday, March 30, 2008, Popski’s birthday, the PPA Memorial was unveiled by Sir Robert Crawford CBE, director-general of the British Imperial War Museum, assisted by Captain Campbell, and dedicated in the presence of nearly 250 PPA, LRDG, SAS, and Partisan veterans, relatives, and friends. It sits in the center of the Allied Special Forces Association’s Memorial Grove within the British National Memorial Arboretum (inspired by the USA’s Arlington Cemetery) in Staffordshire, in the very center of the United Kingdom. Popski went off recruiting, looking for men who were, or would soon be with training, expert in navigation; as drivers, machine gunners, mechanics; and in demolitions. Time was short for training, for Popski had been warned that PPA would take part in the landing at Anzio, so the newcomers were kept at it day and night in the snow-covered mountains. But at the last minute PPA’s participation in the Anzio landing was cancelled. It was a bitter blow. Aborted Operation AstrolabeAs far as Popski being 'a toff', he was a comfortably off and extremely erudite Belgian, that much is true. As a father of two well into his forties, he certainly didn't have to fight, but he did. He fought for Britain during WW2, being twice severely wounded and twice decorated. He was working for Mi6 before the war ended, and after 1945, he was behind the lines again, this time as a Cold War warrior. These activities cost him his reputation, since many within the British establishment were convinced that he was a Communist. He was not. HQ PORTERFORCE/27TH LANCERS/ ROYAL CANADIAN DRAGOONS/ KING'S DRAGOON GUARDS/ 145 RAC/ GGHQ/ 1 ROYAL HORSE ARTILLERY/ 1 AND 2 CANADIAN FIELD REGIMENT, RCA/ 2 AND 5 CANADIAN MEDIUM REGIMENT, RCA/ 12 AND 13 CANADIAN FIELD COMPANY/ 24 FIELD REGIMENT, RA/ You can call us on a normal working day on 01562 863464 to upgrade to a special before 1.00pm next day delivery if required.

Astrolabe Publishing, 2006. Available from the Friends of Popski's Private Army. Lieutenant-Colonel John Willett, friend of Popski, intelligence officer in 8th ArmyThis memorial is not currently listed. Find out how to nominate this memorial for inclusion on the National Heritage List for England In 1924 Peniakoff emigrated to Egypt, where he worked as an engineer with a sugar manufacturer. During this period of his life he learned to sail, fly and navigate vehicles through the desert, and also become a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Peniakoff was a polyglot who spoke English, Russian, Italian, German, French and Arabic well. In the 36 months of its existence, 20 of them spent on operations, PPA had been more of a brotherhood than a military unit, a brotherhood created and led by Popski. Though at its peak it numbered no more than about 120 men, its contribution to the war effort was impressive. It was not at all unusual for vehicles to break down as the result of sand and dust choking the air filter and the carburettor. On one such occasion I was travelling in the front of a three ton lorry with the driver and his mate when we came to a grinding halt. The mate clambered down, lifted the bonnet, poked around in the engine for a few minutes and then came up with what must surely be the ultimate use of the ‘f’ word. “Bert” he announced, “The f*****g f****r’s f****d”. That really does say it all doesn’t it; adjective, noun, verb!