Poland

Poland’s escape story began on the very first day of the war. Even after the defeat of the September Campaign, the Polish underground and the Government-in-Exile built routes that allowed aircrew, intelligence officers and couriers to keep fighting alongside the Allies. These routes had to cross multiple frontiers—German, Soviet and neutral—and were maintained despite devastating reprisals on civilians.

Key corridors out of occupied Poland

1. Southern corridor to Hungary and Slovakia
   Guides from the Związek Walki Zbrojnej (later the Home Army, AK) escorted evaders through the Tatra Mountains toward Poprad (Slovakia) or across to the Slovak village of Osturňa, then onwards by rail to Budapest. From there MI9 handlers moved groups through Yugoslavia to the Mediterranean.

2. Baltic maritime routes
   Networks in the Pomeranian coast arranged fishing boats to Sweden via Hel, Rozewie and the Vistula Lagoon. The “Gustav” and “Anna” routes carried pilots from the Warsaw Squadron as well as Norwegian and Dutch agents trapped in the Baltic region.

3. Vilnius–Moscow–Tehran axis
   After June 1941, released Polish POWs and evaders hiding east of the Bug river joined General Anders’ Army. Their path led through Soviet Central Asia to Iran, from where many transferred to the RAF or Polish Air Forces in the West.

Underground organisations

• The Home Army (Armia Krajowa): Provided forged Kennkarte identity cards, ration coupons, and safe flats in Kraków, Lwów and Warsaw. Specialized cells such as “Agaton” (the AK’s forgery unit) produced documents that could withstand Gestapo inspection.
• Szare Szeregi (Gray Ranks): The underground Scout movement acted as messengers, escorting Allied airmen between safe houses and railway stations, and distributing coded messages via scouting newsletters.
• Polish Government-in-Exile liaison officers: Located in Budapest, Bucharest and Istanbul, they coordinated evacuees with British MI9 and Special Operations Executive (SOE) staff.

Case studies

• Operation “Wildhorn” (Most): Three clandestine Dakota landings in 1944 extracted Home Army officers and decrypted V2 rocket parts from makeshift airstrips near Tarnów, showcasing the partnership between AK intelligence and RAF 267 Squadron.
• The Żegota couriers: Known primarily for rescuing Jews, the Żegota network also spirited RAF evaders out of Warsaw by hiding them in the same “Arian papers” pipeline used for families escaping the ghetto.
• Polish naval airmen: Downed Coastal Command crews from the Polish 304 Squadron relied on fishing cooperatives at Hel and Darłówko to slip across the Baltic to neutral Sweden, re-entering service through Britain’s “Little Norway” training camp.

Risks and reprisals

The German General Government treated assistance to Allied servicemen as a capital offence. Whole villages—such as Michniów in July 1943—were burned for suspected cooperation with couriers. Nevertheless, MI9 estimates that more than 2,000 personnel crossed Poland’s southern borders between 1940 and 1944 with underground help.

Continue your research

• Step back to the Northern Europe overview for neighbouring routes through Denmark and the Low Countries.
• Read the story of Norway to see how coastal maritime routes connected with Polish efforts across the Baltic.
• Explore Other Escape & Evasion Sites for museums and memorials preserving these Polish networks.