The 5th WiN Command, established by the security services, turned out to be a Trojan horse for the independence underground in Poland. When the CIA joined the game, it was at stake with huge amounts of money, equipment and information. Nobody expected that the end of operation "Cezary" would turn out to be a disgrace to the American intelligence and the destruction of the émigré community.
The successive WiN Commands, reviving like a hydra, were a particular nuisance for the communist secret police. Partisan units operating in this conspiratorial organization raided militia posts, smashed prisons or liquidated people cooperating with the communist authorities. WiN, when establishing contacts with the West, informed about electoral fraud or terror that was used by the security services in Poland. The 4th Command, headed by Łukasz Ciepliński, turned out to be a particular nuisance for the communist authorities. After its destruction and the arrest of members, the Ministry of Public Security came up with the idea of establishing a new, false 5th WiN Headquarters, fully controlled by the security service.
Łukasz Ciepliński - photograph on the wall at ul. Dąbrowskiego 22 in Rzeszów
Its aim was to deal with the remnants of the independence underground. This is how Operation Cezary began, the end of which turned out to be the Security Office's greatest success.
Secret Command
The break-up of the 4th WiN Command and the arrest of its commanders was a great success of the communist secret police. The agents did not expect, however, that real success was yet to come. Brutal investigation conducted, among others, by on Łukasz Ciepliński revealed that the 4th Command he led had very well-developed structures and contacts with foreign countries . This was also confirmed by the archives of the organizations that were taken over by the communists. She was there, among others correspondence with the WiN Foreign Delegation in London, led by Józef Maciołek, Ciepliński's deputy. In addition, Stefan Sieńko, pseud. "Wiktor", who revealed the most valuable information, such as a list of contact points or the fact that Adam Boryczko, a courier of the Foreign Delegation, is in Poland. Then orders came from Moscow not to liquidate further WiN structures, and to establish cooperation with them under a new, false command.
The building of the Ministry of Public Security
Responsible for the course of the operation "Cezary" was Cpt. Henryk Wendrowski pseudonym "Zygmunt". Some theories say that the plan to establish the 5th WiN Command was his idea. Anyway, he proved to be a trusted man of the MBP. In the fall of 1946, he took part in the operation "Avalanche", in which he broke up the unit of Henryk Flame, pseud. "Bartek" . Wendrowski to carry out the operation "Cezary", which the Soviets called "Arsenal 2", began to look for the right people. He even tried to recruit General August Emil Fieldorf pseud. The Nile, but to no avail. At that time, Stefan Sieńko turned out to be the best and most reliable candidate. He collaborated with Ciepliński and was known to people who were active in the organization and had not yet been captured. Besides, he was well aware of where all the contact points and other important information that were necessary to continue the business were found. . Sieńko agreed to cooperate and performed all the tasks tirelessly. His involvement was appreciated in Wendrowski's reports.
In the documentary "Operation Cezary", directed by Sławomir Górski, then 94-year-old Stefan Sieńko commented on his transition to the security service:
"Well, what else did I have? I regret it, but what other option was I? After all, I was putting my whole family at risk. I knew there would be collective responsibility. ”
Great success of the security service
In Warsaw, thanks to the agent "Wiktor", Wendrowski meets a courier from London, Adam Boryczka. Giving credibility to the Fifth Command turned out to be easier than originally thought. In this situation, the Ministry of Public Security had access to all communication routes and constant contact with the Foreign Delegation. Using lockers on passenger trains on the Warsaw - Paris line, information on the international situation was transmitted, analyzes were exchanged on the progress of the organization or money was sent. In April and October 1948, a total of 65,000 zlotys was transferred to Poland. dollars. In London it was thought that this money really supports the activity of anti-communist structures . It was not realized that under the banner of the 5th WiN Headquarters there were evil plans of the communist secret police, aimed at working out and finally liquidating the independence structures. However, the real success was yet to come when the Foreign Delegation signed an agreement with American intelligence in 1950. Of course, they informed "activists" in the country about this fact.
At that time, Stefan Sieńko was the best and most reliable candidate
The Americans' expectations were simple. WiN, cooperating with the CIA, was to maintain constant radio contact, further develop the conspiracy, and organize intelligence and subversive activities in Poland. The latter was particularly important because it was associated with the inclusion of WiN in the US war plans. This is how the "Volcano" plan was developed, which at the outbreak of World War III assumed the capture of the most important railway lines in Poland and their destruction . This would make it difficult to deploy the Red Army to the West and give the US Army an advantage. The Americans, moreover, provided financial aid, radio stations and offered the necessary training. It was a serious problem for the security service. The situation became complicated as the risk of disclosing a fake organization increased. In addition, it was not only about the liquidation of post-attack organizations, but also about the investigation of foreign intelligence. And what! In this situation, the secret police had to spread its wings and transform its activities. It was necessary to meet the requirements, adjust the methods to the new circumstances and acquire trusted people to operate outside the country.
It was decided to establish cooperation with the WiN Delegation in Munich, where trainings were organized, for example for radio operators. In November 1951, an agent was transferred to the Bavarian capital to give credibility to the organization in the American eyes, establish contacts and send reports on the course. Thanks to this, the communist intelligence was aware of the plans of the CIA, which made it possible to think through the next steps and easily achieve the set goals . This is how the US secret services unwittingly participated in the hoax of the communist security services, letting themselves be played in this utterly unequal struggle. As a result, trained people, emissaries, money and the necessary equipment were transferred to Poland. Contacts were also established with political activists in exile, including from PSL or PPS-WRN. When the next goals were planned, and in the imagination of the security officers, successive visions of success were envisioned, unexpectedly in the fall of 1952 it was decided to stop the operation.
Arrest warrant for Kazimierz Kamieński, issued by the provincial commander of MO, with incorrect spelling of the name
Perhaps there was a fear of the Fifth Command investigation, or the CIA suspected something. Anyway, the decision to terminate the action was probably made in Moscow. It is possible that the Soviets preferred to avoid exposing Operation Caesary and instead use the measures taken so far to announce a propaganda success. After Christmas 1952, there was a statement from the most important people of the "organization" who donated over a million dollars, several hundred kilograms of gold, all equipment, including new radio stations and reports on the course of all operations, to the Ministry of Public Security. Moreover, they revealed the names of people and emissaries operating in the underground who were immediately arrested . Show trials were brought against them, of which a dozen or so people were sentenced to death or life imprisonment. Such people included Kazimierz Kamieński, one of the longest fighting soldiers of the anti-communist underground, who was sentenced to six death sentences.
The people most involved in the operation "Cezary" could count on the gratitude of the communist security apparatus. For example, Wendrowski worked until the end of his career as the ambassador of the People's Republic of Poland in Denmark, while Sieńko, under changed personalities, worked as a journalist. For the Ministry of Public Security itself, the operation became the pride and pride of their actions for many years, on the basis of which all future officers were trained. In this case, it was the success of communist intelligence over the US, which both sides realized.