Spy. Born in Barcelona. Pujol was managing a poultry farm when the Spanish civil war caused him to develop a loathing of all fascist regimes so, at the outbreak of WW2, he was determined to make a contribution 'for the good of humanity'. In Madrid he offered his services to Britain several times but was always turned down. So, instead, he posed as a pro-Nazi Spanish government official and was accepted by the Germans as a spy, codename Alaric, with instructions to move to Britain.
Instead he moved to Lisbon and pretended to be in Britain, creating a fictitious network of British sub-agents. Eventually, Britain became aware that he was sending misleading information to the Germans and in April 1942 moved him to England as an official double agent, giving him the code name Bovril. Because of his acting talents he was eventually renamed Garbo.
In 1944 the Germans were aware of an imminent invasion of Europe. This was Operation Overlord and Pujol played a leading role in Operation Fortitude, the deception campaign to conceal the details of Overlord. He sent the essential information to his German handlers but arrangements were made for it to arrive too late to be of any use.
The Nazis never realised they had been duped and actually presented him with an Iron Cross. After the war, fearing reprisals from surviving Nazis, he moved to Angola where he faked his death. He finally went to Venezuela where he ran a bookstore and gift shop. He died in Caracas.
The page is a thrilling read.
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk
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