The Spy Who - The Spy Who Infiltrated Auschwitz | No Answers | 3

Episode Date: February 11, 2025

Witold Pilecki gets dire news from the Polish resistance in Warsaw. After two years desperately trying to expose the horrors of Auschwitz, he’s forced to rethink his mission.Have you got a spy story you’d like us to tell? Email your ideas to [e-mail] NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/spywhoTry it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can binge full seasons of The Spy Who early and ad free on Apple Podcasts or the Wondery app. and the Holocaust. November 1942, Auschwitz, Nazi occupied Poland. Witold Pilecki shuffles through the dirty grey slush of the first winter snows. He moves slowly to conserve his strength. He feels the weakness throughout his body, which is still recovering from his near-fatal typhus infection. Pilecki stops walking as he sees another prisoner running towards him. The prisoner looks well-fed, the telltale sign of a new arrival at the camp. But there's something about him Pilecki recognizes, as if from a previous life. He squints, trying to identify the face.

Then the name comes to him. Stanislaw Gieczbicki, one of the senior leaders of the resistance in Warsaw. Be told, thank God, I was hoping to find you. You look better than I imagined. Pilecki feels a pang of guilt. Over the past months, the mass industrialized slaughter of Jews at the camp has actually made life better for the other prisoners. Before the Jews are gassed, all their possessions are confiscated, and other prisoners are ordered to sort through the mountains of food, clothes and other belongings.

Inevitably those prisoners steal some of those items, and once those goods are smuggled back into the main camp, they become part of a thriving black market. Pilecki knows that he has only survived in part because of the extra food supply created by thousands who are murdered here every day. He returns the Ibischki's gaze. I'm sorry you ended up here. This place, it's hell made real. What are people saying in Warsaw? Is the resistance receiving our radio messages? What radio messages? Pilecki's heart sinks. For months, members of his network have been risking their lives to send out messages in Morse code,

using the radio transmitter they built from stolen parts. They hoped the messages would alert the world to the mass murder taking place at the camp, but now it's clear those messages went unheard. What about Stefan and Vincente? They escaped. Did they make it to Warsaw? Yes. They did. They gave us your report. And? And what? Piletsky almost stamps his foot in frustration. And? And what? Pilecki almost stamps his foot in frustration. And what are the resistance going to do about it? Are they going to attack the camp, he told? The resistance is focused on the Eastern Front. The Nazis are losing ground to the Soviets. Poland must be ready to fight for its independence. That means seizing the big cities.

Warsaw, Krakow. Auschwitz isn't their priority. Pilecki feels the urge to burst into laughter, the absurdity of his position now becoming clear. After all he has witnessed and suffered, after all the risks he has taken to tell the world about Auschwitz, his life and the lives of so many others are now simply not a priority. Vitold has been told many times that he was insane for volunteering for this mission. Now, as he sees that mission itself slipping away, he wonders if they were right.

You just realized your business needed to hire someone like yesterday. With Indeed, there's no need to stress. You can find amazing candidates fast using Sponsored Jobs. With Sponsored Jobs, your post jumps to the top of the page for your relevant candidates, so you can reach the people you want faster. And just how fast is Indeed? In the minute I've been talking to you,

23 hires were made on Indeed, according to Indeed data worldwide. There's no need to wait any longer. Speed up your hiring right now with Indeed. And listeners of this show will get a $100 sponsored job credit to get your job's more visibility at indeed.com slash wonder ECA. Just go to indeed.com slash wonder ECA right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast.

Indeed.com slash wonder ECA terms and conditions apply hiring. Indeed.com slash WonderyCA. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring Indeed is all you need. Hello, Matt and Alice here and we're the hosts of Wondery's podcast British Scandal. We are and our latest series covers one of the century's most controversial and complicated figures, Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder who risks it all in the pursuit of freedom of information and ended up locked up in London. You might listen to this series and pump the air in support of the little guys exposing the corrupt secrets of governments and militaries around the world.

Or you might be filled with fury at the brazen disregard for who gets hurt in that quest. Or you might just get creeped out. While wars in Iraq and Afghanistan raged, Assange was singularly focused on undermining America's narrative of the conflicts by making the truth known. But did his difficult personality and extremely questionable conduct compromise his efforts? Join us in London's Ecuadorian Embassy to find out. Follow British Scandal now wherever you listen to podcasts and you can binge entire seasons early and ad-free on Wondry Plus. From Wondery, I'm Raaza Jafri and this is The Spy Who.

In the last episode, the Nazis turned Auschwitz into a death camp and began gassing Jews from all over Europe. Pilecki helped prisoners Stefan and Vincenty escape with word of the horrors, and the Polish resistance sent their agent, Napoleon Zagierda, to gather information about the camp. Now, as Zagierda heads to Britain to urge the Allies to act, Bielecki is reeling from the news that the Polish resistance won't be coming to the rescue. Instead, its focus is on stopping the advancing Soviets from replacing the Nazis as Poland's occupier. This is Episode 3 – No Answers. This episode 3, no answers. December 1942, a few weeks later, Yeletsky sits on a wooden bench inside Osviachin's tannery. The tannery is a 15-minute march from the the camp and he's been working here for several

weeks. His main task is to process the hair from murdered Jewish women into mattress stuffing. Pilecki automatically moves off with the rest of his work group. As Pilecki trudges through the snow back towards his block, he sees a family huddled together next to the crematorium. They have just arrived and are still in their own clothes. They hold each other close for warmth, but from the expressions of grey terror on their faces, Pilecki realises they must know they are about to die. Pilecki tries to keep his head down to ignore their terror, but then his eyes lock with the family's young son. For several seconds he and the boy simply stare at each other.

The child's curious, dark eyes seem to gaze straight into Poletsky's heart. Then the moment passes, and Poletsi once again looks down at the ground. From the edge of his vision he sees the family being herded into the crematorium by an SS guard. Muffled shots ring out. Bielecki feels another surge of fury and despair, knowing exactly what has just happened to that child and his exhaustion. The image of the young boy's face is burned into his mind. He must have been about ten years old, the same age as Pilecki's own son, whom he's not seen in years. Pilecki

doesn't know why, after so much death and horror, the thought of this one child is haunting him. He turns his body once again, his thoughts racing. The worst part is that he knows that he will forget that boy's face. He will become numb to that death in the same way he has become numb to all those gassed in their thousands. To those tortured to death. To the bodies left hanging from the gallows. To those dying from grotesque medical experiments underway in Block 10. All shoved semi-conscious into the ovens.

And now, even his mission, the one thing that gave all this hideous suffering purpose, seems to have been in vain. He did everything in his power to warn the resistance, to tell the world what is happening in Auschwitz. But now he knows there will be no uprising, no rescue, no bombs of liberation. Suddenly a very clear thought surfaces in Pilecki's mind. As clear as that young boy's face. His mission is over. He has done all he can from inside this camp.

There is only one thing left to do now. To try and get out alive. It's time to escape. February 1943, three months later, London. Polish spy Napoleon Segeda sits in a dimly lit basement, across from an officer from the Special Operations Executive, a secret British organization that carries out espionage and sabotage behind enemy lines. He has finally made it to Britain from Auschwitz after an arduous six-month journey through enemy territory and is being debriefed.

The SOE officer lights a cigarette. for a British visa that never came. So I tried to get to Gibraltar, but ended up in a Spanish concentration camp. The officer simply nods, seeming unmoved by Seguida's efforts. We've seen your report about this prison camp, Auschwitz. We think Auschwitz is not a normal prison camp, it's a death camp, a death factory.

This is not normal warfare, they're transporting Jewish families from all over Europe. They're being exterminated like animals. Once again, the officer seems unmoved. Yes, we are aware that Jews are being transported and killed by the Nazis. But don't you understand? Auschwitz is the center of this.

Every day, whole families are gassed and fed into the ovens, hundreds of thousands of people. Zagierda buries his face in his hands, overwhelmed by the weight of the horrific information he spent months trying to deliver to London. What are you going to do about this? The prisoners are begging us to bomb the camp itself. Even if some die, they want us to destroy the place. The officer stubs out his cigarette and stands up. Well, that's a matter for Allied command to decide. Our job is to collect intelligence. Is it not also our job to run sabotage operations?

The officer ignores the comment and stalks out of the room, leaving Seguida alone with his racing thoughts and inner revulsion. February 1943. A few days later, Pilecki moves stealthily through the camp. It's night, and he treads as quietly as he can. A month has passed since he saw the young boy waiting for death outside the crematorium, and now he's seeking a way to escape. Slipping between two dormitory blocks, Pilecki stops and checks for guards. He drops to his knees, his heart pounding in his chest.

Trying to stay silent, he heaves up an iron manhole cover and peers down into the darkness. Then, with one last scan to make sure he's unseen, he lowers himself down into Auschwitz's sewers. The smell hits Pilecki like a fist. He fights the urge to gag, then pulls out a stolen flashlight and makes his way down the tunnel. The tunnel narrows and Pilecki is forced to crawl. He tries one branch of the passage, but finds his way blocked by a solid rampart of human muck. He gags, then turns around to try another branch. This

one proves clear. Eventually his hands grasp the iron rung of the ladder. Pilecki heaves himself up and climbs the ladder, then shifts aside the heavy manhole cover. He cautiously pokes his head out, only to whip it back down again as the searchlight from a guard tower passes over him. He waits a moment before trying again. This time, he is able to raise his head and survey his surroundings. His heart feels a little surge as he realizes he has come up beyond the camp's main wall. But then it sinks again as he sees that he is only a few feet from the fence

again, as he sees that he is only a few feet from the fence, with guard towers all around. To attempt an escape from here would be suicide. Biresky carefully replaces the manhole and mowers himself back down into the rancid sewer. He will have to find another way out. A few days later, Pilecki walks towards his work group. Roll call has just ended and it's time for another day at the tannery. In the near distance he sees another prisoner who works at the tannery. In the near distance he sees another prisoner who works at the tannery run towards the latrines, clutching his stomach. Pilecki turns to Kon, the trusted agent who helped him steal parts for the radio transmitter. He gives Kon a subtle nod. Kon moves quickly, grabbing another comrade from the resistance

and heading after the man. They catch him by the latrines and take his arms, helping to support him. A few days earlier, a resistance mole in the labor office uncovered that this man is an informer for the Gestapo. So this morning, they slipped a laxative into his stew. Pilecki watches Conn maneuver the man towards the hospital block. Once there, a member of Dr. Dering's resistance cell will diagnose him with acute meningitis,

a diagnosis that will lead to the informer's immediate execution by the SS doctor who runs the hospital. Bielecki spits on the ground as Kahn leads the informer into the hospital. He understands why someone might turn traitor here, but he cannot forgive it. One month later, Auschwitz. Pilecki walks through the drizzling rain in a state of deep depression that has been weighing on him for weeks. He feels his mission has failed. The Gestapo are cracking down on the resistance, and there is no way to escape. It seems inevitable that he too will die here, like so many others,

having achieved nothing. Over here. Pilecki's head snaps around, looking for who is calling to him. In the shadow of one of the toilet blocks stands Jan Rydzsé, a member of his underground resistance network. Pilecki approaches. Yeah What is it? Listen, I've decided I'm going to escape Do you want me to take any messages to Warsaw for you?

The let's ski steps back weighing his options. Thanks me I've been thinking about escaping as well I've been trying the Suez, but I don't think it'll work. Do you have a plan? I'm working at the bakery. It's outside the camp, and the civilian bakers always leave their bikes by the door. I'm just going to grab one and pedal like hell.

There's usually only two guards. Yeah, and that sounds like suicide, but... There's... some potential there. If we joined the bakery night shift, we'd have a much better chance of getting away. Regé breaks into a broad smile. So... it's we now, is it? Great. I'm sure we can bribe a capo to get us onto the night shift. The tricky bit is the door. There's a key, but also a latch with a metal bar.

Pilecki pauses, deep in thought. Then suddenly, an idea flashes into his mind. Wait. This metal bar, is it held in place by a nut? Regé nods. Well, this is a bakery, right? Take some dough and make an imprint of the nut and of the key as well. If you can get me the imprints, then I can get someone in the workshop

to cast us a replica key and a wrench in the right size. Regier's eyes widen. Then he breaks out in a smile. You really think that could work? I don't know. But we can't just stay here waiting to die. One other thing. The guards.

Do they have a telephone like the ones in the tannery? Regé nods again. Yeah. They use it to check with the main camp every hour. Okay, then before we try anything, we need to cut the phone line. That will buy us extra time to get away. Regé nods and sticks out his hand. Pilecki shakes it firmly. The two men look each other in the eye, each knowing their life is now in the other's hands.

I'm John Robbins and on my podcast I sit down with incredible people to ask the very simple question, how do you cope? From confronting grief and mental health struggles to finding strength in failure, every episode is a raw and honest exploration of what it means to be human. It's not always easy, but it's always real. Whether you're looking for inspiration, comfort, or just a reminder that you're not alone

in life's messier moments, join me on how do you cope? Follow now to listen to the full trailer or listen to early episodes ad-free on Wondery Plus. April 1943. BBC Overseas Service Headquarters, Bush House, Central London. A small group of ministers and advisors sit around a large table,

the room thick with cigarette smoke. This is the committee that runs Britain's political warfare executive, a clandestine body set up to direct the propaganda war against the Nazis. The committee's chairman glances around the room. In his hands is a document containing a classified summary of the information supplied by Pilecki and brought to Britain by the Polish spy Napoleon Segeda.

Gentlemen, the next order of business, this report from Poland about this extermination camp. Auschwitz. The other committee members searched through their dossiers. One shakes his head in disgust. Yes, terrible business. Simply barbaric. The chairman nods. Agreed.

But the issue at hand is, should we broadcast this on the BBC? The Polish government in exile is pushing for it, but how will it affect the war effort? Another committee member leans forward and interjects. It is a little morbid, perhaps. To hear hundreds of thousands of people are being killed this way. Perhaps not the best for morale? A third member nods in agreement.

And we wouldn't want people to question the motives of the war effort, in terms of accusing us of fighting for the interests of certain groups. Yes. The official government line is that salvation for the Jews comes with the total defeat of Nazi Germany. And from a foreign office perspective, we don't want to give the Arabs the impression that we've suddenly turned pro-Jewish, pro-Zionist. The Chairman considers this for a moment. They're not.

Indeed. This seems largely an issue for Poland. I suggest we put this out on the Foreign Services Polish Language broadcast. But perhaps keep it off the main English language news. All in favour? Aye. Aye. Later that month, Auschwitz, Pilecki marches forward with the rest of the bakery work group. Ahead of him, he can see his fellow escapees. Regier, who came up with the plan, and Edek, a 20-year-old prisoner who insisted on joining

them when he heard Pilecki plan to escape. Pilecki looks up as the company passes through the camp gates, once again reading the Iron slogan, Arbeit Macht Frei. His mind immediately flashes back to the first time he saw those words, and all the horror he has witnessed since. He then looks straight ahead. Tonight is the night. Their plans are in place.

They have tested their replica key, acquired and hidden civilian clothes at the bakery, and stolen a penknife to cut the guards' telephone lines. For Pilecki, the plan has to work. He lied to a capo to get onto the night shift. He knows that if he returns to the camp in the morning, the deception will cost him his life. This is it. He must escape tonight. Three hours later. In the bakery, Pilecki, Regier and Edek labor over the ovens, sweating in the intense heat as they shovel coal, mix dough and shape loaves. It is approaching 2am when the civilian bakers take a long break, which means it's almost time to make their move. Through the heat, Bielecki keeps an eye on the two German guards. One is tall, with bright ginger hair,

and absent-mindedly grilling a sausage over a boiler furnace. The other is shorter, and hunched over a desk, writing a letter. Bielecki, Regier, and Edek share a look. It's time. Edek grabs a wheelbarrow, and the three walk past the gingerhead guard. Pilecki gestures to him. We need more fuel. We'll go to the storerooms. The guard, focused on grilling his sausage,

simply nods in disinterest. The moment they arrive at the storeroom, the three spring into action. Reje retrieves the wrench they have stashed behind a pile of coal and slips out to remove the latch from the door. Pilecki and Edek begin to loudly chop wood and shovel coal to cover the sound of the latch bolts being drawn back. The gingerhead guard pokes his head through the door and aggressively shines a flashlight in their faces. Where's the other one? Pilecki and Edek freeze.

The guard turns down the corridor towards Regier and the door. Pilecki's heart leaps to his throat. Then he hears the guard's voice echoing down the corridor from near the toilet. Ah, there you are. Get back to work. Pilecki's shoulders sag in relief. Regé must have heard the guard coming

and slipped into the toilet in the nick of time. A moment later, Regé appears in the doorway. It's done. The latch is gone. Pilecki nods and takes a breath. Okay, now the phone line. Edek steps forward, slipping the penknife into his sleeve.

He grabs the handles of a wheelbarrow filled with coal and guides it out of the room. Edek guides his wheelbarrow into the corridor. The cart gives him an excuse for why he's between rooms, but even so he needs to be quick. His eyes scan the brown telephone cable that runs along the ceiling. As quietly as he can, he sets down the wheelbarrow and climbs onto a small pile of flower sacks. Reaching up, he draws the penknife

and cuts the telephone cable in two places. A small section of the rubber-coated wire drops, and Edek catches it expertly in his hand. Almost cat-like, he hops down, picks up the wheelbarrow, and manoeuvres down the hall and into the main room. As he passes the ginger-haired guard grilling his sausage, he casually throws the section of wire he cuts into an oven. The second he does, he realizes his mistake.

The smell of burning rubber immediately fills the air. The Gingerhead guard jumps up. What the hell did you put in there? Edek shrugs and looks at the machine helplessly as if it's just some technical malfunction. Gradually the smell dissipates. The guard glares at Edek and flashes his light into the oven. Edek's breath catches as he envisions the guard seeing the wires. But the guard sees nothing and after scowling at Edek, returns to his sausage. Edek exhales in relief. But he knows that when the guards next try to call the main camp, the cut telephone line will be discovered. The clock's ticking. They need to go now.

Pilecki and Reje stand by the bakery door, staring tensely down the corridor. Edek appears and silently hands Reje a bundle of civilian clothes. Pilecki has already changed into his. Regier swiftly changes, then approaches the door. He turns and looks at the other two. This is it. Once they unlock this door, there are only two options. Escape or death. Pilecki gives him the knot.

Regier slips their forged key into the lock. All three hold their breath. The key turns in the lock. Pilecki exhales in relief. But when Rejey pushes the door, it doesn't open. Rejey pushes again. Again, nothing.

His face turns white in terror. What's happening? Down the hall, Pilecki hears the guards' footsteps. It's now or never. Without a word, all three launch their bodies at the door. The door crashes open, and cold air hits Pilecki's face as he stumbles out. He sees Reje sprint ahead into the darkness. He regains his balance and he and Edek take off after him, Pilecki's legs pumping as hard as they can. Pilecki hears the guards shouting and the crack of their rifles, but he doesn't care.

The sense of freedom is welling within him, making his body strain ever harder, propelling him ever faster into the night. Three days later, Nazi occupied Poland, the small town of Tyniec, 30 miles east of Auschwitz. Pilecki, Rejze and Edek moved carefully through the forests on the edge of town, trying not to draw attention to themselves. Since their escape, none of them have eaten or slept much. The sun is setting, which means the curfew will begin soon, and they need to find a place to hide for the night.

They make their way towards a nearby farm, hoping to find shelter. But as they approach the farmhouse, the door swings open. A middle-aged woman appears in the doorway. She's wearing a traditional peasant dress that's worn and threadbare, and clutching a pail of water. Regé approaches, trying to appear as friendly and non-threatening as possible. I'm sorry, madam. Is there any way you could please spare us some milk and bread? The woman gives the three a suspicious glare. We have nothing to spare.

The woman's farmer husband appears behind her and casts his eye on Regé. He puts his hand on his wife's shoulder and leans towards her. We should help them. They will get us in trouble. The farmer ignores her, pushes the door open, and beckons Pilecki and his companions inside. They follow him in, and he motions for them to sit at the wooden table with an empathetic look at their rail-thin frames. We have beet soup. It's not much, but I know what hunger's like. The farmer's wife ladles out the soup.

Pilecki and his companions immediately start frantically spooning it into their mouths. The farmer looks on thoughtfully, stroking his graying beard. You must have come from the works in Germany. Pilecki nods as he eats. Mmm. Yeah, that's right. The farmer narrows his eyes. But... at the works, you're allowed to have hair,

and all three of you have your head shaved. Pilecki freezes, trying to think of a response. His companions look panicked. There was a typhus outbreak. They made us shave our heads to control the lice. The farmer nods slowly, almost smiling. Pilecki can tell he doesn't believe them, but that he doesn't seem to care.

Well, you shouldn't walk around looking like that. But I saw much in the Great War, there." Pilecki says, "...Well, you shouldn't walk around looking like that. But I saw much in the Great War, and I don't want to know any more details. If you trust me, you can sleep in our barn tonight." Pilecki pauses. He is desperately tired, but this is a risk. The farmer or his wife could easily report them to the Germans. But then Pilecki figures that this couple has already risked everything just by feeding them. Thank you. That would be very kind.

The three SKPs finish their soup and the farmer leads them to the barn. Pilecki realises this will be the first real pillow he's slept on since his arrest two and a half years ago. He feels a surge of relief and gratitude that decent, kind people still exist in the world. Two days later, Nia Powomica forest, southern Poland. Wilecki, Rezje and Edek pick their way through a narrow forest path. They have made good progress heading towards the town of Bochnia, where Edek's family have a house where they can hide. They have been moving covertly, keeping clear of the main roads

and begging for crusts of bread from poles they meet along the way. The path leads on to a wider road and the three crouch down, checking the coast is clear. Ahead they see a forester's house with the shutters drawn, but the road seems deserted. They step out onto the path and begin walking. Then they see him. A German soldier walking straight towards them, with his rifle slung over his shoulder. The SKPs keep their eyes fixed on the ground and keep walking.

Pilecki pretends he didn't hear. The other two follow his lead. At the sound of the soldier cocking his rifle, he and the soldier stare at each other. Pilecki smiles innocently. All is good, yeah? At that moment, another soldier emerges from the foresters' house, and the soldier facing them momentarily lowers his rifle.

Pilecki seizes the split second opportunity. Run! In a flash Pilecki and his companions sprint back into the forest scattering in different directions. Pilecki hurls himself through the undergrowth leaping over logs and struggling to maintain his balance. Bullets whistled by his ears. He sees Edek to his right, sprinting in the same direction. Then Kolesky feels something thud into his right shoulder. He must have been hit, but he manages to stay upright. He keeps running, desperately trying to stay on his feet,

propelled forwards by the terror of being caught again. That evening, Niappuwa meets a forest, Nazi occupied Poland. Pilecki winces as Edek rubs iodine into the wound in his left shoulder. Edek peers at the bloodied hole for a closer look. You're lucky. He missed the bone. The bullet went straight through.

Pilecki looks down at his jacket. There are three more holes where bullets passed through without hitting him. Edek looks on as Pilecki breaks into quiet, barely suppressed laughter. What's funny? You calling me lucky. I just spent two and a half years in Auschwitz.

I was shot and yet you're right. I feel like the luckiest man in the world. Edek breaks into a smile. So what now? Do we wait for Reje? Bielecki shakes his head. We don't even know if he's alive. And there's no way he'll find us in this forest, even if he is. He knows where the safe house is.

We head there, hope for the best. And we better hurry, the Germans will be doing a sweep of the area. Six months later, October 29th, 1943, Warsaw. Pilecki stands in a stiff military posture as he recounts his escape to the commander of the Polish resistance movement, Karol Jabłonski. When we finally made it to the safe house in Bochnia, we were relieved to find Rej already there waiting for us. And after recovering for a few days to get our strength back, we made our way here. Pilecki snaps to attention and gives a salute. Jabłonski stands, makes his way over, and extends his hand for Pilecki to shake.

You've done extraordinarily well, First Lieutenant. A truly brave and daring escape. Pilecki smiles, then regains his composure. Thank you, sir. But honestly, I would rather tell you about the conditions inside the camp itself. Pilecki sighs, and paces slowly back to lean on his desk. I can assure you I know all about Darsvids. After the war, I'll show you how thick the files on that place are.

All your reports are there too. With respect, sir, the thickness of the files does nothing to help the prisoners. We need to organize an attack to liberate, to destroy this place forever. First Lieutenant, it is not for you to decide where we attack. When the Germans retreat, we need to be ready to secure Poland's independence. Stalin is already advancing. The Soviets are getting ready to make themselves the new occupiers of Poland. Every soldier must be preserved for this next battle. The battle for Warsaw, the Polish nation's very survival, is at stake. Pilecki feels the fury rising within him.

So you will do nothing. Don't you realize how many loyal resistance fighters are imprisoned in that place? Pilecki, the resistance cannot be seen to be going on missions to liberate Jews. It will split the movement. After Warsaw and Krakow are won, then maybe we can turn to liberating Auschwitz. Dismissed." Bielewski turns on his heel and leaves the room, feeling a burning wave of rage, helplessness and guilt rising within him, as he thinks of his friends and comrades still waiting for death behind the black

iron gates of Auschwitz. Two months later, Warsaw. Bielecki stands near the front door of his sister-in-law Eleonora's apartment. He looks towards the kitchen, where he got himself arrested by the Germans three years earlier, and feels numb, as if that was another life. Pilecki's thoughts are punctured by a knock at the front door. Eleonora strives out of the kitchen and swings it open. In the hallway stand his family, his wife Maria and his children Zofia and Andrzej. It's the first time he's seen them in three years. Pilecki has pictured this moment so many times,

his children bounding into his arms, his wife's overjoyed embrace. But now, in the moment, nobody moves. For a second, he and his family simply stare at each other. Pilecki realizes how different he must look from the man who left them and how much they must have been through themselves in that time. Sensing the awkwardness, Eleonora cuts in. Well come in, come in. I'll give father children, then there's a surprise for you in the kitchen. Andrzej and Zofia walk in and press themselves into Pilecki's sight. and Zofia walk in and press themselves into Pilecki's sight.

Eleonora leads the children away. Maria enters slowly and takes her husband in her arms. As they hold each other, it takes all of Pilecki's discipline not to break down crying. The children shout excitedly from the kitchen. In preparation for them coming, Eleonora bought some sweet jellies on the black market. Maria smiles and leads Pilecki into the kitchen. Pilecki observes his family

as they fuss around the kitchen table. He knows he should be overjoyed, but he feels somehow far away, as if all this is actually happening to another person. He realises that what he used to call normality now seems alien and strange. Suddenly, Zofia walks over from the kitchen table. Daddy, what have you got in your pocket? Pilecki realises he's been absentmindedly fiddling with something in his trouser pocket. He pulls out a small crust of bread.

Zofia looks up, confused. Why do you have that in your pocket? I, erm... I don't know, I suppose I'd just like to have it with me, just in case. Zofia doesn't seem to understand, but she takes his hand and Pilecki lets himself be pulled over to the table where his family have gathered. July 1945, Italy. Pilecki sits in a chair outside a small café overlooking the sea in Porto San Giorgio. He shades himself from the blazing sun as he looks out over the bright blue waters of

the Adriatic. It's been 18 months since Pilecki's reunion with his wife and children. Shortly after, he took up arms with the resistance in the doomed Warsaw Uprising. They hoped to retake the city from the Germans before the Soviets arrived. But though the Polish resistance fought fiercely, the uprising failed, and Pilecki was captured. This time, he was taken under his real name, so the Germans never realized he was an escapee from Auschwitz, and he was sent to a prisoner of war camp in Murnau, Bavaria.

It was there that he listened to reports on the radio of the Red Army defeating the Germans, conquering Poland for themselves, and eventually liberating Auschwitz-Birkenau. Three months after the Soviet forces reached Auschwitz, American soldiers reached the camp where he was being held. On being freed, Pilecki drifted to Porto San Giorgio, which has now become a gathering place for Polish soldiers and refugees. become a gathering place for Polish soldiers and refugees. As the waiter places a small glass of wine in front of him, Pilecki gazes at the blank sheets of paper on the table.

He picks up his pen, stops, and puts it down again. Pilecki has decided that he needs to write a record of what he saw at Auschwitz. Not a report to be filed away, but one for the entire world to read. But until now he has not felt ready to face the enormity of the task. He looks around, taking in the beauty of the ancient Italian town, with so many of its buildings damaged by bombs and shrapnel. Pilecki takes a breath, raises the glass of wine to his lips, drains it, then picks up his pen and begins to write.

So I am to write down the driest of facts, which is what my friends want me to do. The more you stick to bare facts without any kind of commentary, the more valuable it all will be. Well, here I go. But a man is not made of wood, let alone stone. Although even a stone might break out in a sweat in some of what I shall relate. Pilecki enters the grand chambers of the Polish ambassador to the Vatican. He glances at the beautiful Renaissance paintings and the gleaming, pristine marble floors. Once again, the strange feeling of alienation washes over him. The ambassador rises to greet him.

Ah, First Lieutenant Pilecki. Won't you sit down? I'm told you have something important to give me. Pilecki sits in a deep leather chair and reaches into the bag he is carrying. He withdraws the manuscripts that he spent the past three months writing. He holds it out to the ambassador. Yes, Your Excellency. This is my most complete account of what I experienced in Auschwitz. I ask that you and the Polish government in exile keep it safe,

to ensure this record survives, so the world cannot forget what happened there. The Ambassador reaches out and takes the document, but looks somewhat confused. Well, thank you very much, but why can you not keep this safe yourself? I'm returning to Poland to continue the struggle for independence. The ambassador's expression changes from confusion to concern. Are you sure that's wise? You're a known member of the Polish underground. The Russians are having resistance fighters arrested and shot. Pilecki pauses, trying to contain the conflicting

emotions within him. For Britain and America, the war might be over. But for us it's not. Poland has exchanged one occupier for another. I swore an oath to fight for Polish freedom and I must fulfill that promise. All I ask is that you keep that report safe." The ambassador nods seriously, then opens a drawer in his mahogany desk and slides the report inside. March 1946, Soviets occupied Poland. Pilecki stops in his tracks.

He flinches as he sees the black, wrought iron gates straight ahead of him. Arbeit macht frei. The slogan seared into his memory. Beside him stands his former blockmate, Vitold Rozhitsky, also frozen to the spot. Pilecki's hand reaches out and grasps Rozhitsky's arm. The two men share a moment,

then walk forward together. It's been six months since Pilecki left Italy to return to Poland. Since then, he's lived undercover, as a spy It's been six months since Pilecki left Italy to return to Poland. Since then, he's lived undercover as a spy for the underground resistance to Soviet occupation. He met Rzitsky in Warsaw, and the two men agreed to visit Auschwitz together, to perhaps find some meaning, some answers to the questions burning within them. The two men pass through the iron gates and enter Auschwitz. The authorities have turned the camp into a memorial and the grotesque evidence of the evil inflicted there lies all around. Pilecki and Rozhitsky pass through a residential block and

pause as they see a giant pile of children's shoes. They walk on in silence. They pass an enormous heap of women's clothes, jackets, dresses, embroidered shirts, all looted from the dead. And beyond this, they see another pile, this time of human hair. They walk on, in silence. Scattered throughout the camp, other visitors wander in shattered reverie. Some are former prisoners, some are relatives of the murdered. Through the morning fog,

the shuffling figures resemble ghosts in the distance. Pilecki and Rzhecki pass the courtyard where they were forced to stand watching their friends freeze to death during roll call. Beside the wall where so many were shot, people have placed flowers. They walk on in silence. The two men approach the crematorium. It lies in partial ruins, destroyed in an attempt by the retreating Germans to hide their crimes. The two former prisoners come to a dead stop. They stand and look. There are no words. Pilecki realizes that he came here looking for answers, but there are no answers. Only the silence and the ghostly morning fog.

Without thinking, Pilecki's hand moves him voluntarily to his pocket, his fingers close over a single crust of bread, which he clasps tightly in his palm. Witold Pilecki continued to fight the communist takeover of Poland until May 1947, when he was arrested by the Communist secret police. After six months of torture and interrogation, he was charged with spying for the exiled Polish government and plotting the assassination of Communist officials, which he denied. In March 1948, a show trial found him guilty of treason and sentenced him to death. His attorney urged him to plead for mercy. Instead, he

told the court, I tried to live my life in such a fashion so that in my last hour I would rather be happy than fearful. I find happiness in knowing that the fight was worth it. Bielecki was executed with a gunshot to the back of the head on May 25th, 1948. After his execution, Poland's communist regime tried to erase him from history, but the report he gave to the Polish ambassador at the Vatican survived. It was taken to London and rediscovered in the 1960s. After the fall of communism in 1989, previously secret Polish archives were opened, revealing more about Pilecki's story and bringing him back to public attention.

Since then, he's become a national hero in Poland, with many monuments and streets named after him. with many monuments and streets named after him. The Polish government founded the Pilecki Institute to commemorate and document the experiences of Polish citizens who endured Nazi and Soviet totalitarianism in the 20th century. Despite several searches, the whereabouts of Pilecki's remains are still unknown. In all, 1.1 million people were murdered at Auschwitz-Birkenau, 90% of whom were Jews. The camp remains a memorial and museum to this day. Join us for the next episode, where we're joined by Christoph Koscha, Vitold Poletsky's great-grandson. Christoph shares personal stories about the man behind the heroism,

reflects on his own experience visiting Auschwitz, and reveals why Poletsky's name and legacy was silenced for so long. Have you got a spy story you'd like us to tell? Email your ideas to thespywho at Wandery.com From Wandery, this is the third episode in our season, The Spy Who Infiltrated Auschwitz. A quick note about our dialogue. We can't know everything that was said or done behind closed doors, particularly far back in history, but our scenes are written using the best available sources.

So even if a scene or conversation has been recreated for dramatic effect, it's still based on biographical research. We've used various sources to make this series, including The Volunteer by Jack Fairweather and Vitold's Report from Auschwitz by Vitold Pilecki. To find trusted information about Auschwitz, including survivors' testimonies, you can visit Auschwitz.org. The Spy Who is hosted by me, Raza Jafri. Our show is produced by Vespucci with writing and story editing by Yellow Ant for Wandery. For Yellow Ant, this episode was written by JS Raffaelli and researched by Louise Byrne,

with special thanks to Jakub Czaczutka. Our managing producer is Jay Priest. For Vespucci, our senior producers are Ashley Clevery and Philippa Gearing. Our sound designer is Ivor Manley. Rachel Byrne is the supervising producer. Music supervisor is Scott Velasquez for Fris'n Sync. Executive producers for Vespucci are Johnny Galvin and Daniel Turkin. Executive producer for Yellow Ant is Tristan Donovan. Our producer for Wondery is Theodora Louloudis and our managing producer is

Rachel Sibley. Executive producers for Wondery are Estelle Doyle, Chris Bourne, Morgan Jones and Marshall Dewey. Music Laundry Music