Popski's Private Army

A British fighting unit in World War 2. It was raised in October 1942 by Lt-Col Vladimir Peniakoff (1897–1951), known as ‘Popski’, a Belgian of Russian parentage. It had a maximum strength of 195 men, and engaged in intelligence-gathering and hit-and-run attacks behind enemy lines in N Africa and Italy.

Popski's Private Army was one of the group of irregular Special Forces units spawned by the British in the Western Desert during World War II.

The founder and commanding officer was Major (later Lieutenant-Colonel) Vladimir Peniakoff DSO MC who had some unconventional ideas about discipline and techniques.

The unit was formed as No 1 Demolition Squadron, PPA in 1942.

They also caused a certain amount of problems to the more conservative members of their own side, and more than one staid senior officer got into trouble for encountering a member of the unit in the street and putting the man on a charge because he answered "Popski's Private Army" when asked what his unit was.

There are six known major publications about PPA:

Popski’s own story – Popski’s Private Army, Cassell Military Paperbacks. Corporal Ben Owen’s story (Captain Yunnie’s gunner) – With Popski’s Private Army, Astrolabe Publishing, available from the Friends of Popski's Private Army.

There are currently two organisations working closely together to research and preserve PPA history and to locate PPA veterans and relatives:

The PPA Preservation Society (Belgium): ppa.ps@pandora.be The Friends of PPA (UK): fppa@popski.com

More information can be found on the PPA-PS website: http://users.pandora.be/ppa

Many pictures of recent PPA reunions can be seen at: http://www.beanpix.com/gallery/friendsofppa

At the time of this minor update (24 April 2006) there are 15 (out of 217) PPA veterans known to be still alive.