When the NKVD seized the AK’s money.

[Steve]

Taken in a very abridged form from Civil War In Poland 1942 – 1948 by Anita J Prazmowska. The book deals mostly with the political machinations of the various actors rather than the military aspects.

In May 1945 the NKVD arrested a number of AK leaders from the Krakow area. Copies of messages between London and the AK leadership in Poland were found. Then after interrogation an AK treasury was found containing $216,000 in banknotes and $1,000 in gold. Over the next week radio operators and radio equipment was captured.

An even bigger success occurred between November 1 and 15 1945 when most of the WIN (replaced the AK) leadership was arrested and its funds were found. There was $1,112,310 in notes, $81,385 in gold and £5 in gold. During interrogation of the WIN leaders a great deal of information was obtained.

In today’s money $1,112,310 dollars are worth about $15.5 million to which can be added about $3 million from Krakow, the average price of an oz of gold in 1945 was $34.71 for 2019 it was $1392.6. As all this money is in dollars and US gold presumably it did not come from the UK during the war so did it arrive after and where did it come from? Did it all come into Poland by courier or were there still planes from the west landing or making parachute drops? Why was such a large amount not split up among various locations?

According to Wikipedia the last active member of the Polish resistance Jozef Franczak was killed by the communists in 1963. He was betrayed and died with a gun in his hand. There is a short factual film about him on Youtube.