Pujol, Juan

Pujol, Juan (1912–88),Spanish-born British double agent codenamed GARBO—because the British considered him the best actor in the world—and ARABEL by the Germans.

When Pujol first approached the British to work for them he was rejected. He then approached the Germans, sensibly reasoning that if he was in Abwehr pay he would become an offer the British could hardly refuse, and tricked the local Abwehr into believing he was sending them messages from England. One happened to be perilously close to the truth and his apparent presence in the UK, revealed by ULTRA intelligence, caused MI5 great consternation until his true whereabouts, and his true allegiance, became known, and he was then taken from Portugal to the UK.

In England Pujol was handled by a brilliant case officer, Tomàs Harris. Between them they invented a notional spy ring which comprised fourteen sub-agents and eleven well-placed informers, all of whom the Germans came to accept as real and trustworthy. During the next three years, this enabled the XX-committee to pass false information to the Abwehr including, most importantly, the deception plans for the Normandy landings (see OVERLORD). Pujol was so highly regarded by both sides that he was awarded the MBE by the British and the Iron Cross by the Germans (see decorations).

Bibliography

Pujol. J., and and West, N. , Garbo (London, 1986).