THE film Enigma has raised a great deal of disquiet and consternation among the Polish community. Although based on a work of fiction, the film nevertheless refers to historical facts about Enigma and Bletchley Park.

Indeed, Bletchley Park figures in the credits. We do not question the fact that in a work of fiction, the English author chose to portray a Pole as a traitor, although obviously we feel that this is a gratuitous slur on Poles who fought side by side with their British allies.

What seems unacceptable is the fact that, as the story revolves around Enigma and Bletchley Park, there is only one brief mention that it was the Poles who made the Enigma machine available to British Intelligence. The overall impression is of a Polish traitor at Bletchley Park, when no Pole ever actually worked there, let alone was a traitor.

The substantial, sine qua non, contribution of Polish Intelligence is conspicuous by there being no mention of it. The historical context of Enigma and Bletchley Park, concerning the Polish contribution, is as follows: Mathematicians of the Polish Intelligence service were the first to break the Enigma code. In July 1939, the Polish Intelligence Service passed over to British Intelligence a copy of the Enigma machine, and the fruits of their labour in breaking the code in the years 1932-1939. This work greatly assisted the Bletchley Park code breakers and contributed to the Allied victory in the Second World War II. No Pole ever worked at Bletchley Park.

The characters portrayed in this film are entirely fictitious and bear no relation to any person living or dead.

Andrzej Morawicz president, Federation of Poles in Great Britain King Street, W6.

©2001 Associated New Media Limited