Popski's private army

Born in Belgium of Russian parentage Vladimir Peniakoff, otherwise known as 'Popski', was a middle aged engineer working in Egypt when World War II broke out. Inspired by British army officer, Colonel Ralph Bagnold, a pioneer of desert exploration, Popski converted his car 'The Pisspot' to undertake his own desert travels. Anxious not to remain a civilian, 'Popski' obtained a commission in the British led, Libyan Arab Force. Subsequently he persuaded a British commander at GHQ Middle East to allow him to found his own unit, Popski's Private Army. The PPA, as it became known, led by Popski, participated in long range reconnaissance and combat missions against Axis forces in North Africa and Italy. Comprising not more than one hundred men at its zenith, the PPA created havoc behind Italian and German lines. Popski's story is a tale of derring-do emulated today by special forces units such as the SAS and the Green Berets.