Nickname(s) Popski Name Vladimir Peniakoff Books Popski's private army | Rank Lieutenant-Colonel Allegiance United Kingdom | |
 | ||
Born 30 March 1897Belgium ( 1897-03-30 ) Years of service 1917 - 1918 (France)1940 - 1946 (UK) Education St John's College, Cambridge, University of Cambridge | ||
Place of burial Suffolk, United Kingdom | ||
Lieutenant-Colonel Vladimir "Popski" Peniakoff (Russian: Владимир Дмитриевич Пеняков Vladimir Dmitriyevich Penyakov, 30 March 1897 – 15 May 1951) was the founder and commanding officer of No. 1 Demolition Squadron, PPA, colloquially known as "Popski's Private Army", during World War II.
Contents
Early life
Vladimir Peniakoff was born on 30 March 1897 in Huy, Belgium, to affluent Jewish Russian emigre parents where his father, Dmitri, owned and operated an aluminium factory. Peniakoff began an engineering degree at Université libre de Bruxelles at the age of 15 before his studies were interrupted by the German invasion of Belgium in August 1914.
His father took him to England where Peniakoff resumed his studies at St John's College, Cambridge reading mathematics. He initially had conscientious objections to participation in the conflict, but by his fourth term at Cambridge his views had altered, and he went to France to volunteer as a gunner in the French artillery. He was injured during his service with the French Army and was invalided out after the Armistice in November 1918.
In 1924 Peniakoff emigrated to Egypt where he worked as an engineer with a sugar manufacturer. During this period of his life he learned to sail, fly and navigate vehicles through the desert, and also become a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Peniakoff was a polyglot who spoke English, Russian, Italian, German, French and Arabic well.
World War II
Peniakoff was commissioned as a second lieutenant on the British Army General List on 4 October 1940, serving in the Libyan Arab Force.
During the conflict he was awarded the Military Cross on 26 November 1942, and on 26 April 1945 he was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO).
Post-war, in 1947, he was made a Belgian Officier de l'Ordre de la Couronne avec Palme and awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre 1940 avec Palme.
Personal life
In Egypt he married Josephe Louise Colette "Josette" Ceysens, a Egypt-born Belgian, on 10 November 1928 and had two daughters, Olga and Anne, born in 1930 and 1932. After receiving his commission he divorced Josephe in March 1941 and sent the family to South Africa. On 2 April 1948 he married Pamela Firth in Chelsea.
Death
Peniakoff died on 15 May 1951 of a brain tumour at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London. His body was buried in the graveyard of St. Leonard's Church, Wixoe, in the County of Suffolk.