In September 1939, as Nazi Germany invaded Poland, the Polish government undertook a secret operation to evacuate its gold reserves, totaling approximately 75 tons. The gold was transported by road and rail to Romania, then shipped across the Black Sea to Turkey, and onward to Lebanon, before reaching France. After France fell in 1940, the gold was moved to Britain and eventually shipped to Canada for safekeeping.
The operation involved a small team of Polish officials and soldiers who faced constant risk of interception by German forces or betrayal by collaborators. The gold was stored in the Bank of Canada's vaults in Ottawa until the end of World War II. In 1946, the gold was returned to the new Polish government, then under Soviet influence.
This story highlights the lengths to which the Polish government-in-exile went to preserve national assets from Nazi plunder. The evacuation is considered a remarkable logistical achievement given the chaotic conditions of the early war.
