Juan Pujol García (14 February 1912 – 10 October 1988), also known by his codenames "Garbo" (given by the British) and "Alaric/Arabel" (used by the Germans), was one of the most successful double agents of World War II. He played a crucial role in deceiving Nazi Germany about the Allied invasion plans, especially leading up to D-Day.
Early Life
Juan Pujol García was born in Barcelona, Spain. Before the war, he lived an ordinary life, working various jobs including farming and running a small business. During the Spanish Civil War, he avoided strong political alignment but became deeply opposed to totalitarian regimes.
Becoming a Double Agent
At the beginning of World War II, Pujol wanted to help the Allies, especially United Kingdom, but his initial offers were rejected. Determined, he decided to act on his own.
He approached Abwehr (Nazi Germany's intelligence agency) and successfully convinced them he was a loyal spy. Although he had never even been to Britain, he fabricated reports using publicly available information, maps, and imagination. His reports were so convincing that the Germans trusted him completely.
Working for British Intelligence
Eventually, British intelligence (specifically MI5) recognized his talent and recruited him as a double agent. He was given the codename "Garbo", inspired by actress Greta Garbo, because of his excellent acting skills.
Pujol created an entire fictional spy network consisting of dozens of imaginary agents across Britain. The Germans believed this network was real and relied heavily on his information.
Role in D-Day Deception
Pujol played a key role in Operation Fortitude, a major Allied deception strategy. He sent false reports to Germany indicating that the main invasion would occur at Pas-de-Calais, not Normandy where the real invasion happened.
Because of this, German forces were misled and delayed sending reinforcements, contributing significantly to the success of D-Day.
Recognition and Later Life
Remarkably, Pujol received awards from both sides:
A.) From Germany:
the Iron Cross.
B.) From Britain:
the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
After the war, he faked his own death to avoid Nazi retaliation and moved to Venezuela, where he lived quietly for many years.
He later re-emerged and was publicly recognized for his contributions before his death in 1988.
Summary
Juan Pujol García was a master of deception who:
A.) Fooled Nazi intelligence with fake information
B.) Built an imaginary spy network
Helped ensure the success of D-Day
C.) Became one of the most important double agents in history