“KOC I” Airdrop Zone
On the Izabelin meadows, surrounded by forest, an airdrop operation codenamed “Koc” (“Blanket”) was carried out in the autumn of 1943. The Polish underground used the site to receive parachutists and supplies from Allied aircraft.
The signal to begin the operation was a tune broadcast after a radio announcement from London. The area was secured by small units, and the reception team waited on the meadows with a cart to carry away the cargo. According to the recollections of forester Zygmunt Mirecki, codename “Zim”, between 100 and 120 people took part in securing the operation.
On the night of 14–15 September 1943, the first drop was received here: three parachutists and supplies. Another successful operation took place on the night of 9–10 April 1944, when weapons and four parachutists landed on the meadows.
Operation “Koc” shows how many people and how much careful preparation were needed to receive an airdrop. Meadows that look ordinary today were an important site of Polish underground activity.
