Polish Red Cross

Polish Red Cross (Polski Czerwony Krzyż, abbr. PCK) is the Polish member of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. It was founded in 1919 and recognized by the Red Cross on 24 July, and its first president was Paweł Sapieha.

Before the World War II, the PCK operated ambulances for the Polish Army, in order to save Army's budget.

WWII Work in Spain
In 1942, the eminent Polish cryptologists Marian Rejewski and Henryk Zygalski managed to escape from occupied France to Spain, but were then imprisoned by the Spanish. The Polish Red Cross gained access to them, and arrangements were made for food packages to be delivered. The Red Cross personnel, perhaps understanding who they were communicating with, then displayed their own, rather daring cryptographic ingenuity. They sent ahead a list, in plain Polish, of "Polish Prisoners" who were to receive packages.

The Red Cross were later able to secure their release.