1 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:16,000 Hello and welcome to another episode of Casting Views The. 2 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,280 Podcast that takes a topic. Each week and that's the name 3 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:20,520 suggests. Cast Views. 4 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:25,120 This week I'm diving into a historical subject and it's 5 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:28,520 something that has been of interest to me for a while since 6 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:32,040 I initially learned about it and last year I was then able to 7 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:34,680 visit a couple of shows and events in London that. 8 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:38,280 Featured this subject. And I mean as the name of the. 9 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:42,760 Episode suggests this is about. Operation Mincemeat so last. 10 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:46,560 Year I visited. The State show in London watched 11 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,360 that. And then I think just out of 12 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:53,840 pure chance and and timing, there was an exhibition in the 13 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:57,520 Imperial War Museum London called Spies Lies in Deception. 14 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:01,880 Now that was an absolutely fascinating exhibition, as the 15 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:03,240 name would. Suggest all about. 16 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:05,560 Spies, Lies and the Art deception. 17 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:08,920 Now there's going to be some episodes that come out this. 18 00:01:08,960 --> 00:01:11,680 Year related to that. And I can't wait to to work on 19 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,160 those. But part of that also. 20 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:18,480 Had a section devoted to Operation Mincemeat. 21 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:21,600 You may have heard of Operation Mincemeat and as I mentioned, 22 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,680 you may have heard or seen the stage show or even seen the film 23 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,280 that's been made. But do you know what it's? 24 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:30,200 Really about if you do. Hopefully you'll still find this 25 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:32,600 interesting. If you don't, yeah the the next. 26 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:36,000 Half hour or so is going to. Yeah, give an overview of what 27 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:39,800 that event was. Operation Minsmate was a British 28 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,360 deception operation in the Second World War. 29 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,840 Which was used to. Disguise the 1943 Allied 30 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:50,880 invasion of Sicily on the 29th September 1939 shortly. 31 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,840 After the start of the. Second World War Rear Admiral 32 00:01:53,840 --> 00:01:56,920 John Godfrey, the Director of Naval Intelligence. 33 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,560 Circulated what was called the. Trout memo, this was. 34 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:04,480 A paper that compared the. Deception of an enemy to fly 35 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:07,120 fishing. The journalist and author Ben 36 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:09,160 McIntyre. Observes that although the 37 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:11,000 paper. Was published under Godfrey's 38 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:13,480 name. It bore all the hallmarks of 39 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:16,400 Lieutenant Commander Ian Fleming, who was Godfrey's 40 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,120 personal assistant. Now, if that last name rings a 41 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:21,760 bell, well, it's because Ian Fleming was the author of the 42 00:02:21,760 --> 00:02:25,560 James Bond novels. The memo contained a number of 43 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:28,920 plans to be considered for use against the Axis powers. 44 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:31,760 To lure U. Boats and German surface ships 45 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:36,640 towards minefields #28 On the list was an entry titled A 46 00:02:36,640 --> 00:02:39,640 Suggestion Brackets. Not a very nice one. 47 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:44,120 It was an idea to plant misleading papers on a corpse 48 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:45,760 that would be found by the enemy. 49 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:49,560 Now the deliberate planting of fake documents to be found by 50 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,200 enemy was not new. Known as the Haversack. 51 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:54,240 Ruse it'd been. Practised by the British and 52 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:58,680 others in the 1st and 2nd. World Wars in September. 1942 an 53 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:02,240 aircraft flying from Britain to. Gibraltar crashed off Cadiz. 54 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:04,960 All aboard were. Killed, including the paymaster, 55 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:08,440 Lieutenant James Haddon Turner, a Courier carrying top secret 56 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:13,280 documents and a French agent. Turner's documents included a 57 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:17,160 letter from General Mark Clark, the American deputy commander of 58 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:21,360 the Allied Expeditionary Force, to General Noel Mason 59 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:23,280 MacFarlane. He was the British. 60 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:25,360 Governor and commander in chief. Of Gibraltar. 61 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:29,280 The papers were to inform him that General Dwight D Eisenhower 62 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:33,120 would be arriving in Gibraltar on the eve of Operation Torch's. 63 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,640 Target date of the 4th. Of November now just as a 64 00:03:36,640 --> 00:03:40,280 sideline Operation Torch that I just mentioned was an Allied 65 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:43,760 invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. 66 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:46,240 It was a compromise operation that met. 67 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:49,680 The British objective of. Securing victory in North Africa 68 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:52,080 while allowing American armed forces. 69 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:54,280 The. Opportunity to begin their fight 70 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:57,200 against Germany and Italy on a limited scale. 71 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:01,400 Turner's body washed up on the beach near Tarifa and was 72 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:04,680 recovered by the Spanish authorities when the body was 73 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:06,680 returned to the. British The letter was still. 74 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:10,120 On it and technicians determined that the letter had not been 75 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:12,920 opened. Other Allied intelligence 76 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:16,000 sources established at the notebook carried by the French 77 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:19,760 agent had been copied by the Germans, but they dismissed it 78 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:23,360 as being disinformation to British planners. 79 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:25,480 This showed that some material. That was. 80 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:29,080 Obtained by the Spanish, was being passed to the Germans a 81 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:32,360 month after the Turner. Crash British intelligence 82 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:35,000 officer. Charles Chumley puts forward his 83 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:39,160 version of the Trout Memo plan codenamed Trojan Horse. 84 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:42,200 His plan was as follows. A body is. 85 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:45,680 Obtained from one of the London hospitals, the lungs are filled 86 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:48,560 with water and documents are disposed in an inside. 87 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:50,840 Pocket. The body is then dropped. 88 00:04:50,840 --> 00:04:54,960 By a Coastal Command aircraft on being found, the supposition in 89 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:57,800 the enemy's mind may well be that one of our aircraft. 90 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:00,840 Has either been shot? Or forced down, and that this is 91 00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:04,600 one of their passengers. Chumley was a Flight Lieutenant 92 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:08,640 in the Royal Air Force who had been seconded to MI 5, which is 93 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:10,520 Britain's domestic counterintelligence. 94 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,680 And Security Service. He had been appointed as 95 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:17,440 secretary of the 20 Committee, a small interservice 96 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:22,120 interdepartmental team in charge of double agents, in November of 97 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:25,520 1940. 2. The 20 committee turned down 98 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:28,520 Chumley's plan as being unworkable, but thought there 99 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:32,160 may have been some potential in the idea as there was a naval 100 00:05:32,160 --> 00:05:34,680 connection to the plan. John Masterman, who was the 101 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:38,440 chairman of the committee, assigned Ewan Montague, the 102 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,640 naval representative, to work with Chumley to develop the plan 103 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:44,680 further. Montague, a peacetime lawyer and 104 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:46,960 King's counsel who had volunteered at the. 105 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:50,360 Outbreak of the war worked. Under Godfrey at the Naval 106 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:54,000 Intelligence Division, where he ran the sub branch which handled 107 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:57,640 counter espionage work. Godfrey had also appointed 108 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:01,160 Montague to oversee all naval deception involving double 109 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:04,320 agents, and as part of his duties, Montague had been 110 00:06:04,320 --> 00:06:06,880 briefed on the need for deception operations to. 111 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:09,120 Aid the Allied. War aims in a forthcoming 112 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:13,240 invasion operation in the Mediterranean in late 1942. 113 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:17,080 With the Allied success in. North Africa military planners 114 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:18,840 turned their attention to the next. 115 00:06:18,840 --> 00:06:21,760 Target British. Considered that an invasion of 116 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:25,600 France from Britain could not take place until 19. 44. 117 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:28,440 And Prime Minister Winston Churchill wanted. 118 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,200 To use the Allied. Forces from North Africa to 119 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:35,880 attack Europe's soft underbelly. There were two possible targets 120 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,160 for the allies to. Attack The first option was 121 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:40,720 Sicily. Gaining control of the island 122 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:44,080 would open up the Mediterranean Sea to Allied shipping and allow 123 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:46,760 the invasion of Continental. Europe through Italy. 124 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:51,360 The second option was to go into Greece and the Balkans to trap 125 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,120 the German forces between the British, American and the 126 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:57,520 Soviets. At the Casablanca conference in 127 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:01,520 January 1943, Allied planners agreed on the selection of 128 00:07:01,520 --> 00:07:05,240 Sicily, codenamed Operation. Husky and decided. 129 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:08,440 To undertake the invasion no later than July, there was 130 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:11,480 concern, however, among the Allied planners that Sicily was 131 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:14,160 too. Obvious a choice, Churchill was 132 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:17,520 reputed to have said. Everyone but a bloody fool. 133 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:19,760 Would know that it's Sicily and that the. 134 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:21,960 Build up of resources. For the invasion would be. 135 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:24,320 Detected. Adolf Hitler, meanwhile, was 136 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:27,640 concerned about a Balkan invasion as the area had been 137 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:30,360 the source of raw materials for the German war industry, 138 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:33,560 including copper, Chrome and oil the Allies knew of. 139 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:35,920 Hitler's fear. And they launched Operation 140 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:40,320 Barclay, a deception operation to play upon his concerns and to 141 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:42,800 mislead the Germans into thinking the Balkans were the 142 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:45,360 objective, diverting resources from Sicily. 143 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,000 The deception reinforced German strategic thinking. 144 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:52,080 About the likely British target to suggest the. 145 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:53,920 Eastern Mediterranean was the target. 146 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:55,760 The Allies set up headquarters in. 147 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:59,400 Cairo, Egypt for a fictional formation, the 12th Army 148 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:03,360 Military manoeuvres were then conducted in Syria, with numbers 149 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:05,400 inflated by dummy tanks and armoured. 150 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:09,360 Vehicles to deceive observers. Greek interpreters were 151 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:12,320 recruited and the allies stockpiled Greek maps and 152 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:15,000 currency. False communications about troop 153 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:18,400 movements were generated from the 12th Army headquarters while 154 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:20,320 the Allied command post in Tunis. 155 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:22,440 Which was to be the. Headquarters of the Sicily 156 00:08:22,440 --> 00:08:24,960 invasion. Reduced radio traffic by using. 157 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:28,840 Landlines wherever possible. Now we start getting into the 158 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:32,760 main part of what Operation Ministry was. 159 00:08:32,760 --> 00:08:36,760 So practicalities had to be to locate a corpse. 160 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:40,720 For the plan now, Montague approached pathologist Sir 161 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:44,440 Bernard Spilsbury to determine what kind of body they needed 162 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:48,080 and what factors they would need to take into account to deceive 163 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:52,440 a Spanish pathologist. Spilsbury informed him that 164 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:55,640 those who died in an air crash often did so from shock and not 165 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:57,720 drowning. The lungs would not necessarily 166 00:08:57,720 --> 00:08:59,320 be filled. With water, he. 167 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:01,240 Also added that Spaniards as Roman. 168 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:04,640 Catholics were averse to post. Mortems and did not hold them. 169 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:07,520 Unless the cause of death. Was of great importance. 170 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:11,040 Spillsbury advised that. Person could have suffered one 171 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:13,280 of many different. Causes of death which could. 172 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:17,760 Be misconstrued in an autopsy, Montague later wrote. 173 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:21,840 If a post mortem examination was made by someone who had formed a 174 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:24,280 preconceived. Idea that the death was. 175 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:26,840 Probably due to drowning. There was little. 176 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:30,000 Likelihood that the difference between this liquid in his lungs 177 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:32,080 that had. Started to decompose and sea 178 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:33,720 water. Would be noticed. 179 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:36,280 This meant that not only would they have a better degree of 180 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:38,920 success than they. Previously thought but that 181 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:41,120 there would also be a. Large number of corpses 182 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:43,920 potentially available for selection when the time came 183 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:47,560 when Montague. Discussed the possibility of. 184 00:09:47,560 --> 00:09:50,880 Obtaining A corpse with Bentley. Purchase Who was the? 185 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:53,880 Coroner for the Northern District of London he was. 186 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:55,800 Told that there would. Be practical and legal 187 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:58,720 difficulties. Now, to quote, he says. 188 00:09:59,000 --> 00:10:01,960 I should think bodies are the only commodities not in short 189 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:04,120 supply at the moment, but even with. 190 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:07,120 Bodies all over the place. Each one has to be accounted 191 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:09,560 for. Purchase promised to look out. 192 00:10:09,560 --> 00:10:12,200 For a body that was suitable. With no relatives who had 193 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:16,920 claimed the corpse for burial on the 28th of January 1943, 194 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:20,000 Purchase contacted Montague with the news he had. 195 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:22,880 Located a suitable body, probably that of. 196 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:25,760 And I'll apologise now if I don't pronounce. 197 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:30,960 This totally correctly but. Of Glyndour, Michael, He was a 198 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:33,840 homeless person who had died from eating rat poison. 199 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:37,520 Purchase informed Montague and Chumley that the small amount of 200 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:40,640 poison in the system would not be identified in a body. 201 00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:42,560 That was supposed to have been. Floating in the sea. 202 00:10:42,560 --> 00:10:45,880 For several days. When Montague commented that the 203 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:48,720 undernourished corpse did not look like a fit field. 204 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:51,600 Officer Purchase. Informed him that he does not 205 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:53,160 have to look like an. Officer. 206 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:55,960 Only a staff officer. Who was more used? 207 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:58,880 To office work. Montague refused to identify the 208 00:10:58,880 --> 00:11:02,760 individual and when describing him, bluntly put it. 209 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:05,680 As he was a. Bit of a near do well and the 210 00:11:05,680 --> 00:11:08,640 only worthwhile thing that he. Ever did he did after his death. 211 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:14,320 Now, Michael's identity, I understand, remained a mystery 212 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:17,680 or remained a secret up until 1996. 213 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:21,600 Now, in 1996, Roger Morgan, an amateur historian from London, 214 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:24,680 uncovered evidence in the. Public Record Office that the. 215 00:11:24,680 --> 00:11:28,560 Identity of the corpse was Glyn dear Michael right at the end. 216 00:11:28,560 --> 00:11:30,360 We'll we'll come on to that the next. 217 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:33,600 Part was to develop. The plan and the the corpses. 218 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:36,520 New identity Montague. Selected the code. 219 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:41,040 Name Mincemeat for the plan. On the 4th of February 1943, 220 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:44,920 Montague and Chumley filed their plan for the operation with the 221 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:48,400 20 Committee. It was a reworking of the Trojan 222 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:51,720 Horse plan. The mincemeat operation was to 223 00:11:51,720 --> 00:11:54,160 place documents on the corpse and then float. 224 00:11:54,160 --> 00:11:57,400 It off the coast of. Spain, whose nominally neutral 225 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:00,240 government was known to cooperate with German military 226 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:02,840 intelligence. The plan was passed by the 227 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:05,400 committee, who then passed it up the chain of command to the 228 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:09,080 senior ally strategist. Montague and Chumley were 229 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:12,280 ordered to continue with their preparations for the operation. 230 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:16,560 They began to create a legend which is a fictitious background 231 00:12:16,560 --> 00:12:18,240 and. Character for the body. 232 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:22,000 The name and rank chosen was Captain William Martin of the 233 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:25,520 Royal Marines. As a Royal Marine Major, Martin 234 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:28,280 came under Admiralty authority and it would be easy to. 235 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:31,360 Ensure that all official enquiries and messages about his 236 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:33,840 death would be. Rooted to the Naval Intelligence 237 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:36,840 Division. Additionally, Royal Marines. 238 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:38,720 Would wear battle dress which was easily. 239 00:12:38,720 --> 00:12:41,800 Obtainable and came in standard. Sizes the. 240 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:44,680 Rank of acting major made him senior enough to be. 241 00:12:44,680 --> 00:12:48,160 Entrusted with sensitive. Documents, but not so prominent 242 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:50,680 that anyone would be expected to know him. 243 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:53,960 To reinforce the impression of Martin being a real person, 244 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:56,600 Montague and Chumley provided corroborative. 245 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:58,680 Details to be carried on. The person. 246 00:12:59,120 --> 00:13:01,760 Now this is what was really interesting in the Spies, Lies 247 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:05,920 and Deception exhibition I mentioned in espionage circles. 248 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:08,000 These details were called Pocket. 249 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:09,760 Litter and a lot of these were on display. 250 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:12,920 There to see. So these included a photograph 251 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:17,640 of an invented fiance named Pam. The image was actually of an MI. 252 00:13:17,640 --> 00:13:21,920 5 Clerk Jean Leslie. There were two love letters, as 253 00:13:21,920 --> 00:13:23,720 was a. Receipt for diamond engagement 254 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:26,400 ring from a Bond Street jewelry shop. 255 00:13:27,680 --> 00:13:30,240 Additional personal correspondence was included, 256 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:33,080 consisting of a letter from the fictitious Martin's. 257 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:37,760 Father described by. McIntyre as pompous and pedantic 258 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:40,120 as only an Edwardian's. Father could be. 259 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:43,440 This also included a note from the family solicitor and a 260 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:45,880 message from Lloyds Bank demanding a payment of an 261 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:48,920 overdraft. So all this was to. 262 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:52,080 To kind of give him a background to make. 263 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:55,040 It look like he had. He was in the middle of a lot of 264 00:13:55,040 --> 00:13:58,160 life situations. To ensure the letters would. 265 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:02,760 Remain legible after emotion in seawater Montague asked MI 5 266 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:06,120 scientists to conduct tests on different inks to see which 267 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:09,920 would last longest in the water. Other items of pocket litter. 268 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:12,360 Placed on Martin included a book of stamps. 269 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:14,440 A silver. Cross and a Saint Christopher's 270 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:19,120 Medallion, cigarettes matches, a pencil stub, keys and a receipt 271 00:14:19,120 --> 00:14:22,520 for a new shirt to provide the date that Martin had been in 272 00:14:22,520 --> 00:14:25,800 London, ticket stubs from a London theatre and a bill for 273 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:28,160 four nights lodging at the naval military. 274 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:31,000 Club were added. Long with the other items placed 275 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:34,080 on him, an itinerary of his activity in London could be 276 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:37,040 traced from the 18th to the 20. 4th of April. 277 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:39,680 Attempts were made to. Photograph the corpse. 278 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:42,480 For the naval identity card, Martin would have to carry. 279 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:45,640 But the results? Were unsatisfactory and it was 280 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:49,640 obvious that the images were of a cadaver Montague and Chumley 281 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:51,400 conducted. A search for people who 282 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:53,760 resembled. The corpse ultimately finding 283 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:58,320 Captain Ronnie Reed of MI 5. Reed agreed to be photographed 284 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:01,000 of the card. Wearing a Royal Marine uniform. 285 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:03,880 As the three. Cards and passes needed to look 286 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:07,840 not too new as Martin was a long serving officer. 287 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:10,600 They were issued as recent. Replacements for the Lost 288 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:14,080 Originals Montague then spent the next few weeks rubbing all 289 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:16,280 three cards on his trousers to. Provide. 290 00:15:16,360 --> 00:15:18,960 A used Sheen to them. To provide the used look. 291 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:21,240 To the uniform it was worn by Chumley, who? 292 00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:24,600 Was about the same build. The only non issue part to the 293 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:27,240 uniform was the underwear. Which was in short supply. 294 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:29,600 In war rash in Britain. So a pair of good. 295 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:33,840 Quality woollen underwear was used, Montague then outlined. 3 296 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:36,880 criteria. For the document that contained. 297 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:39,200 The details of the falsified. Plans to land in the. 298 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:42,120 Balkans. He said that the target should 299 00:15:42,120 --> 00:15:46,120 be casually but clearly. Identified that it should name 300 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:50,160 Sicily and another location as cover and that it should be in 301 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:53,240 an unofficial correspondence that would not normally be sent 302 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:56,080 by diplomatic Courier or encoded signal. 303 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:59,800 The main document being proposed was a personal letter from 304 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:03,480 Lieutenant General Sir Archibald Nye, who was the Vice Chief of 305 00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:06,960 the Imperial General Staff, who had a deep knowledge of ongoing 306 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:11,000 military operations, to General Sir Harold Alexander, commander 307 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:13,320 of the Anglo American 18th Army Group. 308 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:15,680 After several. Attempts at drafting the 309 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:18,680 document did not generate something that was considered 310 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:21,080 natural. It was suggested that Nye should 311 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:22,920 draw up the. Letter himself to cover the. 312 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:25,720 Required points. The letter covers several 313 00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:28,040 reportedly. Sensitive subjects such as the 314 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:31,680 unwanted award of Purple Heart medals by U.S. forces. 315 00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:34,480 To British. Servicemen serving with them and 316 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:36,560 the appointment of a new commander of the Brigade of 317 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:39,400 Gods, Montague. Thought the result was quite. 318 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:40,360 Brilliant. The key. 319 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:44,440 Part of the letter stated that. We have recent information that 320 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:46,960 the Germans have been reinforcing and strengthening 321 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:49,880 their defences in Greece and Crete, Chief of the Imperial 322 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:51,200 General. Staff felt that our. 323 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:53,800 Forces for the assault were insufficient. 324 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:56,120 It was. Agreed by the Chiefs of Staff 325 00:16:56,400 --> 00:17:00,080 that the. 5th Division should be reinforced by 1 Brigade. 326 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:01,920 Group for the assault. On the beach. 327 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:05,760 South of Cape Araxos. And that similar reinforcements 328 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:08,440 should be made. For the 56th Division. 329 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:14,440 At Kalamata, the letter went on to identify Sicily and the Do de 330 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:17,160 Canese as. Cover targets for the assaults. 331 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:19,920 Along with justifications for their selection, there was also 332 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:22,920 a letter of introduction from Martin from his commanding 333 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:26,760 officer, Vice Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, to Admiral The. 334 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:29,720 Fleet, Sir Andrew. Cunningham Martin was referred 335 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:32,560 to in the letter as an amphibious warfare expert, on 336 00:17:32,560 --> 00:17:36,720 loan until the assault is over. The document included a clumsy 337 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:40,000 joke about sardines, which Montague inserted in the hope 338 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,520 that the Germans would see it as a reference to a planned 339 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:46,600 invasion of Sardinia. A single black eyelash was 340 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:50,080 placed within the letter to check if the Germans or Spanish 341 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:51,640 had opened it. Montague. 342 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:54,360 Considered that their. Might be a possible Roman 343 00:17:54,360 --> 00:17:56,640 Catholic prejudice against tampering with. 344 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:58,640 Corpses this. Could therefore mean that 345 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:01,320 officers might miss the documents stored in Michael's. 346 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:03,640 Pockets, so they also added. Them to an official. 347 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:05,840 Briefcase that. Would not be overlooked. 348 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:08,720 To justify. Carrying documents in a 349 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:11,680 briefcase, Major Martin was given 2. 350 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:15,200 Proof copies of the official. Pamphlet on combined operations, 351 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:19,360 written by the author Hilary Saunders, who at this time was 352 00:18:19,360 --> 00:18:22,760 on Mountbatten's staff, and a letter from Mountbatten to 353 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:25,880 Eisenhower asking him to write a brief foreword for the 354 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:27,320 pamphlets. US edition. 355 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:31,120 The planning team first thought of having the handle clutched in 356 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:33,800 Michael's hand, held in place by rigor mortis. 357 00:18:34,120 --> 00:18:36,760 But the rigor would probably. Wear off in the briefcase. 358 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:39,880 Would have drifted away. They therefore equipped. 359 00:18:39,880 --> 00:18:44,560 Martin with a leather covered chain such as was used by bank 360 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:46,640 and jewellery. Couriers to secure their cases. 361 00:18:46,640 --> 00:18:50,560 Against snatching, the chain unobtrusively runs down a. 362 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:53,120 Sleeve to the case. And to Montague, it seemed 363 00:18:53,120 --> 00:18:55,440 unlikely that the major. Would keep the bag secured to 364 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:57,120 his wrist. During the long flight from 365 00:18:57,120 --> 00:19:00,080 Britain, so the chain was looped around the belt of the trench 366 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:03,760 coat, Montague and Chumley had to carefully plan the location 367 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:06,960 of Martin's delivery. It long been assumed by the pair 368 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:09,920 that the western coast of Spain would be the ideal location 369 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:13,720 earlier in the planning they. Investigated the possibility of 370 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:16,080 Portuguese. And French coast but rejected. 371 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:20,040 Those in favour of Huelva. On the coast of southern Spain 372 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:20,840 after. Advice was. 373 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:24,240 Taken regarding the tides and currents best suited to ensure 374 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:27,600 the body landed where it was intended, Montague later 375 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:30,120 outlined that the. Choice of Huelva was also. 376 00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:34,800 Made because, and to quote him, there was a very active German 377 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:38,240 agent who had excellent contacts with certain Spaniards, both 378 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:42,280 officials and others. Now the agent Adolf Klaus, a 379 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:45,400 member of the German military intelligence service, was the 380 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:49,600 son of the German consul and operated under the cover of an 381 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:52,800 agriculture technician, whoever was also chosen. 382 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:55,720 Because the British vice. Consul in the city Francis 383 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:59,720 Hassleden was, and I quote, a reliable and helpful man. 384 00:19:59,920 --> 00:20:02,480 Who could be relied? Upon, according to Montague. 385 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:05,880 Martin's body was supposed. To be the victim of an aeroplane 386 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:08,960 crash and it was decided that trying to simulate the accident 387 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:12,520 at sea using flares and other devices would be too risky and 388 00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:15,360 open to discovery. After sea planes and surface 389 00:20:15,360 --> 00:20:18,360 ships were dismissed as being problematic, a submarine was 390 00:20:18,360 --> 00:20:22,080 chosen as a method of delivering the corpse to the region. 391 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:24,840 To transport the body by. Submarine. 392 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:28,200 It needed to be contained within the body of the boat as any 393 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:30,080 externally mounted container would have. 394 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:33,560 To be built with a skin so thick it would alter the level of the. 395 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:37,280 Waterline the canister needed to remain airtight and keep the. 396 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:41,280 Body as fresh as possible. Through its journey, Spilsbury 397 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:43,520 provided the medical requirements and Chumley 398 00:20:43,520 --> 00:20:46,160 contacted Charles Fraser Smith of the ministry. 399 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:49,240 Of supply to. Produce a container which was 400 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:51,920 labeled handled with care optical instruments. 401 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:56,920 On the 13th of April 1943, the Committee of the Chiefs of Staff 402 00:20:56,920 --> 00:20:58,480 met and. Agreed that they thought the. 403 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:01,120 Plan should go ahead. The committee informed Colonel 404 00:21:01,120 --> 00:21:05,000 John Bevan, the head of London Controlling Section, which 405 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:07,280 controlled the planning and coordination of deception 406 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:10,720 operations, that he needed to obtain final approval from 407 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:13,240 Churchill. Two days later, Bevan met the 408 00:21:13,240 --> 00:21:15,640 Prime Minister. Who was said to be in bed 409 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:17,360 wearing a? Dressing gown and smoking a. 410 00:21:17,360 --> 00:21:20,040 Cigar in his. Rooms at the Cabinet War offices 411 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:22,200 and explained the plan, he warned. 412 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:24,480 Churchill that there were several aspects that could. 413 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:27,720 Go wrong, including that the Spaniards might pass. 414 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,000 The corpse back to the British. With the papers unread, 415 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:33,960 Churchill replied. In that case, we shall have. 416 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:36,200 To get the body back. And give it another swim. 417 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:39,760 Churchill gave his. Approval to the operation but. 418 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:41,960 Delegated. The final confirmation to 419 00:21:42,000 --> 00:21:45,600 Eisenhower, the overall military commander in the Mediterranean, 420 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:48,120 whose plan to. Invade Sicily would be affected. 421 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:52,160 Bevan sent an encrypted telegram to Eisenhower's headquarters in 422 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:56,240 Algeria requesting final confirmation, which was received 423 00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:59,480 on the 17th of April. So now we move on to the 424 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:01,920 execution of Operation Mincemeat. 425 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:04,880 In the early hours of 17th of April 1943. 426 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:07,280 The corpse of Michael was dressed as Martin. 427 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:10,680 Although there was one last minute hitch, the feet had 428 00:22:10,680 --> 00:22:14,520 frozen purchase. Montague and Chumley could not 429 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:16,840 put the boots on, so an electric. 430 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:19,600 Heater was located. And the feet defrosted enough to 431 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:22,120 put the boots on properly. The pocket litter was. 432 00:22:22,120 --> 00:22:25,600 Placed on the body and briefcase attached the body. 433 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:28,200 Placed in a canister which was filled with 21 lbs. 434 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:32,000 Of dry ice and sealed. Up When the dry ice turned into 435 00:22:32,000 --> 00:22:35,080 its gaseous form, it filled the canister with carbon. 436 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:38,680 Dioxide and drove out any. Oxygen, thus preserving the body 437 00:22:38,680 --> 00:22:40,440 without the need for refrigeration. 438 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:45,400 The canister was placed in a 1937 Fordsome van of an MI. 5 439 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:48,920 driver. Sinjun, Jock, Horsfall, who had 440 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:52,200 been a racing champion before the war, Chumley and Montague 441 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:55,160 travelled in the back of the van which drove through the night to 442 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:58,400 Greenock in West Scotland, where the canister was taken on board 443 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:01,960 to submarine HMS Serif, which was preparing for deployment to 444 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:05,440 the Mediterranean. Serif's commander, Lieutenant 445 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:08,440 Bill Jewell and crew had previous special operations 446 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:10,880 experience. Jewel told his men that the 447 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:14,440 canister contained a top secret meteorological device to be 448 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:17,640 deployed near Spain. On the 19th of April, Serif set 449 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:19,520 sail and arrived. Just off the coast of. 450 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:23,600 Huelva on the 29th of April after being bombed twice on 451 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:28,560 route after spending the day observing the coastline at 4:15 452 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:31,520 AM on the. 30th of April, Serif surfaced. 453 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:34,920 Jewel had the canister brought up on deck, then sent all his. 454 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:38,560 Crew below, except the officers. They opened the container and 455 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:41,240 lowered the body into the water. Jewel. 456 00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:45,680 Read Psalm 39 and ordered the engines to full astern the wash 457 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:48,040 from the propellers. Pushed the body towards the. 458 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:52,280 Shore The canister was reloaded and the submarine travelled 12 459 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:53,880 miles. Out of where it's surfaced. 460 00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:55,760 And the empty container was pushed into the. 461 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:59,120 Water as it floated. It was riddled with machine 462 00:23:59,120 --> 00:24:02,160 gunfire so it would sink. Because of the air trapped. 463 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:05,040 In the insulation, this effort failed and a canister was 464 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:08,520 destroyed with plastic. Explosives Jewel. 465 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:11,680 Afterwards sent a message to the Admiralty to say mincemeat 466 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:14,200 completed and continued on to Gibraltar. 467 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:18,480 The body of Major Martin was found at around 9:30 AM on the. 468 00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:20,960 30th of April by local. Fishermen. 469 00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:25,000 It was taken to whoever by Spanish soldiers, where it was 470 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:29,240 handed over to a naval judge. Hassleden, as vice consul, was 471 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:31,240 officially informed by the Spaniards. 472 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:34,360 He reported back to the Admiralty that the body and 473 00:24:34,360 --> 00:24:37,960 briefcase had been found. A series of pre scripted. 474 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:40,560 Diplomatic cables were sent between Hassleden and his 475 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:42,840 superiors, which continued for several days. 476 00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:46,480 The British knew that these were being incepted and although they 477 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:50,200 were encrypted, the Germans had broken the code the messages. 478 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:52,320 Played out the story that it was imperative that. 479 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:53,920 Hassleden retrieved the briefcase. 480 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:56,520 Because it was. Important at midday on the 1st 481 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:59,600 of May, an autopsy was undertaken on Michael's body. 482 00:25:00,120 --> 00:25:02,720 Hassleden was present and in order to minimize the. 483 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:06,200 Possibilities that the 2 Spanish doctors would discover the body. 484 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:09,800 Was a three month old corpse asked if in the heat of the day 485 00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:11,400 and the smell of the. Corpse the Doctor. 486 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:13,840 Should bring the post mortem to a close and have lunch. 487 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:17,280 They agreed and signed a death certificate for Major William 488 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:21,160 Martin for asphyxiation through immersion in the sea. 489 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:24,560 The body was released. By the Spanish and as Major 490 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:29,240 Martin was buried in the San Marco section of Nuestra Senora 491 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:33,040 Cemetery in Huelva with full military honors on the 2nd of 492 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:35,080 May. So what about the briefcase? 493 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:38,280 The Spanish Navy retained the briefcase and despite pressure 494 00:25:38,280 --> 00:25:42,240 from Adolf Klaus and some of his intelligence agents, neither it 495 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:46,360 nor it's contents were handed over to the Germans on the 5th 496 00:25:46,360 --> 00:25:48,440 of May. The briefcase was passed. 497 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:52,080 To the Naval headquarters at San Fernando near Cadiz for 498 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:55,080 forwarding to Madrid. While at San Fernando, the 499 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:57,000 contents were. Photographed by German 500 00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,640 sympathizers. But the letters were not opened 501 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:02,560 once. A briefcase arrived in Madrid. 502 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:06,200 It's contents became the focus of attention of Carl Erik 503 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:10,400 Kuhlenthal, one of the most senior intelligence agents in 504 00:26:10,400 --> 00:26:13,120 Spain. He asked Admiral Wilhelm 505 00:26:13,120 --> 00:26:14,400 Canaris. The. 506 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:17,800 Head of the German military. Intelligence service to. 507 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:20,280 Personally intervene and persuade the Spanish to 508 00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:22,760 surrender the documents. Acceding to the. 509 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:26,000 Request The Spanish removed the still damp paper by tightly 510 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:29,160 winding it around the probe into a cylindrical shape and then 511 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:31,960 pulling it out between the envelope flap, which. 512 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:34,360 Was still closed by wax. Seal and the envelope. 513 00:26:34,360 --> 00:26:37,440 Body The letters were dried and photographed. 514 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:40,680 Then soaked in salt water for 20. 4 hours before. 515 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:43,040 Being reinserted into their envelopes. 516 00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:44,880 Without the eyelash that had been. 517 00:26:44,880 --> 00:26:47,960 Planted there, the information was passed to the Germans on the 518 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:50,040 8th of May. This was deemed so. 519 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:53,960 Important by agents in Spain that Coulintal personally took 520 00:26:53,960 --> 00:26:56,920 the documents himself to Germany on the 11th of May. 521 00:26:56,920 --> 00:26:59,480 The briefcase, complete with documents, was returned to 522 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:02,520 Hassleden by the Spanish authorities, which he forwarded 523 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:04,840 on to London. On receipt. 524 00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:07,240 The documents were forensically examined and the. 525 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:09,040 Absence of the eyelash. Was noted. 526 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:12,320 Further tests showed that the. Fibres in the paper had been 527 00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:15,320 damaged by folding more than once, which confirmed the 528 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:16,920 letters had been extracted and read. 529 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:19,880 An additional test was made. As the papers which were. 530 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:22,240 Still wet, by the time they returned to London were dried 531 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:25,040 out. The folded paper dried into. 532 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:28,760 The rolled form it had when the Spaniards had extracted it from 533 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:32,000 the envelope to allay any potential German fears that 534 00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:33,680 their activities have been discovered. 535 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:37,680 Another pre arranged encrypted but breakable cable was sent to 536 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:41,200 Hassleden stating that the envelopes had been examined but 537 00:27:41,200 --> 00:27:44,520 they had not been opened. Hassleden leaked the news to the 538 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:47,280 Spaniards known to be sympathetic to the Germans. 539 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:49,880 Final proof that the Germans had been passed. 540 00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:53,880 The information from the letters came on the 14th of May, when a 541 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:56,520 German communication was decrypted by the government. 542 00:27:56,520 --> 00:27:58,960 Code and Cipher School at Bletchley Park. 543 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:02,560 Now Bletchley Park actually was another place I visited last 544 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:04,720 year and again just tells a fascinating. 545 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:07,560 History of the code breaking. And the efforts made during 546 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:09,520 wars. But again, I'll come to that in 547 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:12,080 another episode. The message which had been sent. 548 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:14,520 Two days previously. Warned that the invasion was to 549 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:18,040 be in the Balkans, with a nod to the Do de Canis, a message was 550 00:28:18,040 --> 00:28:19,840 sent. By Brigadier Leslie Hollis, a 551 00:28:19,840 --> 00:28:23,200 secretary to the chief Staff. Committee to Churchill, who was 552 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:27,040 then in the United States, it read Mincemeat, swallowed rod, 553 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:29,280 line and sinker. By the right people. 554 00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:32,160 And from the best information, they look like acting on it. 555 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:36,160 Montague continued the deception to reinforce the existence of 556 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:39,880 Major Martin and included his. Details in the published list of 557 00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:43,040 British casualties Which? Appeared in The Times on the 4th 558 00:28:43,040 --> 00:28:46,040 of June. By coincidence, also published 559 00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:48,120 that day were the names of two other. 560 00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:50,760 Officers who had died. When their plane was lost at sea 561 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:54,520 and opposite the casualty listings was a report that the 562 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:58,360 film * Leslie Howard had been shot down and died in the Bay of 563 00:28:58,360 --> 00:29:00,240 Biscay. Both stories gave. 564 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:04,000 Credence to the Major Martin. Story So what was the. 565 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:06,680 German reaction. To the letters well. 566 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:12,000 On the 14th of May 1943, Grand Admiral Karl Donitz met Hitler 567 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:14,880 to discuss. His recent visit to Italy. 568 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:19,040 His meeting with the Italian leader Benito Mussolini and the. 569 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:22,120 Progress of the War the. Admiral, referring to the 570 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:26,160 mincemeat documents as the Anglo-Saxon order recorded, the 571 00:29:26,160 --> 00:29:29,000 Fuhrer does not agree with Mussolini that the most likely 572 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:31,640 invasion point is Sicily. Furthermore. 573 00:29:31,640 --> 00:29:34,840 He believes that the discovered. Anglo-Saxon order confirms the 574 00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:37,600 assumption that the planned attacks will be directed mainly 575 00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:40,600 against Sardinia and the Peloponnesus. 576 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:44,120 Hitler informed Mussolini that Greece, Sardinia and Corsica 577 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:46,080 must be. Defended at all costs. 578 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:48,000 And that German troops would be best. 579 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:51,200 Placed to do the job he ordered. That the experienced First 580 00:29:51,200 --> 00:29:54,680 Panzer Division be transferred from France to Salonica, Greece. 581 00:29:55,080 --> 00:29:57,240 The order was intercepted. By Bletchley Park. 582 00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:01,120 On the 21st of May, By the end of June, German troop strengths 583 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:03,680 on Sardinia had been doubled to 10,000 with. 584 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:06,200 Fighter aircraft also based air support. 585 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:08,720 German torpedo boats were moved from. 586 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:12,400 Sicily to the Greek. Islands in preparation, 7 German 587 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:14,040 divisions transferred. To Greece. 588 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:17,400 Raising the number present to 8 and 10 were posted to the 589 00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:19,560 Balkans. Raising the number present to 590 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:22,520 18. On the 9th of July, the Allies 591 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:24,920 invaded Sicily in Operation Husky. 592 00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:28,600 German signals intercepted. By Bletchley Park showed that 593 00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:32,160 even 4 hours after the invasion. Of Sicily had begun 20. 594 00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:35,640 One aircraft left Sicily to. Reinforce Sardinia for a 595 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:38,040 considerable time after the initial invasion. 596 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:40,320 Hitler was still. Convinced that an attack on the 597 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:44,080 Balkans was imminent and in late July he sent General Erwin 598 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:48,040 Rommel to Salonika to prepare the defence of the region. 599 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:51,320 By the time the German high command realised a mistake, it 600 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:52,880 was too late to make a difference. 601 00:30:53,520 --> 00:30:57,040 So what was the? Result of this plan on the 25th 602 00:30:57,040 --> 00:30:59,760 of July 1940. Three as the battle for. 603 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:02,440 Sicily went against the Axis. Forces the. 604 00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:05,000 Italian Grand Council of Fascism voted to. 605 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:07,960 Limit the power of. Mussolini and handed control of 606 00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:10,240 the Italian armed. Forces over the King Victor. 607 00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:13,640 Emmanuelle the Third The following day, Mussolini met the 608 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:16,200 king, who dismissed him as Prime Minister. 609 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:18,520 The former dictator was then imprisoned. 610 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:21,560 A new Italian government took power and began secret 611 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:25,800 negotiations with the Allies. Sicily fell on the 17th of. 612 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:30,160 August after a force of 65. 1000 Germans held off 400,000 613 00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:33,320 American and British troops long enough to allow many of the 614 00:31:33,320 --> 00:31:37,320 Germans to evacuate to the Italian mainland military 615 00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:39,720 historian John Latimer observes that the relative. 616 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:41,800 Ease with which the Allies captured Sicily. 617 00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:44,520 Was not entirely because of minceme or the. 618 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:46,680 Wider deception of Operation Berkeley. 619 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:50,280 Latimer identifies other factors, including Hitler's 620 00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:54,040 distrust of the Italians and his unwillingness to risk German 621 00:31:54,040 --> 00:31:57,280 troops alongside Italians who may have been on the point of a 622 00:31:57,280 --> 00:32:00,560 general surrender. Another military historian, 623 00:32:00,560 --> 00:32:03,600 Michael Howard, while describing mincemeat as perhaps the most 624 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:06,840 successful single deception operation of the entire war, 625 00:32:07,360 --> 00:32:09,880 considered mincemeat. And Barclay to have had. 626 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:11,760 Less impact on the. Course of the Sicily. 627 00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:16,480 Campaign than Hitler's obsession with the Balkans, McIntyre 628 00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:18,880 writes that the exact impact of mincemeat is. 629 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:21,920 Impossible to calculate, although the British had 630 00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:25,080 expected. 10,000 killed or wounded in the first week of 631 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:29,080 fighting. Only a 7th of that number became 632 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:32,520 casualties. The Navy expected 300 ships 633 00:32:32,520 --> 00:32:35,680 would be sunk in the action, but they lost 12 and the predicted 634 00:32:35,680 --> 00:32:40,400 90 day campaign was over in 38. It was also stated that as a 635 00:32:40,400 --> 00:32:42,520 result. Of Operation Husky, Hitler 636 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:46,840 suspended the Kursk offensive on the. 13th of July This was 637 00:32:46,840 --> 00:32:49,480 partly because of the. Performance of the Soviet Army 638 00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:51,640 but. Also because he still assumed. 639 00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:54,080 That the allied landing on. Sicily was. 640 00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:58,040 A feint that preceded the invasion in the Balkans and he 641 00:32:58,040 --> 00:33:00,760 wanted to have troops. Available for fast deployment. 642 00:33:00,760 --> 00:33:04,800 To meet them, it was observed that once Hitler gave up the 643 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:07,120 initiative to the Soviets, he never regained it. 644 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:09,800 So what's the legacy of all this? 645 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:12,960 Montague was appointed an Officer of the Order of the 646 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:16,760 British Empire in 1944 for his part in Operation Mitzmeat. 647 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:20,840 Chumley was appointed a Member of the Order in 1948. 648 00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:24,840 Duff Cooper, a former cabinet minister who had been briefed on 649 00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:28,640 the operation in March 1943, published the spy novel 650 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:32,040 Operation Heartbreak in 1950, which contained a. 651 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:34,880 Plot device of a corpse. With papers naming him as 652 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:38,000 William Merrington being. Floated off the coast of. 653 00:33:38,000 --> 00:33:40,960 Spain with false documents to deceive the Germans. 654 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:44,880 British security services decided that the best response 655 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:47,800 was to publish a. Story of mincemeat over. 656 00:33:47,800 --> 00:33:50,440 The course of the. Weekend Montague wrote The Man 657 00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:54,680 Who Never Was in 1953. This sold 2 million copies and 658 00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:57,640 formed the basis for a film in 1956. 659 00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:01,200 Security services. Did not give Montague complete 660 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:03,520 freedom to reveal operational details. 661 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:05,520 He was careful not to mention the role. 662 00:34:05,520 --> 00:34:08,040 Played by the. Signals intelligence to confirm 663 00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:09,960 that the operation had been successful. 664 00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:14,760 He was also careful to obscure. The idea of an organised 665 00:34:14,760 --> 00:34:18,440 programme of strategic deception with mincemeat being presented 666 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:22,639 as a wild one off caper. In 1977 Montague published 667 00:34:22,639 --> 00:34:27,480 Beyond Top Secret U, his wartime autobiography which gave further 668 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:30,199 details of Minsme among other operations. 669 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:34,440 In 2010, journalist Ben McIntyre published Operation Minsmeat, a 670 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:39,040 history of the events and the play Operation Minsmeat, written 671 00:34:39,040 --> 00:34:41,480 by Adrian Jackson and Farhana Sheikh. 672 00:34:41,480 --> 00:34:43,360 Was first staged by the cardboard. 673 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:47,080 Citizens Theatre Company in 2001 and the work focused on 674 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:50,320 Michael's homelessness. In 2014. 675 00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:53,239 A musical called Dead in the Water performed at Camden, 676 00:34:53,239 --> 00:34:55,280 Brighton and Guildford Fringe Festivals. 677 00:34:55,880 --> 00:34:57,040 In 2015. The Welsh. 678 00:34:57,040 --> 00:35:01,320 Theatre staged. The Man Who Never Was a musical 679 00:35:01,320 --> 00:35:05,680 based on the operation and Glinda Michael's upbringing in 680 00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:10,320 Aber bargoed the musical was performed by primary school 681 00:35:10,320 --> 00:35:14,000 children from carefully county borough and the final three 682 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:15,680 things just to mention around this. 683 00:35:15,680 --> 00:35:22,240 So in 2014 there was ABBC television series called Fleming 684 00:35:22,240 --> 00:35:25,320 the Man who would be Bond, which dramatized some aspects of 685 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:28,840 Operation Minsmeet and Fleming's connection to the operation. 686 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:33,840 In 2019, Operation Minsmeet the Musical began, which is the one 687 00:35:33,840 --> 00:35:35,280 I mentioned? At the start so. 688 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:38,800 This is now, I believe, still at the Fortunes Theatre in London 689 00:35:39,840 --> 00:35:43,040 and in 2020. 2. Operation Minsmeet Film was 690 00:35:43,040 --> 00:35:44,360 released. With Colin Firth. 691 00:35:44,360 --> 00:35:48,040 As Montague and Matthew McFadden as Chumley. 692 00:35:48,720 --> 00:35:52,320 So I think the final comments on this has to be with Glinda, 693 00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:55,960 Michael now, now I've mentioned. The musical a couple of. 694 00:35:55,960 --> 00:36:01,800 Times and I, you know, I just want to say that they do in 695 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:05,080 especially at the end, it's actually quite, quite moving. 696 00:36:05,080 --> 00:36:07,800 Tribute they pay to. Glinda, Michael at the end. 697 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:10,640 You've probably. Heard in the description above 698 00:36:10,640 --> 00:36:13,800 or, or the recollection of this story, you know, some quite 699 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:19,440 blunt descriptions by the people at the time of the body and the 700 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:21,720 actions they, you know, they were performing. 701 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:26,760 It's important to say that the part that he had and the fact he 702 00:36:26,760 --> 00:36:30,480 was, I think I mentioned he was buried with full military honour 703 00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:34,280 when Michael was first buried. I think it, I think the plaque 704 00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:37,560 did have the man who never was or it was unnamed. 705 00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:41,440 But then when the name came to light in 1996, the name was 706 00:36:41,440 --> 00:36:43,600 added to the plaque. He's still buried. 707 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:45,880 In Jueva, Spain, the body. Still stays there. 708 00:36:46,360 --> 00:36:49,880 I hope you found this as interesting as I did when 709 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:51,160 learning about it. It it. 710 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:54,360 It's just something that had an impact on me when I saw both the 711 00:36:54,360 --> 00:36:57,680 show and the exhibition. I'll leave it there. 712 00:36:58,160 --> 00:37:00,040 As I mentioned, I think you'll hear over. 713 00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:03,160 The course of the year. Some more episodes kind of 714 00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:06,880 related to similar things, but yeah, drop me a line on social 715 00:37:06,880 --> 00:37:09,320 media if you have any comments on this. 716 00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:13,320 Otherwise, I'll see you next week for another episode of 717 00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:22,240 Casting Views 4. If I want your opinion, I will 718 00:37:22,240 --> 00:37:31,920 give it to you. Come on, take what we've got 719 00:37:31,920 --> 00:37:34,600 because you need it. Don't make us get a spark and 720 00:37:34,800 --> 00:37:38,080 force need it. Come on, we've got what you 721 00:37:38,240 --> 00:37:40,960 need. We're casting you, Yeah.