Read Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory Online

Authors: Ben Macintyre

Tags: #General, #Psychology, #Europe, #History, #Great Britain, #20th Century, #Political Freedom & Security, #Intelligence, #Political Freedom & Security - Intelligence, #Political Science, #Espionage, #Modern, #World War, #1939-1945, #Military, #Italy, #Naval, #World War II, #Secret service, #Sicily (Italy), #Deception, #Military - World War II, #War, #History - Military, #Military - Naval, #Military - 20th century, #World War; 1939-1945, #Deception - Spain - Atlantic Coast - History - 20th century, #Naval History - World War II, #Ewen, #Military - Intelligence, #World War; 1939-1945 - Secret service - Great Britain, #Sicily (Italy) - History; Military - 20th century, #1939-1945 - Secret service - Great Britain, #Atlantic Coast (Spain), #1939-1945 - Spain - Atlantic Coast, #1939-1945 - Campaigns - Italy - Sicily, #Intelligence Operations, #Deception - Great Britain - History - 20th century, #Atlantic Coast (Spain) - History, #Montagu, #Atlantic Coast (Spain) - History; Military - 20th century, #Sicily (Italy) - History, #World War; 1939-1945 - Campaigns - Italy - Sicily, #Operation Mincemeat, #Montagu; Ewen, #World War; 1939-1945 - Spain - Atlantic Coast

Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory (64 page)

33
“with instructions to burn”: N. L. A. Jewell, operational orders, March 31, 1943, TNA, ADM 223/464.

34
“Operation known as Mincemeat”: Telegram from T. A. Robertson, MI5, to DSO Gibraltar, April 22, 1943, TNA, CAB 154/67.

35
“something of a shock”: Scott, “Man That Never Was,” p. 4.

36
“sailors had been sleeping”: Ibid.

37
“the vital need for absolute secrecy”: TNA, ADM 223/794, p. 451.

38
“Isn’t it pretty unlucky”: Montagu,
Man Who Never Was
, p. 170.

39
“a close range reconnaissance”: Scott, “Man That Never Was,” p. 4.

40
“easy, even enjoyable”: Ibid.

41
“The operation had to be carried”: N. L. A. Jewell, operational orders, March 31, 1943, TNA, ADM 223/464.

42
“an onshore wind”: Ibid.

43
“The next day turned out to be ideal”: Scott, “Man That Never Was,” p. 4.

44
“arrange total bombing restrictions”: Memo, April 15, 1943, IWM, 97/45/1, folder #1.

45
“no known defensive dangers”: TNA, ADM 223/794, p. 445.

46
“We were just about to surface”: N. L. A. Jewell, Audiotape 12278, 1991, IWM.

47
“A large number of small fishing boats”: N. L. A. Jewell report, April 30, 1943, cited in Montagu,
Man Who Never Was
, p. 168.

48
“landing some pseudo-secret instruments”: N. L. A. Jewell, operational orders, March 31, 1943, TNA, ADM 223/464.

49
“crept in a little closer”: Scott, “Man That Never Was,” p. 4.

50
“some little stink”: N. L. A. Jewell, Audiotape 12278, 1991, IWM.

51
“I doubt if any of them”: Ibid.

52
“I had seen bodies before”: Ibid.

53
“The blanket was opened up”: TNA 223/794.

54
“We seemed to be practically”: Scott, “Man That Never Was,” p. 5.

55
“what I could remember”: N. L. A. Jewell, Audiotape 12278, 1991, IWM.

56
“With some relief”: Scott, “Man That Never Was,” p. 5.

57
“He virtually assured success”: TNA, ADM 223/794, p. 453.

58
“Because it had been designed”: Ibid.

59
“riddled by fire”: Ibid.

60
“He did this with his usual skill”: Scott, “Man That Never Was,” p. 5.

61
“a hell of a time”: N. L. A. Jewell, Audiotape 12278, 1991, IWM.

62
“Daylight was fast approaching”: Scott, “Man That Never Was,” p. 5.

63
“It then disappeared, finally”: N. L. A. Jewell, Audiotape 12278, 1991, IWM.

64
“it was seen to sink”: N. L. A. Jewell Report, April 30, 1943, cited in Montagu,
Man Who Never Was
, p. 168.

65
“We dived and set course for Gibraltar”: Scott, “Man That Never Was,” p. 5.

66
“Mincemeat Completed”: TNA, ADM 223/794.

67
“Parcel delivered safely”: Terence Robertson,
The Ship with Two Captains: The Story of the “Secret Mission Submarine”
(London, 1957), p. 117.

Chapter Fifteen:
Dulce et Decorum

1
“G VI R and the royal crown”: IWM 97/45/1, folder #2.

2
“which had penetrated the muscles”: Ibid.

3
“should telephone to him at Madrid”: TNA, ADM 223/794, p. 445.

4
“would say that he could not talk”: Ibid.

5
“a separate series in his personal cipher”: Ewen Montagu to Fitzroy McLean, March 30, 1977, IWM 97/45/1, folder #5.

6
“energetically”: TNA, ADM 223/794, p. 445.

7
“Soup Bowl”: Jesús Ramírez Copeiro del Villar,
Huelva en la Guerra Mundial
(Huelva, Spain, 1996), p. 411.

8
“examined the names on the envelopes”: IWM, 97/45/1, folder #2, Appendix III.

9
“react swiftly”: Copeiro del Villar,
Huelva
, p. 422.

10
“Well, your superior might not like”: Ibid.

11
“attitude, in refusing the briefcase”: Ibid.

12
“of an English pattern”: Telegram to von Roenne from FHW, May 22, 1943, TNA, ADM 223/794, p. 207.

13
“There are clearly two”: Ibid.

14
“On the first incision being made”: Edward Smith (former head of Reporting Organisation Section, NID) to Ewen Montagu, June 5, 1969, IWM.

15
“remarkable presence of mind”: Ibid.

16
“Since it was obvious the heat”: Ibid.

17
“On receiving this assurance”: Ibid.

18
“The young British officer fell in the water”: Copeiro del Villar,
Huelva
, p. 414.

19
“nibbling and bites by fish”: Ibid.

20
“The shininess of the hair”: Ibid.

21
“doubt over the nature of the liquid”: Ibid.

22
“He seemed very well dressed”: Isabel Naylor, interview with the author, June 3, 2009.

23
“identical”: Telegram to von Roenne from FHW, May 22, 1943, TNA, ADM 223/794, p. 207.

24
“that a bald patch on the temples”: Ibid.

25
“either the photograph was taken”: Ibid.

26
“With reference to my phone message”: Unsigned telegram 012210 sent at 20.30 on May 1, 1943, TNA, ADM 223/794.

27
“so that the action for suppressing”: TNA, ADM 223/794, p. 457.

28
“the suppression of the signal”: Ibid.

29
“taken into naval custody”: Ewen Montagu to Cyril Mills, November 11, 1983, Montagu Papers.

30
“The Spanish navy is not in German”: Ewen Montagu to “C,” June 21, 1943, IWM 97/45/1, folder #2.

31
“a rigid disciplinarian”: Copeiro del Villar,
Huelva
, p. 422.

32
“suffocating heat”: Ibid., p. 414.

33
“as a mark of respect”: Federico Clauss, interview with the author, June 2, 2009.

34
“W. Martin, aged between 35 and 40”: Copeiro del Villar,
Huelva
, p. 420.

35
“Class Five”: Ibid.

Chapter Sixteen: Spanish Trails

1
“do everything necessary”: Andros report, IWM 97/45/1, folder #2.

2
“Notwithstanding his great desire”: Ibid.

3
“These three persons are in command”: Ibid.

4
“intimate friend”: Ibid.

5
“nursed a profound antipathy”: Jesús Ramírez Copeiro del Villar,
Huelva en la Guerra Mundial
(Huelva, Spain, 1996), p. 286.

6
“did not dare to ask the naval judge”: Andros report, IWM 97/45/1, folder #2.

7
“In Huelva, Don Adolfo”: Federico Clauss, interview with the author, June 2, 2009.

8
“neither copied nor photographed”: Andros report, IWM 97/45/1, folder #2.

9
“I am glad to say the naval”: Alan Hillgarth to Ewen Montagu, June 9, 1943, IWM, 97/45/1, folder #1.

10
“Some of papers Major Martin”: Department of Naval Intelligence to NA, telegram 04132, May 4, 1943, TNA, W0 106/5921, p. 32.

11
“Carry out instructions”: Telegram 869, May 4, 1943, IWM 97/45/1, folder #1.

12
“kept on such a plane”: Ewen Montagu, “Draft Proposal for Compiler of MI5 History,” July 24, 1945, IWM, 97/45/1, folder #1.

13
“searching but discreet”: Ibid.

14
“Rumours are extremely easy”: Alan Hillgarth, report, TNA, ADM 223/478.

15
“select from among his acquaintance”: Ibid.

16
“sincerely anti-war”: TNA, ADM 223/876.

17
“I managed to make the Minister”: Alan Hillgarth, report, TNA, ADM 223/490.

18
“that the Minister of Marine”: Alan Hillgarth, May 5, 1943, IWM 97/45/1, folder #2.

19
“Vice Consul Huelva saw body”: NA [naval attaché] to Department of Naval Intelligence, May 5, 1943, 1823, IWM 97/45/1, folder #2.

20
“Secret papers probably in black”: Department of Naval Intelligence to NA [naval attaché], telegram 071216, May 7, 1943, TNA, W0 106/5921, p. 33.

21
“Normally you would be getting”: Ewen Montagu to NA [naval attaché] Madrid, telegram 870, May 6, 1943, IWM 97/45/1, folder #1.

22
“Understood and acted on throughout”: IWM 97/45/1, folder #1.

23
“promised to obtain copies”: Andros report, IWM 97/45/1, folder #2.

24
“discreet inquiries whether any”: Alan Hillgarth memo, IWM 97/45/1, folder #2.

25
“As the local Germans were not able”: Andros report, IWM 97/45/1, folder #2.

26
“summoned to Villarreal de San Antonio”: Ibid.

27
“very pro-German and in German pay”: Ibid.

28
“This individual”: Ibid.

29
“to do everything possible to obtain”: Ibid.

30
“Urging him to use the utmost”: Ibid.

Other books

Murder in the Garden of God by Eleanor Herman
Outrageously Yours by Carr, Susanna
The Pirate Bride by Sandra Hill
Texas Tornado by Jon Sharpe
Sail Upon the Land by Josa Young
Human Interaction by Cheyenne Meadows
The Edge of Never by J. A. Redmerski
A Countess by Chance by Kate McKinley