Well, actually, more of a faint echo from the past (or even 'a feint echo', 'oh, very witty Wilde!) I refer to 'Operation Mincemeat' which took place in 1943. Today, the Daily Mail has reported on the release of archived Government documents which includes a letter sent in 1984 to Mrs. Thatcher by the late Ewen Montegu from his deathbed. He, with others, had been responsible for organising 'Operation Mincemeat' but he had never been allowed to read the secret report which summarised the effectiveness of the operation. He knew he was dying and he was desperate to be allowed to see it.
The original idea had been dreamed up by the late Ian Fleming, the eventual creator of James Bond, and it involved finding a suitable dead body, disguising it as a Royal Marine officer carrying Top Secret documents and dropping it in the sea off Spain where it would eventually be washed up on shore. The papers would indicate that the allies, far from intending to invade Sicily, which everyone expected, were actually planning to invade Greece and Sardinia. If the Germans swallowed that they would be induced to shift troops from one country to another.
Apparently, Montegu and his team scoured the hospitals and eventually found the body of a relatively young tramp, Glyndwr Michael, who had died and whose symptoms were such that any post-mortem would indicate death by drowning. He was duly dressed in the uniform of a Royal Marine officer with a briefcase containing 'Top Secret' documents attached to his wrist and his body was released by submarine into the sea just off Spain. It was duly found by the Spanish authorities who quickly passed the documents on to the Germans. The information reached Hitler who ordered a relocation of German forces. Expected casualties on the Sicilian invasion proved to be very much lower than expected.
This, in the words of the comic creation, Baldrick, from the Blackadder series, was "a very cunning plan" and it worked!
Aren't the Germans always supposed to be the smartest creatures on two legs that Europe has ever produced?
Posted by: Whitewall | Friday, 29 December 2017 at 16:23
Indeed. That's why the compass in a button went undetected: its two parts had a left-hand thread . . .
Posted by: The Jannie | Friday, 29 December 2017 at 18:33
The subject of a film a few years ago as well.
An intriguing story.
Posted by: AussieD | Saturday, 30 December 2017 at 08:34
Cold in your part of the world Duffers?
The weather Gods stuffed up a good chance for England to win the fourth Test. Pity as they were the better team in this one.
Posted by: AussieD | Saturday, 30 December 2017 at 08:38
I'm sorry, AussieD, but all discussion of the Test Matches is strictly forbidden on this blog. They are a non-subject, they have ceased to be!
Posted by: David Duff | Saturday, 30 December 2017 at 12:22
They are a non-subject, they have ceased to be!
Bit like that parrot from Monty Python?
Posted by: AussieD | Saturday, 30 December 2017 at 22:01