Approximately 50 Members and their guests attended the showing of The Man Who Never Was on the last Wednesday of September. Members particularly appreciated the upgraded projection and sound equipment used, which greatly enhanced the enjoyment of the film. The World War II espionage film, which enthralled the entire audience, is based on a true story involving a plan to deceive the Axis powers into thinking that an Allied invasion of Sicily would take place elsewhere. Film Club Member Harvey Greenfield, a retired naval Reservist and naval historian himself, is something of an expert on this successful operation codenamed Operation Mincemeat, his research having made him intimately acquainted with the operation. He has shared the following account of the real facts of the operation with us. By 1943 the fortunes of the war were turning in the Allies favour. Operation Torch, the invasion of French North Africa, had been successful. The Allies could now invade southern Europe through Italy or through Sardinia, Sicily or Greece. The capture of Sicily was considered to be the best strategic outcome and the German High Command anticipated it. Operation Mincemeat was a misinformation plan to convince the Germans the Allies planned to invade Greece and Sardinia in 1943 instead of Sicily. Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu, a Royal Navy Intelligence Officer (a barrister in civilian life) and his team in MI5 were given the task of developing a plan of floating the body of an officer ashore, apparently drowned, carrying fake and misleading documents to be found by the Germans. Montagu and his team consulted the renowned pathologist Sir Bernard Spilsbury as to the type of body needed: a man who had apparently died at sea from hypothermia and drowning and several days later floated ashore. Sir Bernard remarked that as the body was intended to float ashore in Spain it was fortuitous that the Spaniards were averse to post mortems and probably would not be too particular. The Coroner was able to provide the body of a Welshman, 52 Tattler Summer 2015 a 34-year-old homeless man, Glyndwr Michael, who had died without family. The next step was to create the identity of the corpse. He became Captain (Acting Major) William Martin, Royal Marines, born 1907 in Cardiff and assigned to Headquarters Combined Operations. As a Royal Marine he could wear standard issue battledress as opposed to a tailored naval uniform, which usually came from Gieves of Savile Row. He was given a fiancée “Pam” who was actually a clerk in MI5 and a snapshot of her for his wallet, a jeweller’s account for a diamond engagement ring and two love letters (written by a woman working in MI5, on whom Ian Fleming subsequently modelled the character of Miss Moneypenny). Other personal items included a cash receipt from Gieves for a shirt (an error, since officers never paid cash at Gieves, but fortunately the Germans did not catch on) and his Naval Identity Card. The main document to be carried was a personal letter from the Vice Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Lieutenant General Sir Archibald Nye, to General Sir Harold Alexander, Commander of the 18th Army Group in Algeria and Tunisia. On the subject of Allied plans in the Mediterranean, the letter made reference to Operation Husky as the invasion of Greece by troops from Egypt giving details as to the troops and beaches. Implications were that Alexander would invade Sardinia. There was also a letter from Vice Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten (Chief of Combined Operations) to Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew Cunningham, Commander in Chief, Mediterranean Fleet portraying Martin as an amphibious warfare officer on loan until the assault was over and including a clumsy joke about sardines. Major Martin was dressed in his battledress and placed in a steel canister, which was filled with dry ice and sealed. It was driven to Holy Loch Scotland and taken aboard HM Submarine Seraph. Lieutenant Bill Jewell and crew had previous special operations service. He told his men the canister contained a top-secret meteorological device to be deployed near Spain. Seraph arrived off the coast of Spain near the town of Huelva and surfaced about a mile offshore at 4.30am on 30 April 1943. The canister was brought on deck and Lieutenant Jewell briefed the officers on the nature of the operation. Major Martin was fitted with his lifejacket and attached by wrist chain to the briefcase containing the papers. Psalm 39 was read and the body gently pushed into the sea. Half a mile to the south a rubber dingy was thrown overboard as evidence of a plane crash. The canister was taken out to sea and destroyed. A signal was then sent to the team, “Mincemeat Completed ”. Later that morning the body washed ashore. The German Abwehr agent took a keen interest in matters. The local Naval Authority took charge of the briefcase and sent it to Madrid. Major Martin was buried with full military honours on 2 May. The British Foreign Office pressed the British Ambassador in Madrid to recover the briefcase as a matter of urgency. The briefcase was returned. Tests established the subject letters had been opened. The Times of 4 June reported the death of Major Martin. Mincemeat was swallowed hook line and sinker. German defensive efforts were substantially redirected. Reinforcements were sent to Greece, Sardinia and Corsica instead of Sicily. On 9 July the Allies invaded Sicily. The Germans remained convinced that the main targets were Greece and Sardinia and kept forces there. The success of Operation Mincemeat caused the Germans to disregard later genuine document finds. Classic Film Club Michael Halliday Consult the website or Tattersall’s Mail for details of coming Classic Film Club showings. If you are interested in to joining the Classic Film Club please contact Michael Halliday on 0409 500 620 or Col Colquhoun 0418 879 564 or email classicfilms@live.com.au.
Tattler Summer 2015
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