Operation Mincemeat
On the 29th of September 1939, Rear Admiral John Godfrey circulated a paper titled the Trout memo. This document compared deceiving an enemy to fly fishing and listed twenty-eight schemes for wartime deception. Number 28 on that list was not a very nice idea: plant misleading papers on a corpse found by the enemy. The memo bore the hallmarks of Lieutenant Commander Ian Fleming, who served as Godfrey's personal assistant at the time. Earlier attempts had already proven the concept viable. In August 1942, British forces placed a corpse in a minefield facing the German 90th Light Division. That body carried a map showing fake mine locations, which led German tanks into soft sand where they bogged down. A month later, an aircraft crashed off Cádiz carrying Paymaster-Lieutenant James Hadden Turner. His documents included a letter from General Mark Clark about Operation Torch's target date. Although Spanish authorities returned the body with the letter still sealed, intelligence sources confirmed the Germans had copied the French agent's notebook. These events showed that some material obtained by Spain was being passed to Germany. Charles Cholmondeley outlined his own variation of the plan in November 1942. He called it Trojan Horse after the Achaean deception from Greek mythology. The Twenty Committee turned down his initial proposal but saw potential in the idea.
On the 28th of January 1943, coroner Bentley Purchase contacted Montagu with news he had located a suitable body. It belonged to Glyndwr Michael, a tramp who died from eating rat poison containing phosphorus. Pathologist Sir Bernard Spilsbury advised that those who died in air crashes often did so from shock rather than drowning. Their lungs would not necessarily be filled with water. Spaniards, as Roman Catholics, were averse to post-mortems unless the cause of death was important. This meant fewer autopsies and more available corpses for selection. Purchase kept the body in a mortuary refrigerator at a specific temperature to prevent freezing or decomposition. He warned that the body had to be used within three months before it decomposed past usefulness. Montagu described the individual as a ne'er-do-well whose only worthwhile act came after death. An alternative theory suggested one of 379 men killed in an explosion on HMS Dasher in March 1943 might have been used. Military historian Denis Smyth dismissed this claim, noting official records stated Glyndwr Michael was the actual corpse. The under-nourished corpse did not look like a fit field officer but served well as a staff officer.
On the 4th of February 1943, Montagu and Cholmondeley filed their plan for Operation Mincemeat with the Twenty Committee. They created a fictitious identity named Captain William Martin of the Royal Marines. The name Martin was chosen because several men held that rank in the service. As a Royal Marine, Major Martin fell under Admiralty authority, ensuring inquiries went to Naval Intelligence Division. To reinforce his reality, they placed pocket litter on his person including a photograph of an invented fiancée named Pam. That image showed MI5 clerk Jean Leslie drying herself with a towel. Two love letters from Pam accompanied the photo along with a receipt for a diamond engagement ring costing £53 10s 6d from Bond Street. Additional correspondence included a letter from Martin's father described by Ben Macintyre as pompous and pedantic. A note from the family solicitor and a message from Lloyds Bank demanding payment of an overdraft of £79 19s 2d completed the picture. Tests conducted by MI5 scientists ensured ink brands would last longest when immersed in seawater. Other items included stamps, a silver cross, cigarettes, matches, keys, and receipts from Gieves for a new shirt. Ticket stubs from a London theatre and lodging bills established activity between 18 and the 24th of April. Attempts to photograph the corpse failed so Captain Ronnie Reed posed instead wearing a Royal Marine uniform.
In the early hours of the 17th of April 1943, Michael's corpse was dressed as Martin despite frozen feet requiring defrosting. The body went into a canister filled with dry ice sealed tightly to preserve it through sublimation. An MI5 driver named St John Horsfall transported the container in a Fordson van to Greenock. There they loaded it onto submarine Seraph which had previous special operations experience. Commander Lieutenant Bill Jewell told his crew the canister held top secret meteorological equipment. On the 19th of April Seraph set sail arriving off Huelva on the 29th of April after being bombed twice en route. At 4:15 am on the 30th of April, Seraph surfaced and lowered the body into water while engines pushed it toward shore. The empty container was then riddled with machine gun fire before being destroyed by plastic explosives. A message sent to Admiralty read Mincemeat completed. The submarine continued its journey to Gibraltar. The body was found at around 9:30 am on the 30th of April 1943 by a local fisherman. It was taken to Huelva where Spanish soldiers handed it over to a naval judge.
At midday on the 1st of May an autopsy determined death resulted from asphyxiation through immersion in the sea. The body was buried in San Marco section of Nuestra Señora cemetery with full military honours on the 2nd of May. The Spanish navy retained the briefcase despite pressure from German agent Adolf Clauss. On the 5th of May contents were passed to naval headquarters near Cádiz for forwarding to Madrid. While there, German sympathisers photographed contents but did not open letters. Once in Madrid, Karl-Erich Kühlenthal asked Admiral Wilhelm Canaris to intervene personally. The Spanish removed damp paper by winding it tightly around a probe into cylindrical shape. Letters dried, photographed, soaked in salt water for 24 hours, then reinserted without the planted eyelash. Information reached Germans on the 8th of May when Kühlenthal took documents directly to Germany. On the 11th of May the briefcase returned to Hillgarth who forwarded it to London. Forensic examination confirmed absence of the eyelash and damage from folding more than once. Final proof arrived on the 14th of May via Ultra decrypts warning that invasion would target Balkans with feint to Dodecanese. Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz met Hitler on the 14th of May discussing progress of war. Hitler ordered Greece, Sardinia, and Corsica defended at all costs. By end of June German troop strength doubled on Sardinia to 10,000 while seven divisions transferred to Greece.
On the 9th of July Allies invaded Sicily under Operation Husky. Even four hours after invasion began, twenty-one aircraft left Sicily to reinforce Sardinia. For considerable time after initial landing, Hitler remained convinced attack on Balkans was imminent. In late July he sent General Erwin Rommel to Salonika preparing defence region. By time high command realized mistake, too late to make difference. Sicily fell on the 17th of August after force of 65,000 Germans held off 400,000 American and British troops long enough for many Germans to evacuate mainland. Military historian Jon Latimer observed relative ease captured Sicily not entirely due to Mincemeat or wider deception operation Barclay. Other factors included Hitler's distrust Italians and unwillingness risk German troops alongside Italian forces possibly surrendering. Predicted 90-day campaign ended in 38 days. Expected casualties numbered 10,000 killed or wounded first week but only seventh became actual losses. Navy expected 300 ships sunk action yet lost just twelve. As battle went against Axis forces, Italian Grand Council voted limit power Mussolini handing control King Victor Emmanuel III following day Mussolini dismissed prime minister then imprisoned.
Montagu appointed Officer Order British Empire 1944 while Cholmondeley received membership order 1948. Duff Cooper published novel Operation Heartbreak 1950 containing plot device corpse floated coast Spain with false documents deceiving Germans. Montagu wrote history The Man Who Never Was 1953 selling two million copies forming basis 1956 film. Security services did not give complete freedom reveal operational details so he obscured idea organized programme strategic deception presented wild one-off caper. In 1977 Montagu published Beyond Top Secret U giving further details wartime autobiography among other operations. Journalist Ben Macintyre published Operation Mincemeat history events 2010. A 1956 episode Goon Show titled The Man Who Never Was set during Second World War referred microfilm washed beach inside German boot. Play Operation Mincemeat written Adrian Jackson Farhana Sheikh first staged Cardboard Citizens theatre company 2001 focusing Michael's homelessness. Story formed basis 2014 musical Dead in Water performed Camden Brighton Guildford Fringe Festivals that year. Welsh theatre company Theatr na nÓg produced musical based operation Glyndwr Michael upbringing Aberbargoed performed primary school children Caerphilly County Borough Eisteddfod yr Urdd another musical opened London West End 2019. BBC television miniseries Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond dramatised aspects Operation Mincemeat released 2022 film starring Colin Firth Matthew Macfadyen.
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Common questions
Who was the real person whose body was used in Operation Mincemeat?
The corpse belonged to Glyndwr Michael, a tramp who died from eating rat poison containing phosphorus. Military historian Denis Smyth dismissed claims that one of 379 men killed in an explosion on HMS Dasher in March 1943 might have been used and confirmed official records stated Glyndwr Michael was the actual corpse.
When did Montagu and Cholmondeley file their plan for Operation Mincemeat with the Twenty Committee?
Montagu and Cholmondeley filed their plan for Operation Mincemeat with the Twenty Committee on the 4th of February 1943. They created a fictitious identity named Captain William Martin of the Royal Marines to reinforce the reality of the deception operation.
How did German intelligence obtain the false documents from Operation Mincemeat?
German sympathisers photographed contents but did not open letters while they were in Madrid. Karl-Erich Kühlenthal took documents directly to Germany on the 8th of May after Spanish authorities removed damp paper by winding it tightly around a probe into cylindrical shape.
What specific date did Hitler order Greece Sardinia and Corsica defended at all costs following Operation Mincemeat?
Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz met Hitler on the 14th of May discussing progress of war and Hitler ordered Greece Sardinia and Corsica defended at all costs. By end of June German troop strength doubled on Sardinia to 10,000 while seven divisions transferred to Greece.
When was the body found by a local fisherman during Operation Mincemeat?
The body was found at around 9:30 am on the 30th of April 1943 by a local fisherman. It was taken to Huelva where Spanish soldiers handed it over to a naval judge for further handling.