The Double Agent Saving London From the V-1 - WW2 Documentary Special
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- The Germans are assaulting London with waves of V-1 flying bombs. But Eddie Chapman, a career criminal, serial womaniser, and masterful double agent working for MI5’s Double Cross is fighting a secret battle to beat the bombs. When he’s done with that, he pulls the wool over Reich’s eyes to help Britain beat the Kriegsmarine. This is Agent Zigzag.
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Hosted by: Astrid Deinhard
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson
Creative Producer: Marek Kamiński
Community Management: Ian Sowden
Written by: Astrid Deinhard
Research by: Astrid Deinhard
Map animations by: Daniel Weiss
Map research by: Sietse Kenter
Edited by: Iryna Dulka
Artwork and color grading by: Mikołaj Uchman
Sound design by: Marek Kamiński
Colorizations by:
Mikołaj Uchman
Source literature list: bit.ly/WW2sources
Archive footage: Screenocean/Reuters - www.screenocea...
Soundtracks from Epidemic Sound:
The Inspector 4 - Johannes Bornlöf
Weak Spot - Jon Bjork
Time to Face Them - Wendel Scherer
It's Not a Game - Philip Ayers
The Twelve Spies - Silver Maple
London - Howard Harper-Barnes
Paragons of Virtue - Jo Wandrini
Saved Souls - Elliot Holmes
Spy Game - Jon Sumner
Deviation In Time - Johannes Bornlof
Progressive Progress - Howard Harper-Barnes
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
We’ll have more coverage of the Double Cross Programme - including a party in Cairo. Stay Tuned!
Where's Indy Nidel?
This teacher is more easy to understand😅
Particularly enjoyed this episode of Spies and Ties on Eddie Chapman's interesting adventures as a spy. Even more impressive is how he eventually managed to reunite with one of his lovers, Betty Farmer and lived to an old age with a family. Thank you Astrid and team as always for this wonderful episode!
It's quite a tale indeed, truly an interesting life Chapman led. Thanks for watching!
The last scene of *Triple Cross* where the Real Eddie is drinking in a bar with the Dramatic Eddie (Christopher Plummer) trying to work out whose side of WWII he was on is a classic.
Most impressive that he apparently managed to remember who most of his lovers were and actually took care of them - and his wife didn't kill him for it. Smooth talker.
@@MsZeeZedWhose side was Eddie on? There were two: his side and the winning side. Which, even during late 1940, was going to be the Allies. Germany had no capability to successfully invade the UK and the Blitz had failed. It just took a while for people to realise this.
Susan????😮
I fully expected his story to end badly, betrayed and killed by his enemies in the service, an alcohol induced illness or even a bad run in with a romantic rival.
Him getting and staying married and dying an old man was a twist.
A deserved One i Say!
Aspects of his story reflect tensions in the secret world - on the one hand, certain types of people with criminal records might be recruited, especially in wartime. On the other, intelligence agencies vet peoples' backgrounds and would normally reject recruits with such records, or even undesirable political backgrounds.
In the American OSS, leftists were sometimes used as agents during WW2 as their skills were useful for some wartime missions and their political antennae tended to be well-tuned. However, postwar the OSS was wound up, and the CIA which was a successor did its best to avoid recruiting such people. It was one part of the Red Scare after WW2.
Bad endings are reserved for the German Abwehr team i am afraid 😢
@@stevekaczynski3793 A hot war makes things real and immediate. A Cold War throws in ideology and a lot of inefficiency because a bomb isn't about to drop on your head.
Really is like something out of a spy movie complete with a happy ending isn't it?
Croydon in south London was quite badly hit by V1s that were generally aimed at central London. In an attempt to confuse the Germans, misleading stories were sometimes planted in British newspapers about German rocket strikes occurring where none had taken place. These may have also confused locals who were being told a V1 had hit their neighbourhood without them noticing it. Truth is the first casualty etc...
So rare that stories on this channel have a happy ending. Understandable, of course, but it does start to weigh one down after a time. This happy ending was refreshing, indeed.
Glad you enjoyed this episode thanks for watching!
Indeed. That was my comment, too---a nice break from the usual death, etc.
Hmmm, I'm also driven by oxygen and alcohol
Aren't we all? Thanks for watching!
I'll drink and breathe to that. Prost.
I want to hear Astrid say "Let me explain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up."
Well done Astrid! I'm sure Eddie would've enjoyed this immensely. I doubt Eddie Chapman and Joan Pujols aka Garbo ever met. What a meeting that would've been.
They didn't call the U boats iron coffins for nothing. Great stuff like always Astrid!
Astrid's episodes have long been my favorite ones. Both entertaining and informative, and always containing lots of info about many unknown things that happened during the war.
Dang, Astrid, your lively narration was better than the Christopher Plummer movie Triple Cross.
I hope that you’re going to continue to cover the post war material as there’s so much potential programming.
The definition of "a daring fellow" our Eddie Chapman was! 😮
I met a former Royal Canadian Navy member here in Calgary about ten years ago who served as a teenager in the north Atlantic U boat war. He was on what was called a sub-chaser, which was much smaller than a destroyer or corvette, and they were armed with the "squid" depth charge system. He told me the system launched the weapons way out in front of them, thus far enough away from their small ship such that they posed no threat to themselves but gave the U boats fits and was very effective versus every other depth charge type. How exactly they worked I can't remember but it was a direct contact weapon. So there he was, an 18 year old, bobbing around in the north Atlantic trying to sink U boats! A very interesting lunch time conversation with a WW2 vet who by then was in his 90s.
Reminds me of a great uncle of mine. He served in a similar role in the RCN. He told me about a time when he reported sighting a U boat; which ended up being a whale 🐋 😅
He took a lot of ribbing for that.
@@danq.5140m LOL!
The ZigZag papers:
High adventures and mellow drama!
😂
Great episode Astrid, your joy of sharing this mans contributions was evident.
You can really feel Astrid's own personal interest shining through in this one for sure!
Thanks for the kind words.
Fantastic as usual! Thank you for your work!
Thanks for watching!
Well you can call me Eddie, or you can call me Edward Edwards, or you can call me Edward Simpson, or you can call me Arnold Thompson, or you can call me Fritz, but DON'T call me Bobby.
A movie about him would be awesome. I'm picturing a character that is a cross between James Bond and Han Solo.
I would love that!
Needs a Wookiee 😅
That’d be one of his handler friends.
@@marcsteenbergen3254 Maybe one of the French girls he seduced he wasn't particularly proud of?
There was a film made in 1966 called Treble Cross with Christopher Plummer playing Eddie. Worth a watch.
As always it is a pleasure to see Astrid at the desk with her unique and wonderful presenting style. Many, many years ago I read "The Man Who Saved London" by George Martelli about Michel Hollands work reconnoitering the German V1 sites. I would love to know more about him and his work from a modern view.
It’s well worth watching the film Triple Cross.
Seen it it's excellent you never quite sure who he really serves ?
Can't wait until you cover agent Garbo, AKA agent Bovril, AKA Juan Pujol Garcia! Learnt about him from Tom Scott
I did cover agent garbo during the d-day 24 hour series :))
Actually they did make a movie about Eddie titled Triple Cross, well done. It follows his imprisonment on the channel island and his friendship with Von Groening and the suspicions held by some SS officers. The rest of the story is fiction however. The movie is available on UA-cam.
With all the recycled, stale, super hero filled, sequel ridden movie market, I think some films about this guy would be refreshing.
These episodes just keep getting better and better.
Thanks for the sweet comment and thanks you very much for watching!
Wow! The whole thing sounds like a skit from "The Benny Hill Show". Falling out of the airplane, shut not opening, luggage everywhere... I can just hear "Yacket sax!"
Somewhat comical instances abounded in WW2, perhaps in any war. Sometimes tragicomic or ultimately tragic. And often involving aircraft.
SPOILER
One example was a US bombardier on a plane shot down in the Kassel raid on September 27, 1944. Most of the bombers in his group were shot down after they took a wrong turn and were attacked by an unusually heavily armed and determined swarm of German fighters. Because they had taken a wrong turn they had lost their fighter escort. The bombardier tried to jump out the front hatch but the strap of his parachute was caught on his Norden bomb sight. He later wrote that in those days he was physically strong, so he hauled himself back inside the bomber, unhooked the strap and dropped out the hatch again, this time getting clear. A few seconds after the bomber went into a spin and those of the crew who had not got out by then did not get out. The bombardier came down by parachute in Nazi Germany. Since he was Jewish and this was printed on his dog tags, he encountered a few more problems after capture. However ultimately he lived to tell the tale.
15:17 The Royal Navy being like "hold on, write that down."
Astrid,
You are a delight!
Jess1344
My goodness the Hedgehog is terrifying 😳 🦔!!!
Zig Zag sounds like a great movie title. The opening credits would be interesting.
They settled for *Triple Cross* when they made it in 1966. The movie doesn’t shy from the fact that Eddie’s a safe cracker who gets away with it. But it definitely plays with the idea that Eddie hedged his bets about who would win WWII 😼
Edward Edwards??
😂😂😂
I often think of those first and last names that are similar.
Tom Thompson
John Johnson
Adam Adams
Barry Barrystone
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Astrid.......Wonderful episode....you surely know your subject material in amazing detail!!!! I was glad to see how it all ended! Vielen Dank.
I was beginning to wonder when you would get round to telling the story of Agent Zigzag - I am not disappointed. Indeed, someone should make a movie about the life of Eddie Chapman... hey, wait a minute...
Wow, the narrator is a great story teller. Nice camera work too. Great job by the entire team!
That's Astrid one of the producers and creators of the channel! She's a great story teller as you said yourself. She hosts the Spies and ties series since the very beginning if you'd like to see more of her!
Thanks for watching.
- Jake
With another story about an English aristocrat messing everything up, I am getting quite fed up with them. The Brits really should have a proper revolution.
Competence is not an inheritable trait.
We have the same problem in the US but we can't call them aristocrats even when they are.
Thank you for what you do. Thank you also for the book recommendations. Your enjoyment of this jumps right through the screen. Take care, and until next time!
...I wonder how a few copies of your favorite books, signed of course, might sell or auction...
A master spy, dying happily married and of old age. What a twist.
Oh, Astrid, thank you so much for your delightful telling of this fantastic story! It takes all kinds to win a world war.
I've been a big fan of Eddie Chapman for years. I'm American, but I have a good friend in the UK -- somewhere in the steaming jungles of Surrey, I'm told -- who understands and supports my interest in classic espionage. Agent ZigZag was among the books he's sent me over the years. I imagined a taut spy thriller with Michael Caine in that period, but I was unaware of the 1966 film, ''Triple Cross'' with Christopher Plummer. I think I have seen it, but thought it was fiction at the time. Chapman himself was disappointed with how he was portrayed. Eddie was supposed to have been along on the shoot as technical consultant, but with the setting in France, was not allowed into the country by French authorities, who still wanted to apprehend him for alleged collusion in a plot to kidnap the Sultan of Morocco.
The humble Hedgehog is a terrifying beast, mainly due to its bad temper and mean attitude 😹
V-1:
Original version of today's modern drones!
MAGIC DARLING. 😊
As always it is a pleasure to see Astrid at the desk with her unique and wonderful presenting style. Many, many years ago I read "The Man Who Saved London" by George Martelli about Michel Hollands work reconnoitering the German V1 sites. I would love to know more about him and his work from a modern view.
Christopher plummer in triple cross is that film based on this guy?
i think that is correct, but some persons end different then in real live
Eddie Chapman was born in Burnopfield, County Durham. He might have been one of the inspirations behind James Bond 007!
Thank you Astrid. A movie about Eddie Chapman would be interesting indeed.
After the war there was ample criticism of the wartime British government of “playing God “ as to who would die due to the redirection of the V weapons from central London
I apologise to the gentlemen (who are amazing( and Anna)) but your spies and ties..... Wow 😊
Definately, would make a good movie - an aire of Harry Palmer about him 🤓
Wonderful episode.
So his loyalty was still more with his homeland, Britain, who dismissed him. But what a happy end with his Betty. Great episode, Astrid!
Wait a minute, Jersey? That inspires some digging…
He Was a right Character!..
zigzag all over the place
A wonderful and thrilled introduced....thank you for sharing
A movie about him would be awesome. I'm picturing a character that is a cross between James Bond and Han Solo.
His photo, with the thin moustache, actually makes him look one of the "spivs" who operated Britain's extensive black market during the war, and to some extent after it, as rationing continued into the early 1950s.
Best episode yet! I found myself having to close my mouth at one point hearing this amazing and very personal story being told in sush vivid fashion by Astrid!
That's great to hear, Astrid is such a delight to watch isn't she? Thank you for watching!
I love to listen to my teacher's lecture at Harvard History class today❤
Fascinating man
Excellent episode of a story that if it was made up no one would believe. I would also recommend Ben Macintyre's books, always compelling reads. Thanks Astrid and the team.
Thank you very much for watching!
A particularly good script today thank you. I've read MacIntyre's books, so I knew how the story came out but your telling was a fresh look at the story.
What a story fantastic stuff really good episode👍🇬🇧
Hi Astrid 🎉🎉🎉🎉
From Fleurke as well
I could listen to Astrid all day long!
great episode, made and told with a lot of heart! War is grim business, but this episode hits a lighter note
Indeed, War is incredibly grim. Nice to have a few breaks between all the chaos and bloodshed indeed. Despite that however, as Sparty himself always says - Never Forget.
Thank you for watching.
What a great story, and I so enjoyed your presentation! Thank you!
Does anyone know where The Spy Story episode about the Double Cross Team mentioned at 12:14 is? I can’t seem to find it and there’s no link. Has it been removed? 🤔
There is a film about Eddie Chapman, It's called Triple Cross, (1966). Staring Christopher Plummer as Eddie, Yul Brynner as his German Handler and Gert Frobe (Goldfinger) as his German sceptical security officer, and Trevor Howard as his British Handler. A good film.
This guy "saved" London from the V-1? But did London need saving from the V-1? Check the numbers; during the 1940 Blitz the Germans dropped 29,840 tons of bombs on the UK, , (London by far being the hardest hit), and killing over 40,000 civilians, but the UK and London survived. Now look at the V-1 blitz. Each V-1 carried close to one ton of explosives, and 8,025 were launched, for about 8,000 tons. However, only 2,400 came down in the Greater London area, (about 1/3), killing a little over 6,000 civilians. That is only 15% of the number killed and 8% of the tonnage in the 1940 blitz, (and the 1940 blitz didn't come close to destroying London, or forcing the UK to quit the war). In fact, toward the end of the V-1 blitz the British areal defense forces were destroying over 90% of all launched V-1s before they got near London. The effectiveness of the V-1 has been vastly overblown but present day "historians". The fact is, the V-1, and the V-2, never stood a chance to alter the course of WWII, and were a total misuse of the limited resources Germany had left.
Watch the movie Triple Cross, staring Christopher Plummer, as Eddie Chapman.
Also staring Yule Brenner and Gert Frobe, AKA Goldfinger. Good movie.
Thank you Astrid ! ❤
:)
😀
There *is* a movie about Eddie Chapman: _Triple Cross_ aka _La Fantastique Histoire Vraie d'Eddie Chapman_ (1966), starring Christopher Plummer (Captain von Trapp in _The Sound of Music)_ as Eddie. I haven't seen it; based on reviews, it's not as good as it should be.
and alias Christopher Plummer.
they did to do him justice :))
Astrid....that's the best description of a parachute jump I have ever heard! Haha... comedy was the last thing I expeccted to hear in this WWII series! Eddie Chapman...what a scoundrel! Lovely fairytale end to his story! Thanks.
They made a movie about Eddie Chapman named ‘Triple Cross’ 1966 starring Christopher Plummer as Eddie, along with Yul Brynner, Trevor Howard, Romi Schneider and Gert Frobe.
It was a delightful movie, and they had taken some historical exception but overall it was a good movie.
However, as they said the real thing is stranger and more interesting than fiction.
A less successful individual who may have been an agent or double agent of some kind was Theo Ellsmore. Ellsmore was a South African who was recruited to the British Free Corps, the tiny Waffen-SS unit set up by the Germans. It sought to recruit South Africans, Australians and New Zealanders as well as British. Ellsmore was soon charged with mutiny and was sent to the concentration camp at Stutthof in the summer of 1944. Although his ultimate fate is uncertain, he may have been executed shortly after arriving at Stutthof. Ellsmore was in fact a Belgian civilian named Theo Menz - for a variety of reasons, some Dutch and Belgians sought to pass themselves off as South Africans during WW2. Menz's motivations are unclear.
The Eddie Chapman story! Been waiting for this story...... I've read the book and seen the movie, really good reading and the first triple X! He lived the James Bond life fast cars and faster women!😂😂😂😂 Dies of old age!
Quite a chap this Chapman!
I’ve just realised Eddie’s handler Ronnie Reed, was the face on the ID card of the deceased Major Martin during Operation Mincemeat. Its a good job von Gröning didn’t have that file on his desk at any point, it might have tripped Eddie up 🙀
What a movie this would be
I hope WWT Spies and Ties will also cover once the story of Polish Secret Service of the Polish Home Army and their contribution of delivering Blue Prints and even parts of V1 and V2 to their Allies.
There was a movie made about him “The Man with The Tripple Cross” made in 1968, starring Christopher Plummer.
The theme is great, but her narator skills is very, very annoying.
Sorry guys. Great job, but i can't watch whole episode.
Astrid would like to make a film about him. There is of course already a film about him called Triple Cross. The Abwehr probably knew he was a double Agent and didn't care.
So Graham Greene had to water down the stories from WWII in his novels? Parts of this sounds very similar to "Our man in Havana" (also Garbo, I know...)
Τhere is a movie about him, starring the late Cristopher Plummer. It's called Triple Cross (1966).
They did make a movie about him. Christopher Plummer played him. “Triple Cross”. 1966.
What an awesome story that has everything in a James Bond movie, but it's REAL! Well done Astrid and Time Ghost!
They did make a movie about him. Christopher Plummer played him in “Triple Cross”(1966)
It says something about their lack of reconnaissance aircraft capability that the Germans had to rely on "Zigzag" to assess the damage caused by V1s.
My dear, that was fabulous!!! It was a nice break from the usual death and destruction of the war. Please, make the movie!!!!!
I forget which Pliny it was, but I am reminded of when he said that true glory lies in doing what deserves to be written, and writing was deserves to be read. Having such an adventure story for your life that several different authors write biographies about you is something I'm fairly certain is more satisfying that I can even imagine.
3:10 the magnetron developed into 10cm wavelength radar airplane mounted and other frequencies ship mounted.
Although the story is interesting, the story teller must be a reporter and not a comedian. Therefore, I'm terribly sorry but I dislike it all 😢!
Astrid the Queen.
Ok...I agree Astrid but no way until I understand the story and the guy better.... it would be a great shame to fuck this one up.
Fascinating episode. So typical that his career would be ended by British aristocratic class prejudice.
Very difficult to understand her English. Ie, first sentence “We are three weeks after the [???].” After the what? After the eighth? Eighth of what? Then right around the 10 to 12 seconds, I cannot understand anything that she said. So, I’m not going to watch this video.
Was this man perfect.
No. Was he a perhaps a gentleman thief and womanizer?
Probably.
But he did have a good heart.
Glad in the end he did good and finally found his true love, and lived a full life.
RIP Zig Zag.
Always good to see Astrid and her infectious enthusiasm. Brilliant stuff 👍💛👊