The Espionage Masterstroke that Turned the Tide of War | True Life Spy Stories
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- Опубліковано 27 тра 2023
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In the shadowy world of espionage, secrets are currency, and deception is an art. As World War 2 raged on, the Allies became ever more aware of the truth of this statement. Having dealt with the Nazi threat in North Africa, the Allies set their sights on invading Italy to wrest it from the control of fascism and the influence of Nazi Germany. But to do this, it was necessary to devise a plan so cunning, so audacious, that if it were pulled off successfully it would certainly be remembered as one of the most ingenious military deceptions in all history. By means of a dead body and a briefcase full of fake documents, British intelligence was able to fool Axis powers at a crucial juncture of the war.
Two British men, Ewen Montagu and Charles Cholmondeley, were tasked with developing Operation Mincemeat further and clearing the way for the Allied forces ahead of Operation Husky.
This is a documentary that tells the story of Operation Mincemeat - the espionage masterstroke that turned the tide of World War 2.
#philipthompson #spystories #operationmincemeat
I'm glad the British authorities were able to document the man's name. He didn't mean to, but he played a crucial role in the success of operation mincemeat and the overall war effort. His contribution to the war effort deserves to be remembered.
And it's nice that he was buried w full military rites befitting an officer.
He wasn't contributing anything, he was dead 😂
@@MbeziAmsterdam he contributed his BODY!! That's pretty significant!
He was used as a Delilah against Western civilization.
How do you say glyndwr @@johnashtone7167
I read "The man who never was" as a young teenager... having seen/read more open accounts of the operation more recently, I have to say I was almost moved to tears by the 1997 addition to the grave in Spain. To me that was a fitting and final conclusion.
Excellent piece of history with equally excellent presentation. Thanks a lot.
I have watched many tellings of Mincemeat and although you left a couple of juicy tidbits out, your is one of the best. I love your voice and it is certainly the best narration of the lot. Thanks for bringing us this wonderful story again. Also, our two Gents could NOT have had the freedom and acceptance of plots like this without the approval and encouragement by the very Best 'Outside the box' thinker of the war; Winston Churchill! He was a great on for deception operations and encouraged everyone in Britain to submit ideas-the wilder the better!
The classic ADHD mind!
What got left out
I think the best version is the almost hour long documentary, "Operation Mincemeat" on youtube.
The best!
@@serpentines6356 If you are talking about the one done humorously, I totally agree! I read a book about the Ministry of Ungentlemenly Warfare as they referred to it and the write up is really detailed. I forget the author but read it if you can because it’s excellent!
Deception as taught more than 2,000 years ago by Sun Tzu in his book "The Art Of War".
@John Ashtone Unknown? The Art of War is taught at Westpoint, and perhaps at Sandhurst. It is the greatest military treatise ever known. Yes. British ingenuity brought opium to China in the guise of cigarettes.
If it had not worked i might not be here! My dad was in the royal navy and he took part in 'husky' putting troops ashore
The deception certainly saved many allied lives
Oh bless you. What a story.
Sublime as always. Familiar as i am with this specific Op, this was still a fabulous watch. Already looking forward to the next one.
Thank you Ky for your support!
Mr. Thompson…..superb video….thank you!
The art - portraits are superb…..
Looking at the photographs of the officers involved, I understand now much better what Blackadder 5 was about.
One of my favourite WW2 stories and very well told! Well done!
Im American but this story makes me proud of Britain AND Churchill! He truly was tough as nails and a true genius.
Would love to have seen AH's face when the Allies reached Sicily AFTER he removed the Panzer division !! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
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What possible reason could they have to demonetise it?
@@Son_of_Mandalore all I have been told is that the video was automatically flagged as possibly violating UA-cam's "Advertiser-friendly content guidelines"... This happens to most of my videos upon upload, but is usually resolved soon after an appeal. For some reason this video is stuck in review limbo, apparently awaiting an actual human to look at it.
@@PhilipThompson that sounds utterly ridiculous. I hope you get some resolution soon and you get paid for what is truly outstanding content. Best of luck and I look forward to the next one.
Your work is brilliant! Just subscribed.
I'm completely in awe of your documentaries Philip . Thank you so much for your clarity of narrative ... and for the wonderful illustrations which are a bonus.
If you want to watch a film, "The Man Who Never Was" made in 1956 is in my opinion better than the recently made 'Operation Mincemeat". The latter seemingly inevitably adds love interests and other unnecessary plot lines. I actually couldn't be bothered to watch it all the way through.
The 1956 film, made so soon after the event is i suspect closer to the 'feel' of how it actually happened.
Good video! Certainly one of the more ingenious spy stories.
Talking of which, the story of Frank Foley is one that deserves wider coverage. An MI5 operative posing as a British consulate passport officer in 1930s Germany he helped over10,000 Jews leave Germany without him having diplomatic immunity and so being subject to arrest. His later exploits included helping the King of Norway flee after the Germans invaded and interogating Rudolf Hess.
Hi Andrew! Thanks for the suggestion, I'll add Frank Foley to my list for possible future videos.
@@PhilipThompson there's a terrific biography by Michael Smith.
You’re right, the recent film was dire. Much prefer the 1956 version and docs.
Personally, my fav is the British documentary, "Operation Mincemeat".
The artwork in this video is magnificent...as is the video.
I found my new favorite channel! Excellent content and even better narration. Perfect voice for war narration!
Blown away with the quality of this video.
Thanks Stu! I hope you enjoy some of my other videos too!
Love the paintings.
Had to watch it a second time So Great.
fantastic documentary - thank you. A really outstanding production.
You had to "think outside the box". Yet, how sad that someone who played such a crucial role, even though unwittingly, is simply just a postscript.
For many years afterwards a certain Royal Marine Commando Unit would receive , annually, a cash donation to the Officer`s Mess fund from one Major William Martin RM.
There never was a Royal Marine Officer of that name in WWII .
Who sent the money, what the sender knew about Op Mincemeat etc, has become part of our Corps history.
That's fascinating, thanks for sharing!
Its from the proceeds of books, films and documentaries over the years obviously, which is good and that the goverment aint just pocketing all of it themselves...as i think when the secrets act blanket was lifted about this operation, and the true identity was going to be revealed, legalities had or was put into place, for mr martins or glynns survivng kin as it was deemed fair that they should inherit portions of those proceeds from the media and books that used the story, but it was deemed very quickly and sadly that glynn indeed had no living members or kin to be found to benefit from this...
Omg….I read this book years ago……sooooooo intriguing and a nail biter!! I’ll read it again….
Glyndwr Michael was born in Commercial street, Aberbargoed, South Wales. My family are from Aberbargoed. It's well known in that area.
Thanks for sharing this info!
Thanks for this excellent account of the Operation.
Not mincemeat but "the man who never was"! And this version is completely different. I think the corpse was a young Scots lad who they could watch die of pneumonia condition so the lungs were full of water consistent with drowning and "fresh" enough to be a recent death. The father gave permission on the understanding that all actual details of the lad were kept secret in perpetuity: a poignant sacrifice of a son.
I understand that when Montagu wrote his book, many of the operational details of Mincemeat were still classified, and so he was compelled to 'adjust' some of the facts...
@@PhilipThompson You are correct. This video is a more accurate retelling of the story and well done in such a short time. That movie, "The Man Who Never Was", was very good.
A fascinating visual irony occurs during the film. There is a scene where the fictional Montague, played by the late Clifton Webb, is briefing a group of senior officers and a RAF Officer throws a question at him.
The RAF Officer was played (uncredited) by the real life Ewen Montagu and when he began questioning his film counterpart the situation was described as "surreal"!
He wasn’t a Scot, he was welsh and died of ingesting rat poison poor lad.
This operation turned the course of the war, ingenious 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🙏🇬🇧
It certainly caused a lesser loss of life on the beaches.......
An extraordinary video. Thank you.
I am so chuffed I found this amazing channel. Absolute world class! Thank you 🙏
Wow what a fascinating story. Keep up the excellent work. Can’t wait for the next one
Love this channel
Thank you!
Mighty True Story.
Excellent presentation.
Liked and subscribed! Great story and great presentation!
Nice production values. Nice narration.
Small error...you stated crash over the Mediterranean. Should read Atlantic. About 4 minutes in.
Yes, my mistake! 😬
Interesting and informative. Excellent photography job making it easier for viewers to better understand what the orator was describing.Historians did a very good job presenting actual facts from fiction. Class A research project!!! Special thanks to those espionage agents & associates. Who constantly placed their lives on the lines if captured by axis powers. After a professional torture session. Courtesy of the gestapo!!! It takes bravery/determination/sacrifice gaining valuable and to shorten the war. Without those espionage agents this documentary wouldn't be possible.
The photos of the actual body are ghastly.
Brilliant presentation -- thank you.
What a brilliant use of a dead body! Hats off to the original idea of "54 ways to deceive the enemy" and its later improvisation. Thanks for the superb video.
Was that quoted from that american publishing firm whose second published series was 54 ways to inflate ones ego?...
Thanks. Very interesting. Love the artwork.
Thank you so much for the super thanks, I am extremely grateful!
How is it possible that no film telling this AMAZING story , has been made ?!
What a great and creative screenplay it would be !!!!
There has been a film, called Operation Mincemeat. Released in 2021 and starring Colin Firth, among others.
Thank you for sharing !!!
The film The Man Who Never Was goes into detail about the contents of his wallet, etc. Clever, clever men!
I was born in Cardiff. I never new that a Welshman was involved.
Amazing story
fascinating 😊
Great video!!! Is there a way you can explain more about Operation Barclay and how other operations, including mincemeat, support each other to pain a larger picture? Great job!
Thank you! Operation Barclay is perhaps a topic for a future video 😊
Love your voice!! Brits just make great story tellers! No I’m from USA. Alexandria VA. I am a speaker and don’t worry about some bone heads that criticize your voice!! I mean your voice is exceptional professional!!!
Great deception, but not as great as the Normandy deception.
You need to work on your rendering of "Louis" as in Louis Mountbatten.
The van was driven by a champion racing driver.
Commando attack on Sicily in gliders was a massive failure.
A man is not dead while his name is still spoken. GNU Glyndwr Michael.
2:50 Charles looks like a giga chad grandpa...almost AI generated in how awesome he looks #respect
What app are u using? Invideo? 😅
Apparently, there is now just a hint of doubt that Michael's body was actually used in the end: 1. There was grave concern that its condition might not be convincing; 2. HMS Seraph was on the east coast of England and Michael's body in London; why send the body all the way to Scotland and add all that transit distance north for the sub before it had to go south? Why wouldn't you send the sub to London? Answer: There had just been a sinking of an RN vessel on the Clyde (name escapes me) with many dead from drowning. This presented a possible choice of much fresher bodies (if any could be found to be suitable) and explains why HMS Seraph went all the way around Scotland to the Clyde in that hope, rather than collecting the body in London. Strong circumstantial evidence only.
Interesting alternative theory! I wonder what reason there would be for this not to have been made known publically if it were true.
@@PhilipThompson I forget where I read it but the suggestion has been published somewhere...
6:05 A Spanish pathologist MIGHT have been able to identify....
#Mincemeat. 😂
While Scicily was important, I think that the Battle or Britain and Stalingrad were much more important.
HMS Dasher was the ship involved.
I don't think so. Dasher was an aircraft carrier that sunk 1 month prior to Operation Mincemeat as far as I know.
@@PhilipThompson Correct and there was three weeks between its sinking and Mincemeat, with many drowned servicemen. Impossible to know for sure; the official records say it was Michael's body. However, in war records could easily get confused where late changes are made. I wonder what other explanation there could be for sending the Seraph all the way around Scotland instead of to London.
So why type that in the first place then, if you knew? , this is how re-visionists start, so should be pulled up on, next time in the future if you dont know 100% that its correct, then dont type it in to look correct to people who wouldnt know...theres no excuse if you can type something on here then you can use bloody Google to find out?..
@@johnbolwell5969Next of kin searchings would have delayed matters. Timing was crucial.
10:07
Have a look at Psalm 39
Reason? "Man is a mere phantom as he goes to & fro". (verse 6) ??
Well low and behold, I never knew that OMM was the brainchild of a Australian and an Englishman were british royal servicemen. That said, the counter-intelligence didn't come as a surprise. You only have to listen to two english lawyers and a coder/intergrational specialist/book writer all sitting around telling jokes to understand that english brilliance is undeniably highly intellectual, and intellectually brilliant. 🧠.
A great movie with two stellar main actors; but re the real, I wonder how many Greeks were slaughtered by the Germans in their move to fill that nation with their troops and then in their anger when they learned how they were duped. But given how little Churchill cared about that nation
Correction. Never knew
READ the book: THE MAN WHO NEVERWAS.
You missed the juicy details!
Me: How’d you get the body
Agency: We found a homeless guy who had accidentally eaten bread laced with rat pois…
Me: Killed him. Got it
As always, in 1943 England there was no shortage of recently deceased youngish men.
I dont think he mistakenly ate bread laced with rat poison to you?, the poor ole boy had given up??.... Just as with now and like back then, britain is not paved with gold and certainly aint no paradise...
Shoutout to the homeless man
Did this guys ancestors ever find out what his body was used for?
His "ancestors" were dead. He had no descendants. Remember, your grandfather is your ancestor. Your grandson is your descendant.
Not sure, but for sensitivity purposes full miltary honour, of sort, was posthumously bestowed upon the poor fellow for "his efforts" in the invasion of Sicily on his tombstone.
@@sistagalsistagal8136 His name appears only as a PostScript on the tombstone.
Bad Fascist...No EMPIRE!
And what backwards flea pit to you hail from, and i suppose your nations transgressions are rosey than rosier...
Mincemeat might have been a skillful deception but the invasion of Sicily and Italy turned into a terrible battle of attrition in which the Germans inflicted far more casualties on the allies than they did on them. Another Churchill f---k up!
The problem is you can think ahead, but you can not see the future.
Prooves what you know, typical winnie hater and clueless to know why, sicily went perfect, blame the yankee command for italy, they was the ones supposed to be a wildcat flung into the auburn hills, but they stalled and stopped like a floundering beached whale, churchills own words! ,the sector under british command broke out and made there way around the east coast to meet their objectives, its the american generals who didn't, this is fact in any history books about the anzio campaign..
Dusko Popov was not mensioned even 1 time!
Curious as to why you think he should have been mentioned?
@@PhilipThompson , I have watched a story on the subject before . This is fascinating , and so well researched , and narrated . Is this your voice , Phillip ?
Popov, a very successful Anti-Nazi double agent, was involved with a different WWII deception campaign-Operation Fortitude-but I see no mention of his involvement, if any, with Mincemeat. A fascinating character, though-great subject for another video! :-)
Type him in then! you whinging little peanut?, theres plenty of doco's on him, this is about mince meat not poop off, so slide on out and find them, instead of spewing virtue signalling perfectic'ness.... Cheerio and thank me later..