What’s The Real Story Behind "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare"?
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- Опубліковано 26 чер 2024
- This is the true story about Operation Postmaster, the capture of 3 enemy ships during WW2, that inspired the film "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare'
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Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:11 Operation Postmaster
4:14 The Team
5:46 The Neutral Harbour
8:56 Ian Flemming's Plan
12:09 Ungentlemanly Warfare
14:59 The Attack
17:28 Fallout
19:37 Impact of Operation Postmaster
21:42 What happened to the heroes?
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My name is Chris Green and I love to share stories from British history. Not just because they are interesting but because, good or bad, they have shaped the world we live in today.
History should not be stuffy or a long list of dates or kings & queens.
So rather than lectures or UA-cam animations, I tell stories that bring the past to life.
My aim is to be chat as if I were having a coffee or meal with you. Jean in Maryland, USA recently wrote: "Chris, is the history teacher I wish I had at school!"
Just for the record, I do have a history degree in Medieval & Modern history from the University of Birmingham.
Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Chris Green Communication Ltd t/a The History Chap. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Chris Green Communication Ltd does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
I'm looking forward to seeing this film. I'm showing my age here, but it'll be odd watching a film of this genre without David Niven, Roger Moore, Gregory Peck, the Anthonys Quinn and Quayle, and Sophia Loren in it. Great storytelling as always. You bring history alive. Thank you.
In my live show today we were talking about "The Eagle has landed" and what an incredible cast line-up it had.
@@TheHistoryChap...yes indeed, Donald Sutherland RIP...hilarious stage Irish accent...still a great film...keep up the great work, best wishes from deepest Prenton....E...
I truly hope they've done this remarkable story justice
I am an old fart of 82, and my memory is not as good as it once was, wasn't there a movie years ago similar to this one? I think one of the stars was David Niven(sp). The movie had a number off aging stars. I don't remember the name of the movie, but it was very entertaining. As I said, my memory isn't very good, but I think the two movies are about the same action.
@williamromine5715 if we're thinking along the same lines... the one you and I are imagining was set in Greece and the Balkans, I think? It starred Richard Kiel "Jaws" from James Bond, as the big hulking Chetnik? Escape from Athena?
You should do the Seawolves movie, and the "Calcutta Light Horse?". Another wonderful story of spies and intrigue.
Thanks for your response.
Please create an episode of the story behind the African Queen! Love this channel!
Chris has worked out in the live stream that he has 13 years of things to do! - I am sure he get around to it sometime
Your wish is my command! Watch this space or better still make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss when I produce it
@@TheHistoryChap Already subscribed Chris! Keep up the good work!
Fascinating story, and well told. Such brave people should never be forgotten.
Thanks for your comment, glad you enjoyed my video
We need more men-on-a-mission movies like The Guns of Navarone, Kelly's Heroes, The Wild Geese, The Dirty Dozen, The Eagle Has Landed and Where Eagles Dare.
you nailed it! (retired RCAF pilot here)
Thank you for taking the time to comment
The Eagle Has Landed was mentioned and talked about in Chris live stream today
@@QALibrary Have you visited the main Eagle Has Landed filming location? The church is in Mapledurham near Reading and still looks similar to the film.
100% this story if done properly and accurately would make an amazing film in the style of all the greats we love
Wow! What a creative and imaginative operation which actually worked! It is a real tragedy that most of the participants of this operation never lived to see a world without War. 💔 I want to salute you for a job well done my friend, kudos to you. I think it is wonderful that all the contributions of women to the efforts of World War II are being recognized, I think they should have been recognized all along but that's just me.
Harry, the same thought struck me. These men all had so much more to give.
Brilliant video! Great to learn about this incredible undertaking!
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it.
Brilliantly done and a great story
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it.
This movie had a Tarantino style of filming but it was still entertaining none the less. Thanks for bringing out the real story Chris!!!!
Glad you enjoyed it.
We don't know what we don't know. These type of stories are great bits of history. Another great video Chris.👏
Thaat's very kind of you. Thanks for watching and for commenting too.
Thanks for sharing this story Chris. I found it quite interesting. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for watching & glad you enjoyed the video
Thank you Chris, love your mini documentaries, you put so much detail & entertainment into your videos, love you make more videos, all the best John 👍
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it.
Great channel full of really original content-thank you!
Dear Chris! What an amazing story, beautifully explained once gain! Let me make just one amendment: Francisco Franco was not a "fascist" (an Italian concept) but a "National Catholic", although he enjoyed the support of nazionalsocialist Germany, fascist Italy, the Spanish Bourbon monarchists ("Requetés"), Spanish conservatives and Spanish fascists ("Falange Española y de las JONS"). And please remember he was just a second liner (in spite of being Europe's youngest general) until the death in an air crash of the mastermind of the failed coup, General Mola.
Has he died yet? ( Old Chevy Chase joke from SNL).
Thanks for watching my video & for your informative feedback.
This operation is similar to that of the Calcutta Light Horse.
Thanks for sharing. I will look that up.
@TheHistoryChap it's the movie The Seawolves with Gregory Peck, David Niven and Roger Moore.
@@TheHistoryChap surprised you,ve never heard of it ,or seen the film in my opinion it surpasses this raid because it was carried out by mainly retired over the hill amatuers p,s just checked the movie is free on yt
I remember reading a book by James Leasor 'the last action of the Calcutta Light Horse' which gave the full story.
@@rossstenner4402I think it was called Boarding Party with the last charge of the Calcutta Light Horse as a sub title.
Chris, mate, your ideas always produce interesting content, go for it!
Thanks for your response
What a great story again..! Thanks Chris.
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it.
Outstanding Thank you
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching,
Fascinating. I’ve been interested in military history my whole life and I’ve never heard this story before. Embarrassing for a James Bond fan as well.
thanks for watching my video, glad you enjoyed it.
Excellent stuff Chris, thank you. Regards Jim.
Glad you enjoyed it.
What a fantastic tale of derring-do....and wonderfully told!
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it.
Great idea exploring the Great War in Africa. Another great video, thanks for sharing.
I just need to make sure that I don't get carried away, and keep the video nice & tight.
What a story - again fantastically researched and told 🎉
Thanks for watching glad you enjoyed it.
Absolutely Brilliant!!!’
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it.
That was most interesting. Thank you very much.
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it.
Why can't Hollywood just tell a historical story as it happened without resorting to all this comic book crap?
Goodness only knows
Because a real historical story is called a documentary and Hollywood isn't in the learning business, they're in the money making business.
That's why I refuse to watch U 571
Because a real historical story is called a documentary and Hollywood is not in the learning business, they're in the money making business.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a 2024 spy action comedy film directed, co-written and co-produced by Guy Ritchie, and starring Henry Cavill, Eiza González, Alan Ritchson, Henry Golding and Alex Pettyfer. Based on the 2014 book Churchill's Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII by Damien Lewis, the film portrays a heavily fictionalised version of Operation Postmaster.
Fantastic and highly entertaining video.
Ive yet to see The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
Looking forward to your video on the movie The Four Feathers.
Thanks for your feedback.
Marvellous Post, thank you.
Thanks for watching my video, glad hyou enjoyed it.
Thank you for telling this story. The bravery of the allied men and women never ceases to amaze me. ❤
thanks for watching & glad you found my video interesting.
Great video!
Persy Hansen and Anders Lassen was not the only Danes to be awarded a VC. Thomas Dinesen was also a recipient of a VC, during the Battle of Amiens.
He was the younger brother of the author Karen Blixen.
Thanks for watching my video & for your feedback.
Reminiscent of the exploits of the Calcutter light horse filmed as
THE SEA WOLF'S a must see. Cheers
Thanks for your comment.
You're a wonderful storyteller, thanks.
Very kind of you. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Yes please on the next story suggestion
Thanks for your response
Great book!
Thanks for the comment.
Excellent M8.
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed my vdeo.
Absolutely fascinating, thank you! Do you know when the operation became public knowledge?
Good one Chris , Chris any chance of doing a programme on The Wheezers and Dodgers ??. Cheers
Thanks for your response
Absolutely enjoyed video lectures on Operation Postmaster. I was, pardon the pun, glued to my seat. One may call me biased but I would prefer a film closer to the actual operation. God bless you and family Sir!
Thanks for watching & for your kind comments.
Chris, there was also another daring raid by Australian commandos. Named Task Force Z, they sailed aboard a nondescript ship down to Singapore harbor. There they destroyed several Japanese shipping and escaped with no casualties. In October 2015, I was fortunate to travel to Cairns, the port town where the task force sailed from and trained on. As I photographed the small memorial obelisk, I was overcome by emotion to be fortunate to be at such a historic place.
The vessel used on that mission, the “Krait” is currently on display at the Australian Maritime Museum in Sydney.
Thanks for watching my video & also for sharing the interesting story of Task Force Z.
A great story, thanks Chris.
Glad you enjoyed it Jen.
Stealing marine vessels? Look up the story of the time the Israelis stole several missile boats from Cherbourg harbor. These boats were paid for, but DeGaulle refused to release them.
Interesting. Thanks for sharing.
That was definitely the kind of out of the box thinking that Churchill deelighted over! The crazier the better for him! Every time I think of Britain in the 2nd World War, I shudder to think of how long Britain would have lasted under Lord Halifox! YIKES!
Yes Churchill loved the unorthodox, he called the commando those “Butcher and bolt”
Despite being from the establishment, he didn’t generally like the senior military officers that he thought were unimaginative and dull.
Thanks for watching my video & for your feedback.
Another great video Chris, its great that you often tell the stories no one has heard off, keep it up your top notch pal
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.
What incredibly brave and resourceful men and women! The true story is even more impressive, even if not as cinematic, because they pulled it off without firing a shot. The enemy was totally left in the dark, literally!
Thanks for watching my video, glad you enjoyed it.
The African Queen was my dads favourite film and there is nothing not to be loved about it. I do think I read the book as a youth, but I would love to hear about it. PLEASE do it.
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The participants in the real raid could be recognised for what they did, so they had no medals, but their wives used to wear very subtle brooches which featured a sea horse. Those in the know knew what this meant. The sea horse was the symbol of their unusual activities.
Thanks for watching my video & for your interesting feedback.
I had heard a bit about this raid before but didn't realise Anders Lassen took part, he may be worth a video of his own , if you haven't done one already?
Thanks for the comment.
R.I.P. Hero's
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed my video.
Haven't seen the movie yet, but Giles Milton's book about Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a ripping good read. It takes in a number of legendary operations including Anthropoid and the Campbeltown raid on St Nazaire.
Thanks for sharing details of the book
Some interesting background on the SAS is a pair of books by Gavin Mortimer - The Phony Major and 2SAS. I don't know if you've read them. And you might (whenever you can find the time) to do something on the invasion of Madagascar and 142 Commando.
Thanks for your interesting feedback & sharing the book details.
I dont know this interesting episode of WW II and i learned willingly about it. Thanks, Chris!
P. S.: to represent history in films is ever difficoult. It is usual to semplificate or to dramatize the facts: this is more simple and above all films must gain money. Only few directors ( Kurosawa or, more recently, Spielberg, for example ) can to overcome this limitations, in my opinion. But if you consider a film as a novel and not as a documentary ( as you underline ) there aren' t problems....
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A very good explanation of what really happened.
However, you have missed some interesting details.
Noted is the connection to Ian Flemming, but in the previously secret records at Kew , it states that these special agents were
" licenced to Kill". They also had code names. Gus W•01, Appleyard W•02 and Hayes W•03.
You also missed that Graham Hayes had sailed round the world on the windjammer Pommern via Cape Horn. So he most certainly knew about the sea and sails. I agree, curious that they decided to call him Henry in the film.
Thanks for your feedback.
🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 Thank you 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Thanks for watching my video.
Wonder how real Das Boot version of the resupply in Spain of U-Boats were?
Interesting question. Unfortunately, unfortunately, I don’t know the answer, but I would be intrigued to find out.
@@TheHistoryChap If you did not know there are 3 versions of Das Boot - the Film version, the extended TV film version and the multi-part TV show which has a lot more detail and history in it
Another hidden gem expertly told!
Many thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
I have stack of books a foot high on the SOE and another18" high stack of books on the SAS. David Stirling is a distant relation on my mother's side. I have friends who have done similar operations for the US in recent decades, so it continues both in the UK with the new ranger unit to free up the SAS and in the US with the new joint command structure for tier one units.
Many thanks for taking the time to share.
I imagine Franco was glad of the fig leaf to help him stay out of the war. I have no doubt he knew who was behind it.
Probably, but Spain was too torn after the Civil War, to be able to participate in WWII. Even the promise of Gibraltar, kept him neutral., and many escaped PoWs got home thrugh Spain.
Thanks for watching my video & for your comment.
"History verses Hollywood" The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a 2024 spy action comedy film directed, co-written and co-produced by Guy Ritchie, and starring Henry Cavill, Eiza González, Alan Ritchson, Henry Golding and Alex Pettyfer. Based on the 2014 book Churchill's Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII by Damien Lewis, the film portrays a heavily fictionalised version of Operation Postmaster.
Thanks for watching my video & for your interesting feedback.
Of course, you could read the book "Ian Fleming's and SOE's Operation Postmaster" by Brian Lett. You will also learn how the 00 (of 007) meant a license to kill. The officers involved in Operation Postmaster were assigned codenames such a W.01, the 0 meaning that they were TRAINED (assassinate a better word?) to kill, not licensed; licensed to kill would be redundant as everyone in the military is licensed to kill.
Yes
Thanks for your feedback.
Great true story here! I think Guy Ritchie missed a beat by not casting English actor Andrew Lincoln in the role of Captain Jerry Appleyard when the photo of the real Captain flashed up l thought it was a photo of actor Andrew Lincoln!
That's an interesting observation. I'm glad you enjoyed.
Just a small point but, for the sake of accuracy, the ship used by March Phillips and Co was called "Maid Honour" not "Maid of Honour". I believe she was a Brixham trawler. At this point Phillips group was called Maid Honour Force and later became the Small Scale Raiding Force.
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There is another like this that went on. On the east coast of Africa. With someone that was a forestry worker from Scotland.
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Definitely! Tell the stories of the East Africa Campaign & The Africa Queen!
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Yes, please tell about WW I in East Africa!!
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Is that a Sten MK5 I see in the poster ?
Appleyard is a very Yorkshire surname, I wasn't surprised when he said that he was from Yorkshire.
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Read about in a book about Anders Lassen.
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If you do the WW1 africa camapin then you have to do the story of the L59. A zepplin that was sent to resupply the German army there and was modified to supply even shoe leather as part of the zepplin's fabric
Thanks for your interesting comment.
Never heard of this one.
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Great story well told. Thank you. I vote for the African Queen story. Cheers!
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your suggestion.
I thought Anders Lassen ended up in the SBS, fighting in the Aegean, not the SAS.
A shame in a way it's taken eighty years for their story to be told
My wife's grandfather was SOE and he never told us his story and we've never been able to find out what he did. But he did let slip one he had been to Japan.....
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Was this action also the inspiration for the movie Sea Wolves staring Gregory Peck and Roger Moore? The description of events sounds eerily similar to that pt.
Maybe, it would make sense wouldn't it?
The Sea Wolves was based on Operation Creek.
There's also a book by James Leasor called Boarding Party which also covers the Operation.
How about the Bruneval Raid?
Thanks for your response
The Sea Wolves , an excellent movie. Based on the similar Operation Creek.
Thanks for watching my video & your suggestion.
Read the book. It's great!!!!
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Do the true story of the movie The Seawolves
Thanks for the suggestion. I will add it to my list.
Thats good🎉
Thank you very much
Was it actually found that the ship was used for communicating with U boats?
Did they find out if the ships were being used as support vessels for the u-boats?
But what WAS in the holds?
Until I looked it up I thought they were telling the story of the raid on Portuguese Goa, just really badly. It is such an interesting story although Hollywood got that one wrong too with Rodger Moore. I think if they just stuck to the story, these raids would make much better stories.
Thanks for your feedback.
I would like to see the real story of the African Queen and the East African campaign. I enjoy your work.
Thanks for your response - my list is growing ever longer
I'm getting strong "The Sea Wolves" vibes from this.
Thanks for your feedback.
Very good presentation of the real story with the real hero's, very much appreciated. No interest at all in the movie, I like my history to be accurate without additions.
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This resembles Operation Creek in many ways.
thanks for watching my video
And there was Thomas Dinesen VC. 1.WW👍👍👍
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The story of WWI in Africa is one that is little known and would make a good series.
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there is a movie about the 4 German ships in Macao, the Portuguese enclave in China (near Hong Kong) and their destruction, i think the late Sir David Niven played a part in the movie, but not 100 % sure, any clue ? any truth to that story ?
Both the WWI Africa campaign and “Africa Queen” would be great I think.
thanks for your response
Compare with "The Sea Wolves" - the story of the Calcutta Light Horse.
Thanks for watching my video
Sounds like the same plot from the film the sea wolves with roger moore
I think it is
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Please do Black British Charlie Hutchinson = Communist, not a commie myself but his story/adventures/wars deserve a bio episode.
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Thanks for getting arundt to major A
F.E.U.S.Lassen VC MC
Thanks for our comment.
This story sounds very like that portrayed in "the Sea Wolves" film which aparently was based on Operation Creek. Another one for your consideration?!
Thanks for your response - my list is growing ever longer.
It wouldn't have been piracy, as the SOE guys would have been Privateers
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This sounds very much like a film I've seen. This film stars David Niven, Roger Moore and Gregory Peck. They have to attack two German ships in Goa to stop the ships contacting the U-Boats in the area. They also have a party for the crews allowing the raiders to board the ships and destroy the hidden radios, then sink the ships. There is also a female spy involved although she was a German. Is this a coincidence. I can't recall the films name.
The film was called " The Sea Wolves ".
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How about the true story of 'The Sea Wolves'?
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Can you research South African action in Madegasca. Near Point dr Noise.
Thanks for your comment, I will add it to my ever growing list.
@@TheHistoryChap I remember hearing from a person who was there. Name of Holloway. In 1940 men were recruited in S. Africa but they were to be trained in Kenya for the Abyssinia Campeign and as a result many had minimal weapon training. They were put ashore near the northern tip and faced the French Foreign Legion, who, at that time were unsure whose side they were on. As I recall they suffered+-400 casualties.
cool story they were a bit "stabby" in the movie it was fun though
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