Page 41 - History of War - Issue 01-14

OPERATION MINCEMEAT

Nye’s letter hinted at a second assault
in the western Mediterranean, but did not
say where the fi ctional Operation Brimstone
would be aimed. Nor did it explain why such
an important letter was being carried by this
particular offi cer. There was nothing to explain
what Major Martin was doing in North Africa,
on the eve of a major invasion. A second letter
was called for. Since Martin was on the staff
of Combined Operations, Colonel Neville of
the Royal Marines, who had been consulted
on Major Martin’s uniform, drafted a letter to
be signed by Lord Louis Mountbatten, Chief
An S-Class submarine (HMS Seraph) was used of Combined Operations, and addressed it to
to transport the body from the UK to Spain
Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, Commander-
in-Chief in the Mediterranean. Cunningham was
falsely, that Sicily was being set up as a cover the Germans into believing an attack on Sicily Eisenhower’s naval deputy, a hard-grained Scot
target for a simultaneous assault in another part was imminent, pointing out that amphibious with red-rimmed eyes who had been in uniform
of the Mediterranean; it referred to some run- training in North Africa and the bombardment ever since the Boer War. Like Alexander, his
of-the-mill army matters, which also happened of Sicilian airfi elds would tend to support that name and seniority would be well known to the
to be authentic, such as the appointment of a impression. The training and bombing were, of Germans; unlike Alexander, there was nothing
new Commander of the Guards Brigade and an
offer from the Americans to award Purple Hearts
to British soldiers serving alongside American THE FALSE TARGETS WERE “NOT BLATANTLY MENTIONED,
troops. Above all, it sounded right. Montagu,
after so many weeks spent trying to pull off ALTHOUGH VERY CLEARLY INDICATED”, ALLOWING THE ENEMY
the forgery himself, admitted that Nye’s letter
was “ideally suited to the purpose”. The false TO PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER, MAKING AT LEAST SIX
targets were “not blatantly mentioned, although
very clearly indicated”, allowing the enemy to
put two and two together, making at least six. course, preparations for the real attack smooth and refi ned about Admiral Cunningham,
Bevan wrote to Nye, asking him to have the on Sicily. Husky was the genuine codename who preferred the cut and thrust of battle to the
letter typed up, then to sign it in non-waterproof for that invasion; if the Germans came across comforts of high rank. His favourite expression,
ink, since a waterproof signature might raise any allusion to Husky in the future, having when things seemed to be going too well, was:
suspicions. “Your signature in ink might become read Nye’s letter they would, with luck, assume “It’s too velvety-arsed and Rolls-Royce for me.”
illegible owing to contact with sea water and, that this referred to the attack on Greece. The letter clearly indicated that Martin, a
consequently, it would be advisable to type your trusted expert on landing craft, was coming out
title and name underneath the actual signature.”
Bevan had one fi nal tweak. “General Wilson
is referred to three times, as ‘Jumbo’, ‘Jumbo
Wilson’ and ‘Wilson’. I wonder whether it In repl y quote: S.R. 1 924/43
would not be more plausible to refer to him
on the fi rst occasion as ‘Jumbo Wilson’ and Combined Operation s Headquarter s
‘Jumbo’ thereafter.” Nye replied: “I referred to 1A Richmond Terrace
him variously intentionally (and committed a Whitehall, S.W.1
couple of – almost – grammatical errors) so as 21 st April
not to be guilty of too meticulous a letter.” At
the last moment, Nye dropped the joke about
Monty: “I would never have written such a thing. Dear Admiral of the Fleet,
It might have struck a false note and, if so, did
one really gain anything by taking such a risk?” I promi sed VCI GS that Major Martin would arrange with you for the
The General toyed with a joke of his own: “PS on ward tran smi s sion of the letter he ha s with him for General
We saw you on the cinema the other night and Alexander. It i s ver y urgent and ver y ‘hot’ and, a s there are some
Colleen thought you looked uncommonly like
Haile Selassie!” General Alexander did look a remark s in it that could not be seen b y other s in the War Office,
little like the Ethiopian Emperor, and Nye thought it could not go b y signal. I feel sure that you will see that it goe s
this remark “might help to strike the right note on safel y and without dela y.
of informality”. On the other hand, General Nye
had no sense of humour and was enough of a I thin k you will find Martin the man you want. He i s quiet and sh y
realist to know it. His fi nal letter was joke-free. at fir st, but he reall y kno w s hi s stuff. He wa s more accurate than
He sent it back with a note and a fl ourish: “Now some of u s about the probable run of event s at Dieppe and he ha s been
I hope your friends will ensure delivery.” It was,
in Montagu’s words, “a truly magnifi cent letter”. well in on the experiment s with the late st barge s and equipment
which took place in Scotland.
Something fishy Let me have him bac k, plea se, a s soon a s the a s sault i s over.

The letter twanged every chord. It indicated He might bring some sardine s with him – the y are ‘on point s’ here!
that there was not one assault planned, but
two: General Wilson’s army under Montgomery
would attack two points in Greece under Your s sincerel y,
the codename “Husky”; General Alexander, Loui s Mountbatten
under Eisenhower’s command, was preparing
to launch a separate attack in the western
Mediterranean, codenamed “Brimstone”. The Admiral of the Fleet Sir A.B. Cunningham G.C.B., D.S.O.
cover target for this latter operation was Sicily. Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean
The letter openly stated the intention to deceive Allied Force s HQ
Algier s
HISTORY WAR 41
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