The Operation Mincemeat team.
Operation Mincemeat was a successful British deception plan during World War II. As part of the widespread deception plan Operation Barclay to cover the intended invasion of Italy from North Africa, Mincemeat helped to convince the German high command that the Allies planned to invade Greece and Sardinia in 1943 instead of Sicily, the actual objective. This was accomplished by persuading the Germans that they had, by accident, intercepted "top secret" documents giving details of Allied war plans. The documents were attached to a corpse deliberately left to wash up on a beach in Punta Umbría in Spain. The story was used as plot in Duff Cooper's 1950 novel Operation Heartbreak, but revealed as a true story in the 1953 book The Man Who Never Was. The man known as Major Martin was buried in the Cemetery of Solitude in Huelva. As Mincemeat became legend the question persisted about the identity of Major William Martin. - From Histomil dot comI remember reading a story about this, including the 'pocket litter' that was carefully selected to make it convincing, but I'll be durned if I can find the book. I mean I read it not all that long ago, I should have it lying around somewhere. Dang and blast. This is going to bug me until I find it.
P.S. Why do girls like men in uniform? It's pretty basic actually: because the army only takes able bodied men, and it used to be only heterosexuals, so a man in uniform has got a leg up, so to speak, on the riff-raff who aren't in uniform.
2 comments:
I read it just recently - McIntyre (or MacIntyre, I forget the spelling) was the author. (And it was called just that: Operation Mincemeat).
I found it pretty fascinating.
As for men in uniform, you've got part of it. But also, I think, historically, military uniforms were designed to emphasize the chest and shoulders of men and, well...for many women (including me) that's one of the physical attractants, a guy who looks strong. Not necessarily buffed or bulked up, but strong.
Good to hear from you. That makes three books on the subject. Now I'm wondering if I actually read one or saw a movie. Weird what my brain does with memories sometimes.
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