OPERATION MINCEMEAT

John Greeves reveals the detailed planning of World War Two's greatest deception

- John Greeves

In 1943, British intelligence officers managed to pull off one of the most successful deceptions ever achieved. Referred to macabrely as “Operation Mincemeat”, it involved a decomposing corpse that was floated off the coast of Huelva in southern Spain. Personal documents identified the corpse as Major William Martin of the Royal Marines but, more importantly, a black attache case chained to his wrist contained secret documents purporting to reveal the Allied targets for the forthcoming invasion as being Greece and Sardinia, while Sicily would only be used as a feint.

The origin of the idea can be traced back to a paper referred to as the "Trout memo" in 1939, which contained several deceptions to be employed against the Axis powers. Although published in the name of Rear Admiral John Godfrey, the Director of Naval Intelligence, the content is believed to be the work of his personal assistant, Lieutenant Commander Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond. Item 28 on the list suggested planting misleading papers on a corpse that would be found by the enemy.

In late 1942, after Allied success in the North African campaign, military planners turned their attention to the next phase of the war. Winston Churchill wanted the allied forces to attack what he called “the soft underbelly of Europe” and two options existed: through Sicily or via Greece and the Balkans.