I red an article about an plot to trick Hitler into believing that the allied invasion in the mediterrean would come at greece not sicily. The Brtish intiligence used a fictional character named major william martin to deliver fake documents discovered by Spain and delivered to Germany. If you have heard about this story or have an additional information please tell me. I would just like to know more. Also I am doing a porject on Stalingrad and if you have any good websites you know off please post a link.

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"Goddam it, you'll never get the Purple Heart hiding in a foxhole! Follow me!" Captain Henry P. Jim Crowe - 13th January 1943 - (Guadalcanal)

the Book and the film "The Man who Never Was" tells the story behind the apparently successful British plot involving "Major Martin". Good read, okay film.

This was actually a SOE operation called "Mincemeat " Do a Google and read all about it .

A classic deception operation, that is still part of some training courses as an example of how to "fool your enemy ". The items that were included in Major Martin's pockets were a masterfull set of "everyday items " that helped to build his "identity " along with the briefcase shackled to his wrist, full of forged letters from WSC to the head of the British General staff in the middle east.

The body was also very cleverly selected, as he had died of pnuemonia, which mimmicks death by drowning. The man was NOT a Royal Marines officer, he was a warehouse worker from Manchester. Major Martin was a complete illusion, made up by Special Opperations Executive, to fool the Spanish, who were sure to provide all the details to the Gestapo. The body was floated towards the Spanish coast from a RN submarine. The cover story was that a RAF courier plane had crashed into the sea, on route to the Middle East.

The Spanish bought it and gave all the documents to their friends the Germans who also bought the idea. BUT the plan was for the invasion of France NOT Italy. The Allies were all ready in Italy at that time.

The point of "mincemeat ' was to convince the Germans that the Allied invasion would be near Calais , not in Normandy. It worked a charm and even after the troops were ashore on June 6th, Hitler held back his Panzer reserves, waiting the the "real invasion " to happen at Calais.

The best deception op of WW2, I think.

Jim B. Toronto.