Back in 1943, MI5 successfully managed to deceive Hitler over the Allied re-invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe in World War 2.
Operation Mincemeat involved British intelligence obtaining the body of a dead tramp and dressing him as a Royal Marines officer.
In a move approved by Churchill and Eisenhower, the corpse was released close to the southern coast of Spain, where Spanish fishermen picked it up.
Fictitious correspondence between two British generals on plans for the Allies to invade Greece and Sardinia was attached to the body.
The neutral Fascist Spanish government shared the information with German military intelligence Abwehr before the originals were returned to the British.
As a result, Hitler was fooled by the ruse and German reinforcements were moved to Greece and Sardinia before the Allies invaded Sicily in July 1943. The 2021 film adaptation of Ben Macintyre’s book on Operation Mincemeat is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, but is set to leave the streaming service within the next 30 days. The film stars Oscar-winner Colin Firth, Kelly Macdonald, Matthew Macfadyen, Penelope Wilton, Johnny Flynn and Jason Isaacs.
Meanwhile, Paul Ritter made his final film appearance in the movie before his death in April 2021 at just 54. A stage musical called Operation Mincemeat is currently playing in London and opens on Broadway in 2025. With over 67 five star reviews, it is the best-reviewed show in West End history.