British deception is an area that I am massively interested in. Ben MacIntyre wrote an amazing book on Operation Mincemeat (this documentary might be based on it, actually) that is really readable. His books on British double agents and the committee that ran them (Double Cross) and on Agent Zigzag (called Agent Zigzag) are excellent reads if you like that kind of stuff. Just like British scientists/medics have shown their preeminence with the development of the vaccine, our lot were light years ahead of the game in terms of intelligence during the war. Its also interesting to read about intelligence and deception during the war when thinking about 'fake news' these days and how willing people are to believe a lie if it reinforces what they already think. I'd also recommend Ben MacIntyre's book on David Stirling and the creation of the SAS.
Interesting fact (well I think its interesting), Lt Commader Ewen Montagu, the member of the double cross committee who was responsible for Operation Mincemeat, was in that film playing someone else while Clifton Webb played Montagu.
You speak to locals now, and, from a point of safety, they give an answer about how they were right behind the resistance. But you can't really say that's what their views would have been at the time. They views would probably have changed even during the occupation; eg their views in autumn 1941 might be very different from spring 1944. Things seem very different when lives are at stake - especially yours and those of your own family. You only have to look at Yugoslavia for a comparison, where the chetniks stopped guerilla activities because of the severity of reprisals against civillians.
I’m sure you know this but those that don’t, agent Zigzag was called Eddie Chapman who was very closely associated with Sunderland, as well as the criminal fraternity of whichever town or city he found himself in!
Yeah, I meant to mention that he was he local lad. Quite a colourful life to say the least. I think he might have ended up as a minor celebrity, teaching people how to spot when they're being conned. Or something like that.
Weren't they parachuting SAS units and other special forces in to assist the resisitance by this point?
Yes, the maquis and communist resistance would have been at each other's throats without ouvert british officer control.
They were and in the South of France they didn't try so much to repatriate escaped/shot down allied personnel. As they were trained, spoke English, could be trusted, etc, the British would leave them and parachute arms, equipment and money in. They would live with the resistance and help control/direct them. Must have been terrifying.
We were also doing food drops - badly needed as lots of lads would run away to join the maquis once they turned 18 and were liable for call up by the German labour organisation.
