An excellent book! Well worth a read. I was given this a couple of ears ago and was put off reading it because I had ploughed my way through Max Hastings book 'The Secret War.' That book, while interesting, takes a lot more reading than this one does.
Outside of the MI5 & MI6 government individuals mentioned the main stars are the intriguing, if not unbalanced, personnel who put their lives on the line as double crossing agents during the Second World War. A Peruvian lass who liked to gamble, a Pole who wished to rule, a French woman who almost blew it when her dog was killed and a Spanish chicken farmer and a Serbian who like the woman. All these turned into excellent double agents. Many Germans who came into the country as spies had no intentions of wearing a uniform and getting bullied, pushed around and shot, spying was an easy out. A few who landed were not up to the double agent game and were jailed, some too pro Nazi were executed, these few however played a big part in the final victory especially their work concerning D-Day 1944.
The agents completely fooled the German intelligence services. Not only were they believed long after the war by some but medals were awarded by the Reich and an Iron Cross or two, and large amounts of cash, reached the spies in the UK. Wars are won and lost on intelligence, and as we all now 'Military Intelligence' is often questioned by the troops at the sharp end.
This is a fast moving book,well written with many details on the contacts between spies and their masters both at home and abroad. The details are clear, the stories intriguing and by the end the biggest lie of all, that General Patton was going to land an army at the Pas de Calais, succeeded in forcing all the enemy generals to keep that area well protected for over a month, during which time the real invasion at Normandy has successfully taken place and began the move up north. his lie went right to the top of the Reich with Adolf himself satisfied with his successful spies, even after the invasion was under way.
The war over they returned to he real world. Some more successfully and happily than others. Their tales are told here. This is a book well worth a read, especially if you wish to take up spying, allowing for the fact that amongst the operatives aiding the lies to the Germans were men who were also sending all the information into Mr Stalin at the Kremlin. It is often easier to find foreign spies than those amongst you.
Muscle aches tomorrow. For no good reason I suddenly rose and cleaned the fridge this afternoon. This is one of the many 'to do' jobs that ought to be ignored. Instead I got up and did it! I think the strain of Lock Down is having an affect.
Indeed in these past few days the strain has shown. My mind was very dull, confusion as to what to do, lack of ability to enjoy anything, and little of interest in anything available was becoming the norm. Then this morning I came across this picture I took some time ago.
Edward and Eliza Wicks have lain in the graveyard behind the Congregational Church in Bocking End for 140 years without troubling anyone. I just thought this morning I might have a look to see if they were important. It appears he may not have been important but he would have been known in the town, he was an Inland Revenue Officer. Moving from London, being born in Holborn, he made his way to Castle Hedingham for a while and then moved into Braintree, not far from here. There again at that time everything was not far from here.
In spite of being born in 1812 he was not 'Baptised' into the Holborn Church until 1836 when he would have been 24. I wonder if he had found a woman and wished to marry her there? Certainly he had a first born only three years later and that is Staffordshire where he must have moved to gain the money to keep the wife. Two other children followed there before coming into the large village of Castle Hedingham and what a place that would be for a child to grow up at that time! Of course schooling would be forced upon them, and that would spoil the fun but it would enable them to benefit greatly as the Victorian economy grew in the middle of the century. Braintree may have appeared 'bustling' in comparison with previous homes but it would still be suitable for the kids.
Living in this small two up and two down house, with no piped water until 1861 and then only if you could afford the 1/6d weekly, and with five children most of the time makes you wonder how they survived. Consider the females fussing, consider the young child, there is always one, consider the washing, consider the vast dresses filling the room, consider marrying the girls off to the first tender approach. That however did not appear to work. Still four of them with the parents in 1871.
The wife Eliza dies in 1875, Edward follows in 1878 aged 66. Being buried in this graveyard indicates they attending this rebellious fellowship regularly rather than St Michaels the Anglican Parish Church. Indeed I think that was in rather a poor state at this time, Essex rebels remember their loyalty to Parliament under Cromwell and may even in the 19th century have avoided the church.
The Wicks story is not going to make news, they may have made friends, maybe not if the girls were still unmarried in their 20's. We will never know. The name is common in Essex, I would trace the family but really canny be bothered now, and I am thinking of visiting Tesco for bread. However, this little study refreshed my stale mind wonderfully. I needed it if you didn't.
