No 11 Commando

It was our friends from the north, yes you're right Trooper.

What role did Major William Martin, Royal Marines play in the invasion of Sicily?

Originally Posted by Trooper1854

What role did Major William Martin, Royal Marines play in the invasion of Sicily?

Who....?

Originally Posted by Trooper1854

What role did Major William Martin, Royal Marines play in the invasion of Sicily?

You mean the matelot from HMS Dasher that drowned when she was sunk in the Clyde, had secret papers indicating that the Allies would invade Sardinia, in a briefcase handcuffed to his wrist and then his body dumped in the sea off Punta Umbría in Spain, (Pauses for breath) the papers were handed over to the Germans by Spanish authorities, who opened them and swallowed the deception? That Major Martin?

Originally Posted by BritinAfrica

You mean the matelot from HMS Dasher that drowned when she was sunk in the Clyde?

Please go on,

had secret papers indicating that the Allies would invade Sardinia, in a briefcase handcuffed to his wrist and then his body dumped in the sea off Punta Umbría in Spain, (Pauses for breath) the papers were handed over to the Germans by Spanish authorities, who opened them and swallowed the deception? That Major Martin?

That's the Major Martin.
Opperation Mince Meat, and "The Man Who Never Was".

There is a bit of an argument going on as to who Major Martin really was, some say he was the matelot from HMS Dasher, while others say he was a homeless Welshman who died from Pneumonia.

What was the modification that was supposed to prevent the Rolls Royce Merlin cutting out when the aeroplane was inverted?

What was the nick name given to it?

Originally Posted by BritinAfrica

There is a bit of an argument going on as to who Major Martin really was, some say he was the matelot from HMS Dasher, while others say he was a homeless Welshman who died from Pneumonia.

What was the modification that was supposed to prevent the Rolls Royce Merlin cutting out when the aeroplane was inverted?

What was the nick name given to it?

The reason there is debate over the identity of Major Martin is Glyndwr Michaels died through the injestion of rat poison which gives the impression of drowning but it does leave traces in the liver and the longer they kept the body the more likely the deception would be discovered.

However with the sinking of HMS Dasher they had access to bodies that had actually died through drowning recently.

My belief here is that they intended to use Glyndwr Michaels but given the availability of "fresh" bodies from HMS Dasher they used one of those instead this is backed up by the movement of HMS Seraph which was based at Blyth but just before the mission was moved to Holy Loch before the cannister that housed the body was delivered from London.