Spy and Counterspy

[yanmacca]

Dave, Niven spent some time in a unit called Phantom, its proper name was the GHQ Liaison Regiment which among its many roles mapped the positions of allied units and gathered info for the top brass, they were most active in France and Italy 44-45.

Yan.

[deadwoodgultch]

Ian,

I have just reread "A Man Called Intrepid", after bout 30 years. Quite a man, Sir William Stephenson, quite an organization, and quite a good read,

[yanmacca]

Tom, I have never heard of him before, so I googled him and he seemed like quite a guy and by the sounds of a real James Bond.

[quincannon]

We have often discussed among ourselves the get the USA ready for war movies such as Sergeant York, The Died With Their Boots On, and Confessions of a Nazi Spy. Even Gene Autry got into the act with :South of The Border" (you know, Down Mexico Way) when a "foreign power" was attempting to snooker Duncan Renaldo (whom you will remember as the Cisco Kid) into helping them build a sub base in Mexico. One such movie, Foreign Correspondent is on Turner Classic Movies tonight.

Joan is going to the Brubeck Brothers concert with the Chamber Orchestra this evening so she asked a few moments ago what I was going to do and I mentioned that movie, and we discussed it all of about thirty seconds as she had not seen it.

That's the background but my mind does wonder.

There is a heavy Jewish influence in Hollywood, and not speaking here in anything but fact, I am sure that influence had a great impact on producing these type movies. I think it was more of a wake up and smell the coffee look what is going one effort, in a what was isolationist America of the time. So much for that.

I wondered again:

It is known that Churchill had some very strong connections with Hollywood. Has anyone ever run across anything that would lead you to believe that he may have had some influence in these matters in the late 30's when he was out of executive office, when he was First Lord of the Admiralty, or in his early years as PM?

And once again to wonder:

Roosevelt and Churchill corresponded in 1939 and 40 with Roosevelt using :Naval Person" as his Nom de Plume/Guerre (take your pick), but I wonder if anyone has ever run across similar correspondence before that date when Roosevelt was president and Churchill out of power, but still a powerful anti-Nazi voice in the wilderness?

By the way I was reading some book, can't recall now, about the incidents portrayed in Confessions of a Nazi Spy, and every one are true. If I remember the book I will post it's title.

[Beth]

I found something interesting, the director of They Died with Their Boots On" was Michael Curtiz, a Hungarian Jew who came to the US in 1926 but many of his family were unable to escape, he was able to get his mother out around 1938 but his sister and her family died in Auschwitz. Take a look at his films from about 1936 onward through the war years.  I imagine Charge of the Light Brigade, Robin Hood and Elizabeth and Essex were popular in England and were just as patriotic images as Custer and Sargent York.

Back then Hollywood still used the studio system and he worked for Warner Brothers (who also did Sgt York) .  

You will find this extremely interesting, about FDR and Harry Warner. 

Also there is this about Churchill and Warner Brothers.

[deadwoodgultch]

Chuck,

When do you think the Baker Street irregulars were really started and by who? Again I recommend Intrepid to all.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Operations_Executive

Regards,
Tom

[quincannon]

I really must find that book.

Tom: Does it say anything about a Camp X?

Speaking of that sort of thing, secret camps and the like, I suppose many of you know that Congressional Country Club was used during the war to train OSS operatives, specifically JEDBERG teams, and Fort Richie and what is now Camp David (the presidential retreat) were used for similar purposes. Fort Holibird in Bmore has some secrets to tell as well.

[deadwoodgultch]

Yes, Camp X and projects are detailed. Ft. Holabird has an interesting history as well.

[deadwoodgultch]

There is much hidden in Eglin AFB as well, USAF/Air Commando and S.O. joint base. Not to mention some of the finest beaches on the Gulf.

[quincannon]

Then there is Camp McCall and that place the WVARNG owns (Camp Dawson) back in the hills of "Almost Heaven", and who can forget Camp Tacoa. Wait a minute, I can, or better, I can forget to spell it correctly - Tacoa or Taccoa.

[deadwoodgultch]

I sent Ian something else from this site earlier, elsewhere. I thought tis might be the place for this. SOE, a French group, and a group from the Netherlands were also involve with the Jedburghs.

www.cia.gov/news-information/speeches-testimony/2017-speeches-testimony/remarks-by-director-pompeo-at-oss-75th-anniversary-ceremony.html