Stuff You Should Know

Episode: Operation Mincemeat: How A Corpse Fooled the Nazis

Hosts: Josh Clark & Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant
Date: January 31, 2026
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into Operation Mincemeat, an audacious British deception plot during World War II. Josh and Chuck unravel how the Allies used the corpse of an unknown man to mislead the Nazis about the impending Allied invasion of southern Europe, helping turn the tide of the war. Expect clever history, some dark humor, and plenty of larger-than-life characters behind one of history's greatest military hoaxes.

1. Setting the Stage: Wartime Context

00:54–07:00

• 1943 Europe: Hitler's forces dominate Europe. The Allies need an opening to strike back.
• Churchill’s Strategy: Attack the “underbelly” (Italy, Greece, Sardinia).
  • Everyone—including the Nazis—suspects this region is the target.
• Operation Husky: Allies decide Sicily will be the real invasion point, but must convince the Nazis the assault will occur elsewhere.

"They said, okay, we're going to invade Sicily this July... Now we have to do everything we can to not let the Nazis know that's where we're going. And that actually hatched eventually what's called Operation Mincemeat."
—Josh Clark [06:40]

2. Origin of Operation Mincemeat

07:01–13:12

• Trout Memo: British Naval Intelligence (written by Ian Fleming, creator of James Bond) suggests novel deception strategies.

• Key Proposal (#28):

  "A corpse dressed as an airman with dispatches in his pockets could be dropped on the coast..."
  —Trout Memo [10:22]

• Objective: Fool Nazis into thinking Greece (not Sicily) will be invaded.

• Leadership: The XX Committee (led by Ewen Montagu & Charles Cholmondeley).

3. Construction of the Deception

13:13–23:13

• Montagu & Cholmondeley: Both quirky, creative, and skilled at spycraft ("corkscrew thinkers").

• Fake Identity:

  • Major William Martin, Royal Marines.
  • Elaborate backstory: fiancée ("Pam"), love letters, wallet litter (ticket stubs, bank letters), Roman Catholic medals.
  • Staff at MI5 immerse themselves—some getting weirdly invested (e.g., Montagu had an affair with the secretary who posed as Martin's fiancée) [20:25].

• Why such detail?

  "If you find any person on the street, ask him to open their wallet, you're gonna be able to tell a lot about them. So just stuff to legitimize it."
  —Chuck Bryant [19:24]

4. Securing the Body

22:17–27:48

• Criteria: Needed a young man, unclaimed, died without visible trauma—preferably of pneumonia (to mimic death-by-drowning).
• Glyndwr Michael: Welsh drifter, possibly poisoned (rat poison on bread)—chosen for the role.
  • The coroner, Bentley Purchase, assists.
• Challenges:
  • No living photos of Michael; a lookalike provided photo for ID [25:46].
  • Body kept on ice for months as details finalized.

"Every time they took a picture of the dead guy's face, they were like, he looks like a dead guy."
—Chuck Bryant [25:46]

5. The Drop—Executing the Ruse

29:04–38:18

• Transport: Submarine delivers the body (now "Major Martin") in a canister to the Spanish coast, near Huelva (where Nazi agent Klaus operates).

• Briefcase Details:

  • Contains fake top-secret documents, including a "hinting" letter (not an overt plan) strongly suggesting an invasion of Greece or Sardinia.
  • Ingenious touch: Also says Sicily is a "cover," so even if true info leaks, Nazis would second-guess.
  • Eyelash placed in the letter fold to test if it is ever opened [33:53].

• Body Discovery: Spanish authorities recover the body and briefcase.

  • British insist on "no autopsy" for Catholic reasons.
  • Helpful plant encourages coroner to expedite and avoid thorough examination [37:31].

6. Did the Nazis Take the Bait?

38:19–41:46

• Nazi Intelligence Chain:
  • Briefcase reaches Hitler via high-level Nazi agents—both competent and gullible.
  • Nazi skepticism was present but overruled (Goebbels wonders if it's too convenient but lets it pass).
  • Enigma machine intercepts confirm Nazis are re-allocating troops [40:07].

"Operation Mincemeat swallowed rod, blind, and sinker."
—Transmission from Montagu & Cholmondeley to Admiral Godfrey [40:07]

• Impact:
  • Hitler moves 90,000 troops away from Sicily to Greece.
  • Actual Allied landing in Sicily meets far less resistance than predicted.
  • Soviet Union benefits, allowing further advances against Nazi Germany.

7. Outcomes and Legacy

41:47–44:33

• Military Impact:

  • Only 7,000 Allied casualties in the invasion of Sicily (far fewer than feared).

• Long-Term Effects:

  • Operation Mincemeat's success demonstrates the power of strategic deception.
  • Soviet successes partially result from Hitler's diverted focus.

• Glyndwr Michael Honored:

  • 50 years later, Michael receives a grave marker noting his role as Major Martin.

"To this alcoholic drifter who never served in the military... buried with full military honors and completely changed the face of the war thanks to being a body that fit the bill."
—Chuck Bryant [43:54]

• Cultural Footprint:
  • Books and movies ("The Man Who Never Was") retell the operation.
  • The real-life figures' eccentricities and secret office romances add a surreal touch to the legend.

8. Notable Quotes & Highlights

• On Churchill and deception planners:

  "Churchill loved the idea because apparently he liked what he called corkscrew thinkers. Because he knew Hitler thought in a straight line."
  —Chuck Bryant [11:36]

• Goebbels' skepticism, ultimately ignored:

  "In his diary they found later, [Goebbels] had suspicions about it…But apparently he never said anything to Hitler."
  —Chuck Bryant [38:56]

• Summary of the ruse’s effect:

  "Hitler moved a Panzer division, which totals about 90,000 troops from Sicily to Greece..."
  —Josh Clark [41:01]

9. Key Timestamps

• Operation's WWII Context: 04:55–07:00
• Trout Memo & Ian Fleming: 09:06–11:16
• Montagu & Cholmondeley introduced: 12:15–13:12
• Creating Major Martin’s backstory: 18:00–22:17
• Finding Glyndwr Michael: 23:03–27:48
• Details of the deception letter: 30:17–33:53
• Spanish handling of the body/briefcase: 36:07–38:18
• Nazi reaction and the Enigma machine: 38:19–41:05
• Results & legacy: 41:47–44:33

10. Memorable Moments

• Josh and Chuck’s affable banter on the absurdities of spycraft and hats.
• Discussion of MI5 women "auditioning" to be the fake fiancée.
• The morbid humor surrounding the search for the "right" corpse.
• Discovery that Roald Dahl was a real-life WWII seduction spy [21:13].
• The elaborate little touches—like the inclusion of an eyelash to prove Nazi tampering.

11. Further Resources Mentioned

• Books:

  • "Operation Mincemeat" by Ben Macintyre (2010)
  • "The Man Who Never Was" by Ewen Montagu

• Documentary: BBC doc featuring interviews with MI5 women

12. Final Thoughts

Operation Mincemeat stands out as a testament to wit, creativity, and moral complexity in warfare. From its James Bond origins to its nearly unbelievable execution, the episode unpacks how a single lifeless body confounded the Nazi war machine and possibly saved thousands of lives.

For an even deeper dive:
Search for "Operation Mincemeat" or check out the related episode on Stuff You Missed In History Class.

Summary compiled in the informative, conversational spirit of Stuff You Should Know.