Book Review: Secret War, The Story of SOE, Nigel West

Originally published in 1992, this is a reprint of Nigel West's interesting if bewilderingly thorough* account of SOE's activities in WWII. In itself this is impressive as the organisation was, by its very nature, highly secretive, and - despite many of its operatives having published memoirs and the like (not always entirely truthful/reliable) - much of its own documentary paper-trail was destroyed by those involved, or long remained/remains classified.

A couple of quotes, taken from the book itself and some of those quoted therein, give a flavour of what to expect: from the broader context, itself an 'alphabet soup of secret organisations, each with overlapping responsibilities and minimal coordination' (p49-50), to the SOE itself - 'all these people with odd initials and numbers which puzzle me more than the enemy' (Sir Alexander Cadogan, permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office, 1938-46, p68) - it's certainly a bewildering subject.

War breeds strange bedfellows: Tito and Churchill, Naples, 1944.

After an excellent lively intro, the narrative starts hopping around a lot geographically, starting with the founding of SOE, and including a reproduction of the 'previously unpublished' Charter of this government sanctioned fomenter of 'violence mayhem and murder' (Jack Beevor, p1). Throughout these globetrotting peregrinations - which take the reader from Scandinavia, via the Lowlands and France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Med, the Balkans, North Africa all the way to the Far East - we're barraged with information on SOE's composition and personnel in both England, viz the confusing alphabet soup of 'sections' responsible for the various overseas ops, and the exhaustingly labyrinthine doings of the 'enthusiastic amateurs' as they were often disparagingly referred to, and their brave (foolhardy?) if at times vaudevillian antics on the ground, often behind enemy lines.

It's striking how much this whole area of skullduggery appears to have been the preserve of an establishment elite, Oxbridge chaps with double-barrelled surnames, most of whom have either military or legal/business backgrounds, sometimes both. Most, one might assume, would likely be Tory types. And indeed the majority were. But one of the surprises herein is how often there were leftists, even outright Communists, within this organisation and many others, eventually leading Churchill to pursue his own British Empire style 'purges', to be rid of such irksome 'moles'. [1]

I intended to show a photo of Brigadier Keble here, SOE Chief of Staff, Cairo. But, in true cloak and dagger style... I couldn't find one!

Several themes run throughout the entire book: one concerns the internecine strife 'twixt SIS and SOE, the former the intelligence gathering branch of the secret service, and the latter the 'black-ops' department. Another has to with the confusion and duplication of efforts such a scenario necessarily engendered. And a third focuses on the 'breathtaking... political naivety' which saw SOE (and SIS, OSS, etc) getting very messily involved in complex political imbroglios in sensitive and volatile areas.

Whilst the constant barrage of names, abbreviations, code- and place-names is overwhelming and exhausting (it's a shame there's no photo section, but the omission of a glossary/list of abbreviations is a capital sin!), there's always a just about sufficient frisson of the whole James Bond thing to keep things interesting. Numerous operations never transpired, many were bungled, some terribly so, and yet there were some great successes. [2] Within all this one encounters many buccaneering and wild tales, both stories one has met before, such as those made into books and films (two that spring to mind are Heroes of Telemark, and Ill Met by Moonlight), as well as many that are new, to me at least. 

Vemork Hydroelectric, Norway, target of operations Grouse, Freshman and Gunnerside.

I'd certainly recommend this to those interested in such cloak and dagger doings. But I also feel that a potentially easier and better way for the interested layman into this murky and muddled area is through stories of particular individuals or events. This leaves me wondering if I ought not perhaps read some of that Agent ZigZag type stuff that I know is out there... hmmm?

---

* Comprehensive was my first choice of word here. But given that there are so many gaps in the records, thorough seemed more apt. 

NOTES:

[1] Fortunately for those being 'liquidated' in these British purges, unlike Stalin's brutally muderous variety this simply meant being denied certain roles.

[2] Freshman and Gunnerside, the former the first disastrous attempt, and the latter the eventually successful second mission, both with the same goal of disrupting Germany's nuclear programme show how thin the line was between ridiculous and costly failure, and sublime success.

Book Review: Marengo, T.E. Crowdy

In this excellent and exciting new book on the battle of Marengo by Terry Crowdy, published by Pen & Sword, the 'victory that placed the crown of France on Napoleon's head', as Kellerman had it (his resounding phrase also giving the book it's subtitle), we have Napoleonic history - always colourful and exciting - at its most dramatic.

The story starts with an introduction to the role of espionage in the events of 1799, a bad year for the French in Italy, before moving to the coup of Brumaire, which left Bonaparte at the helm of both the French state and the army, as First Consul. The cloak and dagger doings of the mysterious double agent Gioelli loom large in this account of events, and are appropriately intriguing.

LeJeune's fabulous painting.

Events leading up to the battle are no less dramatic, with Napoleon rather naughtily assembling a secret army, at Dijon, over which he will have personal (and unconstitutional) control, with the nominal gloss of Berthier as commander as the public fig leaf. The subsequent dramatic crossing of the Swiss Alps, and the logistical and tactical gambling that this involves, keep the excitement levels high, such that one is whisked along in the unfolding drama.

Another nice contemporary painting.

And, before one knows what has happened, rather like the men on the ground, from the humble soldiers (the memoirs of Coignet are already a useful and colourful resource) to the 'big hats' themselves, the battle of Marengo is underway. Seemingly almost accidentally, with neither side in full control of events, or with a full understanding of their opponents aims and objectives.

The death of Desaix, depicted on a rather handsome plate.

Once battle is underway, Crowdy relates the confusing ebb and flow of events with admirable clarity. And there are plenty of maps to help the reader track the potentially confusing unfolding drama. My only criticism of this book - and it's a criticism I would level at most contemporary military history books - is that, even where maps are provided, as they are in this case, they are rather plain and perfunctory looking if one compares them to the handsome old maps of yore (such as the gorgeous Alison maps partially reproduced below). And sometimes places mentioned in the text are not marked on the maps that are closest to hand. Meaning one is obliged to refer to other maps, or is left in the dark a little geographically.

Alison's attractive maps: phase one.

Phase two.

I'm still reading this, in the thick of battle, and loving it. I'll post the review anyway. But I may return to further fiddle with or augment this once I'm finished. In the meantime, however, this is highly recommended.
----------

Jacques Louis David's iconic Napoleon Crossing The Alps.

Ok, so I'm back to revise or update my review, having now finished this extremely impressive book.

When I posted the first part, I'd read as far as, guestimating somewhat, the point where the French were beginning to have to consider withdrawing. They'd given the Austrians a bloody nose, at the crossing of the Fontenone. But Austrian weight of numbers, and in particular artillery superiority, were beginning to tell.

As the French pull back, the further they retreat, the greater their predicament. Even an attack by the then Consular (as opposed to Imperial) Guard fails to stem the Austrian tide. The French are almost in rout, and the jubilant Austrians start relaxing their guard prematurely (elderly and reluctant C-in-C Melas declaring it's all over and he's off to bed!), when Desaix's troops arrive, and quite suddenly the fortunes of war are dramatically reversed.

Melas was in his seventies, when he led Austria against Napoleon.

The timely arrival of the French reinforcements galvanises the whole armies' resolve, disintegrating units reforming and returning to the attack. Having relaxed too soon, the Austrian centre collapses and gives way, and by late evening the French are back in possession of Merngo, athwart their enemies line of supply, with the cavalry of Kellerman and Murat harrying the Austrian rout as it flees
back towards the 'awful ditch' of the Fontenone, and beyond that the Bormida.

One of the chief factors in this sudden and disastrous turnaround, aside from the intrigues of Gioelli, was the lack of team spirit in the Austrian command. Whereas the French united behind Napoleon, and were quick to bounce back from setbacks, the Austrians bickered, failing to cooperate or support each other effectively, giving up quickly and looking to blame others.

Anton Von Zach, whose plans failed, was captured during the battle.

All in all, a terrifically exciting and informative read. And a useful addition to the enormous ever expanding literature on this colourful and endlessly fascinating era. Highly recommended.

----------

NOTES:

The author, Terry Crowdy.

Crowdy has a blog of his own, where you can read about his various activities, including the publication of this book (here).

Film Review: Decision Before Dawn

Crikey, it's been ages since I last posted!

I recently acquired a stash of new war films, mostly WWII (but a few from other eras), including such well known blockbusters as Saving Private Ryan, and the Clint Eastwood Pacific theatre companion pieces Flags Of Our Fathers and Letters From Iwo Jima. But as well as these better known movies, I also got a a few less well known ones, including A Time To Love & A Time To Die, and the one under review in this post, Decision Before Dawn.

In my humble opinion, this is a really good film, made even better by the fact it was filmed amidst the postwar ruins of a vanquished Germany. Purportedly based on real events, Oskar Werner steals the show as 'Happy', a decent German soldier (actually a medic, attached to an anti-aircraft unit), who, having been captured by US troops - where he acquires his nickname - decides to work towards hastening the German defeat by acting as a double-agent.

Germany in ruins. 'Happy' runs the gauntlet of a military checkpoint.

In many ways this is more thriller than gung-ho all-action war film. And for me the setting makes it enough of a war film to keep this war-movie buff very happy.

Sure, this film isn't perfect - the American perspective (and it's an American film) on the narrative thread concerning the theme of 'traitors' feels somewhat chest-thumping and leaden, and the romantic interlude with Hildegard Knef (that's her in the German poster below) feels contrived - but by and large it's very successful. 

The central themes of divided loyalties, suspicion vs. mistrust, bravery vs. treachery, pragmatism vs. idealism, and so on, particularly in the context of the crumbling Reich, and largely from a German perspective, make this a fascinating and quite unusual film.

More stress for 'Happy' at yet another checkpoint.

It's nicely shot in starkly evocative black and white, and some of the settings are absolutely incredible. Most of the actors and the characters they portray are pretty convincing (we get a glimpse of the young Klaus Kinski in one scene), even if some err towards the hammy here and there. 

Oskar Werner's character is great, as is the less idealistic 'Tiger', played by Hans Christian Blech. Both of the American leads, Richard Baseheart and Gary Merrill, are strong charismatic actors, although their roles are somewhat less interesting than those of the more 'conflicted' German protagonists.

A young Klaus Kinski has a very minor (and uncredited) cameo.

The poignant drama inherent in a world of collapsing belief in eventual victory, alongside the endemic paranoia of a totalitarian militaristic state, even flows over into the fates of some of the more minor parts, such as Happy's wounded comrade, with whom he's originally captured, and the young boy who plays an ardent member of the Hitler Youth, who's both a dedicated juvenile Nazi, and also a relative of 'Tiger', as the Germans struggle with their place in the side that is both morally compromised and losing.

The German poster for the movie.

As the pic. of 'Happy' at the checkpoint at the top of this post shows, uniforms, locations and vehicles are largely authentic. Sadly for equipment buffs - show me a wargamer who isn't one! - the tanks used in the film are American, but most of the other materiel is genuine German stuff, which is nice and unusual in a film of this vintage.

I'm deliberately steering clear of a plot synopsis, as that might spoil the fun of seeing the movie. Suffice it to say that this is a thrilling, moving, well directed, well acted film, depicting a highly interesting scenario, set amidst the actual ruins of the debacle of the closing stages of WWII itself. Much lauded at the time, although it's less well remembered now it's certainly worth seeing.