Wow, on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Listen Again’ facility, have a listen to this fascinating documentary called “Winston Churchill’s Toyshop and Other Stories”
Scan down this page to find it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/
It is about how the British turned every German agent and controlled them all as double-agents during WWII.
The thing is, the top double-agent, Popov, was sent to New York by the Germans with the intention to recruit new German spies (they didn’t know obviously he really worked for the Allies). He was given a microdot (the world’s very first!!) with information on that told in detail about Japan’s intention to attack Pearl Harbor.
He took it to the US authorities, as any good Allied spy would, and assumed they’d prepare for such an attack. J. Edgar Hoover chose to ignore it, not because of the information but because he didn’t like Popov personally.
It’s so hard to believe anyone thinks of Hoover as a great man, the guy was such an idiot.
A really fascinating documentary.
By: Corsair166b - 29th May 2005 at 04:04
J Edgar wore dresses and ate whole bakeries in one sitting…how the hell he made it into office and stayed there so long is a monument to American bungling….
M
By: Dave Homewood - 29th May 2005 at 02:37
Thanks Vanessa, I have been to the UK twice but never got to Bletchly Park. I have heard it’s a really interesting place and would love to visit it sometime. My interest in it has sure risen since I was last in the UK in 1997, having seen manydocumentaries on the Enigma and the other activities there.
I reckon Popov would make a great subject for a great British-made film
By: hurricanebird - 28th May 2005 at 15:15
So interesting …Thanks Dave.
Old Popov sounded quite a character.
Have you been to the UK? Bletchly Park is a ‘must do’ if you haven’t as yet but do get over here in the future. Andy and I went there a while back and found it fascinating.
Thank you for posting.
Vanessa
🙂
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May 28, 2005 at 8:45 am