Brit Pronunciation Quiz 101
Gloucestershire
Ding, ding, ding ... time's up
It's pronounced Glostersher
Worcestershire
(I have heard Americans practically strangle themselves trying to ask for Worcestershire Sauce)
Woostersher
Cholmondely
(Don't even try)
Pronounce this one as Chumley
So what ... Well, Chumley has quite an interesting history as he was one of a pair of cloak and dagger guys who came up with the most successful intelligence hoax in military history.
Prior to the invasion of Sicily in World War II, the 'game' was to prevent Hitler from knowing for sure where the Allies would attack. That's where the hoax came into it as Chumley and his partner used a dead body which they dressed as if he were a spy and they chained a briefcase to him. Inside the briefcase were documents regarding the upcoming invasion via Greece. It's quite the macabre story but there's coolness beyond the military aspect of it as the body belonged to someone who had a really bad life and he did much more in his death than he ever did when he was alive.
There were some moments where the plan could have gone wrong but ultimately the documents wound up in Hitler's hands and be accepted them as true. As a result he moved many thousands of troops to Greece along with air support, etc and these would previously have gone to Italy and Sicily. Allied commanders had anticipated huge losses on going into Sicily but the hoax changed that radically.
There's additional coolness beyond the military in that a woman named Pam was a secretary and she became the one to write love notes to the dead guy so he would have them on him when he was found and it would make him more convincing. Pam was not married at the time but she did marry after the war and it was to one of the soldiers who was engaged in the invasion of Sicily. Were it not for the hoax, she speculates she may never have met him.
Yah, so that's Chumley.
Gloucestershire
Ding, ding, ding ... time's up
It's pronounced Glostersher
Worcestershire
(I have heard Americans practically strangle themselves trying to ask for Worcestershire Sauce)
Woostersher
Cholmondely
(Don't even try)
Pronounce this one as Chumley
So what ... Well, Chumley has quite an interesting history as he was one of a pair of cloak and dagger guys who came up with the most successful intelligence hoax in military history.
Prior to the invasion of Sicily in World War II, the 'game' was to prevent Hitler from knowing for sure where the Allies would attack. That's where the hoax came into it as Chumley and his partner used a dead body which they dressed as if he were a spy and they chained a briefcase to him. Inside the briefcase were documents regarding the upcoming invasion via Greece. It's quite the macabre story but there's coolness beyond the military aspect of it as the body belonged to someone who had a really bad life and he did much more in his death than he ever did when he was alive.
There were some moments where the plan could have gone wrong but ultimately the documents wound up in Hitler's hands and be accepted them as true. As a result he moved many thousands of troops to Greece along with air support, etc and these would previously have gone to Italy and Sicily. Allied commanders had anticipated huge losses on going into Sicily but the hoax changed that radically.
There's additional coolness beyond the military in that a woman named Pam was a secretary and she became the one to write love notes to the dead guy so he would have them on him when he was found and it would make him more convincing. Pam was not married at the time but she did marry after the war and it was to one of the soldiers who was engaged in the invasion of Sicily. Were it not for the hoax, she speculates she may never have met him.
Yah, so that's Chumley.
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