26. A Fictitious Royal Marines Major
Spanish intelligence personnel carefully opened sealed envelopes contained in Major William Martin’s recovered briefcase, dried and photographed them, then handed the photos to the Germans. When the letters were returned to their envelopes, Spanish intelligence went to great pains to conceal any evidence that the envelopes had been opened. The letters were first soaked in salt water for 24 hours, then carefully returned to their envelopes, without breaking their seals. The Spaniards then dutifully handed Major Martin’s briefcase over to the British consul.
As to the Germans, when they finally got their hands on the photographs, they were ecstatic about what they saw: the letters contained valuable military information about the Allied plan for upcoming offensives in the Mediterranean. What they did know was that they had fallen victim to one of history’s most macabre intelligence deception operations. The drowned British officer whose corpse had been identified did not exist. Royal Marines Major William Martin came to be known as The Man Who Never Was.