UNIT 1 – L Ä XF Ö R H Ö R 1
Name:
___________________________________________________________
Class:
____________
Operation Mincemeat A. 20 words are missing in the text. Choose the most suitable word among the alternatives below.
This is the (1) story of two men in the Second World War. Glyndwr Michael, an alcoholic, homeless man from Wales, took his own life by eating rat poison. Major William Martin, an officer in the British Royal Marines, who had recently bought an expensive engagement ring for his beautiful girlfriend, was travelling to North Africa with some important documents but died on the journey. What do these men, apparently so different, have in common? They were, in fact, the same man! In 1943, the Allies had won the battles of North Africa and were preparing to attack the Nazi forces in Europe. But where could they attack? They needed somewhere not too far away – somewhere with good beaches where they could land easily. The (2) place was Sicily, a fact that did not (3) the Germans who were ready for the Allied attack. How could the Allies trick the Nazis into (4) that the attack would take place somewhere else? This was the task that faced a small team in the British (5) Service led by a man called Ewen Montagu – a team that (6) Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, a beautiful secretary and a transvestite!
Most importantly, he was given “secret” documents about the Allied plans for the invasion of Europe. These plans stated that the Allies (10) planning to invade Greece, rather than Sicily. The body of “William Martin” was then taken in a submarine to the Spanish coast where, on the 30th of April 1943, his body was left (11) about 2 km from the coast. Later that day “William Martin” was found by a sardine fisherman who brought the body to the (12). Although Spain was officially neutral (13) the war, there were many Nazi agents working in the area. Before the body was handed over to the British (14) the Germans made copies of the documents that Martin was carrying and these quickly found their way to Adolf Hitler in Berlin. Benito Mussolini, the fascist leader of Italy, was sure that the Allies would try to invade through Sicily, but Hitler, with the ‘‘(15)” from Major William Martin, (16) him that Greece was the (17).
Pio ne e r 1 L är a rha nl ed n ing • kopi e ri ng t illåt e n
The team finally came up with a plan – Operation Mincemeat. They took the body of Glyndwr Michael and kept it on ice so that it wouldn’t decompose (7) they were ready. In the meantime they started preparing a totally new identity for the dead man. He was given the name Major William Martin, and together with his new clothes, he was given a letter from his father, some old bus tickets and two love letters from his fiancée, Pam. They even (8) special underwear that an officer would (9)!
105