Christopher Joll

The Speedicut Memoirs Christopher Joll

In the last volume of The Speedicut Memoirs, Charles Speedicut relates his involvement, as a member of the Special Operations Executive, in many of the highly successful deception strategies masterminded by the cross-dressing Colonel Dudley Clarke, including Operation MINCEMEAT. He also discloses his role in the high-profile assassinations of the Protector of Moravia & Bohemia, Reinhard Heydrich, the Vichy French Admiral, François Darlan, and the abduction of General Heinrich Kreipe. In the post-war period, Speedicut is principally concerned with uncovering Soviet spies in the British Establishment although, along the way, he recounts the true story on which The Third Man was based. He also reveals that he was responsible for stealing the Duchess of Windsor's jewels, his pivotal role in the Vassall and Profumo scandals, the true identity of the 'headless man' in the notorious Argyll divorce case and the reason why his memoirs were written whilst serving time in HM Prison Ford. "The activities of the Special Operations Executive have been described as 'ungentlemanly warfare' entirely because of the exploits of Charles Speedicut." The Rt Hon Sir Winston Churchill