Brian Lett - Ian Fleming and SOE’s Operation Postmaster

This is the true story of Ms Secret Service, and of his Secret Agents who were licensed to kill. Every event that is described in this book is true. All direct speech is taken from contemporaneous accounts recorded by the participants.

The code names of M and his agents are regularly used throughout this book. They are taken from the written records made at the time. For ease of reference, their real names are listed here:

Gus March-Phillipps and Geoffrey Appleyard on the Maid Honor

Major Gus March-Phillipps, DSO, MBE

Major Geoffrey Appleyard, MC and Bar

Captain Graham Hayes, MC

Major Anders Lassen, VC, MC and two Bars

Matre Andr Desgranges, CGM

Major Victor Laversuch, OBE

Captain Peter Lake, MC, Legion dHonneur, Croix de Guerre

Lieutenant Colonel Leonard Henry Dissy Dismore, OBE, TD

Photograph of the Maid Honor , with portraits of Appleyard, Desgranges and March-Phillipps superimposed

The Duchessa dAosta and the Likomba at their moorings in Santa Isabel Harbour

Santa Isabel Harbour, November 1941, photographed by Vice Consul Michie from Pilot Alacons plane

Tracing showing relevant buildings and features on the above photograph, prepared by SOE for Operation Postmaster briefings

The Duchessa dAosta at her mooring in front of the Cathedral Square, Santa Isabel, photographed by Vice Consul Michie from Pilot Alacons plane

Tracing showing relevant buildings including the Chaplains house from which the all-important Go ahead signal was to be given, taken from a similar but poor quality photograph prepared by SOE for Operation Postmaster briefings

Photograph of the Duchessa dAosta at anchor, photographed covertly from the land Nautical map of Santa Isabel Harbour, with the depths marked, and the Duchessa dAosta and Likomba [tugs]

Wartime map of West Africa

The headquarters building of SOE, 64 Baker Street, as it is in modern times

Plaque to SOE at 64 Baker Street

Military identity card of Major General Sir Colin McVean Gubbins, M

Lieutenant Colonel Julius Hanau, OBE, Caesar

General Sir George Giffard, KCB, DSO, who was SOEs problem in West Africa

General William J. Donovan, DSC, DSM, head of the OSS, which later became the CIA

Ms telegram to Agent W.01 (March-Phillipps) via Agent W4 (Laversuch), 10 January 1942

W.01s telegram to M in reply, sent by W4 on 12 January 1942 after Operation Postmaster had departed

The Maid Honor under sail before the war

A Vauxhall Velox 30/98 Tourer, one of the fastest cars of its day. Appleyard described the one that March-Phillipps owned as terrific

A sleeve gun, a murder weapon available to Ms agents, as advertised in their secret catalogue

Exploding briefcases and cigarettes depicted here were two of a wide variety of devices on offer to Ms agents in the catalogue. Others included explosive tyre busters, itching powder, underwater swimming suits, silenced Sten machine guns and thumb knives

M with the authors father, Major Gordon Lett, DSO, representing SOE at Dachau Concentration Camp in 1964