In May 1944 the month before the D Day landings, a cross word puzzle appeared in the Daily Telegraph containing many of the key code words for the forth coming invasion. These included : UTAH and OMAHA.the names for the two beaches where US forces were to land and OVERLORD the code name for the overall operation amongst others.
Secrecy and deception were a key part of the success of the invasion and a leak could have been responsible for thosands of lives lost or the failure of the operation. One can imagine how concerned MI5 operatives were when they found the code words in the popular crossword they were trying to resolve in a quite period. A hunt for the source of the leak was launched.
The search led to an English Master at a school in Sussex who was part of a small team of individuals that devised the Telegraphs's crosswords. He denied any knowledge of D Day plans but suspicions had beenough raised.
The truth of this event emerged only recently when a schoolboy who was a 6th former at the school at the time of the 'leak' wrote and explained that his master frequently used his 6th form English Class for word ideas for his crossword compilations. The boys had regular contact with US forces billeted in.the area and had learned these words from their GI friends.
The incident which could have been so costly in.lives was a complete coincidence.
My POET point is that somewhere in all the dot joining there is likely to be true facts that have emerged about POET . Fortunately these will not really be discernable until after the event. It apears that German Intelligence did not pick up the significance of the 1944 codword leaks.
In my opinion it would be helpful to the Company if we here were a little more circumspect with information that emerges that could potentially damage the company's delicately poised negocistion by using PMs to verify with Board Leaders whether the said info should be circulated openly. A vain hope I suspect but one which could be of importance to protect necessary security of business confidences.
Sula
