It required plenty of foreign travel, including to Soviet bloc countries. As for Rachel Brosnahan's character, CIA operative Emily Donovan, she is not based on a real person. It quoted unidentified close friends. In real life, Wynne's wife Sheila divorced him after he was released from the Moscow prison and returned to Britain. Did an Ancient Magnetic Field Reversal Cause Chaos for Life on Earth 42,000 Years Ago? Yes. Learn more. The tense exchange of prisoners, which went ahead despite fears that the Soviets might give Wynne a slow-acting poison, came as a surprise to the travelling saleman-cum-spy. However, that claim seems unlikely to be true. Wynne was a British businessman who, from 1960 and 1962, smuggled thousands of pieces of intel out of Russia before he was captured, imprisoned, and tortured for two years by the KGB. Like in The Courier movie, a fact-check confirms that KGB surveillance resulted in Greville Wynne and Oleg Penkovsky both being arrested in October 1962, the same month the Cuban Missile Crisis was unfolding. Benedict Cumberbatch lurks in the shadows in The Courier, Greville Wynne in 1964 after being freed from a Russian jail, Greville Wynne when he was arrested for espionage in Budapest in 1962, Greville Wynne pictured at Northolt Airport surrounded by press and police, after his release from a Russian jail, Spy equipment taken from Soviet scientific worker Oleg Penkovsky when the Russians caught him, The Courier tells the true story of espionage behind Russian lines. He just couldnt tell the truth. Also, see Wynne in his appearance on the American game show To Tell the Truth. However, life wasn't always easy for Wynne after his imprisonment. Wynne himself had earlier stated that Penkovsky had been shot, including during his appearance on the game show To Tell the Truth. Terms of Use "Most experts agreethat what Penkovsky provided on the Soviet's capabilities was extremely useful during the Cuban Missile crisis," saysRobert English, director of Central European Studies at the University of Southern California. "But you have a responsibility to honor the essence of what happened," says director Dominic Cooke. It was directed by English director Dominic Cook, who is also known for films such as On Chesil Beach and Follies. 2023 Intellisphere Ltd - An Intellisphere Group Company, Registration No 7215890 - VAT Registered No 881 4954 86, Spy Histories The Story Of British Spy Greville Wynne. However, he was freed in 1964 in exchange for Soviet spy Conon Molody, or Gordon Lonsdale as he called himself in Britain. [Wynne], bless him, for all his wonderful work, was a menace and a fabricator, says Nigel West, who has written numerous books on British and American intelligence organizations, including two books specifically about fabricators in the intelligence arena. 1. The emaciated Wynne's returntohis middle-class Londonhomewherehis wife and child waited made for a jarring scene in newsreels at the time. A drink-loving. As weve established, Greville Wynne spent the majority of his professional life as an engineer and a businessman, so how did he actually become a spy? But, meanwhile, at the height of their greatest coup, Wynne and Penkovsky were facing their own downfall after British double agent George Blake told his KGB controllers that Penkovsky was also passing secrets to a British embassy workers wife. His first wife, Sheila, was present throughout his Moscow trial but divorced him after his release. In Greville Wynne's 1981 book The Man from Odessa, Wynne claims that Penkovsky committed suicide in a Soviet labor camp. It's athank you from the West for what he sacrificed.". In February 1990, it was announced Wynne had died of throat cancer at the age of 70 at the Cromwell Hospital, London. A British businessman accused of spying for the West has been sentenced to eight years' detention by a Moscow tribunal. The almost universally accepted version of events is that Oleg Penkovsky was executed in 1963 for providing top-secret information to the United Kingdom. The true story behind The Courierconfirms that some of the intelligence Wynne received from his Russian contact, Soviet military intelligence colonel Oleg Penkovsky, informed the United Kingdom about the Soviet emplacement of missiles in Cuba. This kind of psychological game made them easier to handle during interrogations.. On 29th October 1962, Wynne travelled to Soviet-occupied Budapest just hours after the Soviets stood down during the Cuban Missile Crisis, going against the advice of MI6. KGB chief Vladimir Semichastny later revealed: They led Wynne along the corridor as Penkovsky was approaching in the opposite direction so that both could see that the other had been arrested. Alex Palmer [13] He died of throat cancer at the Cromwell Hospital in London on 28 February 1990, aged 70. When it comes to espionage, its hard to know who to trust. Majorca Daily Bulletin reporter Palma 03/12/2018 09:38. Greville passed away. That was what they were working on and they were closely watching anyone I associated with.. Click to reveal -The New York Times. He was senior enough that you could sit down with the agents for hours and explain the entire context of how Soviet intelligence worked.. A drink-lovingbon vivante as portrayed onscreen, Wynne'sreal-life salesmanship and genuine naivet made him perfect for throwing off serious suspicion. He and his wife Sheila divorced not long after his release. This was because he took regular business trips to Eastern Europe. Assisting him in his role as "courier" is Oleg Penkovsky ( Merab Ninidze ), a far more experienced Russian agent. The 12-year-old bears an uncanny resemblance to Benedict Cumberbatch, which caught the eye of the casting director on the Hollywood stars latest film. Our listening devices are concealed within items that won't raise suspicion, from car keys to bear toys. Wynne was a middle-class British businessman whose frequent travel to Eastern Europe attracted recruitment by MI-6 to serve as a liaison to high-ranking Soviet official Penkovsky. Discover our latest products. The fascinating part is how something that seems . "His clothes were sort of shrink-wrapped around this skeleton," says Cumberbatch, who spent three months losing weight and physically preparing to portray Wynne's final months of ordeal. MRS SHEILA WYNNE, WIFE OF MR.GREVILLE WYNNE, A BRITISH BUSINESSMAN HELD IN RUSSIA ON AN? Wynne was then hit over the head and knocked out, bundled into a car and taken to prison where interrogators played out a guessing game to establish the links between him and Penkovsky. In this edition, we will be focusing on the remarkable life and story of British spy, Greville Wynne. Well, his journey as a spy began in November of 1960, at the age 41. The committee was dedicated to developing opportunities for foreigners in science and technology. It involved a lot of foreign travel, including trips to Soviet bloc countries, and thus provided ideal cover for spying. While this was truly harrowing punishment, his Russian colleague Penkovsky paid the ultimate price with his life. But their relationship later collapsed. Theres a fair amount of source material from all different kinds of authors, so by reading everybodynot just Wynnes books, but other historians, and the official history put out by the American side and the Soviet side I was able to try and work out what made the most sense and what seemed liked disinformation, says OConnor. Hes such a nice character. Our collection of landline recorders and mobile phone monitoring devices. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Andrew and Sheila lived in Britain whilst Greville served his prison sentence in Moscow. In the movie, the title refers to Oleg Penkovsky's codename. 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It is believed to be correct at the time of inputting and is presented here in good faith. During their visits, Penkovsky and Wynne would get out on the town, visiting restaurants, nightclubs and shops under the cover of talking business, with each man proudly showing the other around his home country. But he said his training with the MI6 was even worse. Watch an interview with British spy Greville Wynne upon his release from the Soviet prison. If you have any questions for our team about our spy histories articles, the spy industry in general, or any of the spy equipment that is available through our website, please contact us today. On October 29 of that year, just hours after the Soviets stood down during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Wynne went to Soviet-occupied Budapest with a traveling exhibition of British industrial goods, against the advice of his MI6 handlers. These events serve as the inspiration for The Courier, the new film starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Wynne and Georgian actor Merab Ninidze as Penkovsky, out in theaters on March 19. What did Greville Wynne do after he was released from the Soviet prison? In The Courier, he plays Andrew, son of Greville Wynne, a real-life businessman who was recruited by MI6 as a spy. Current appointments. Greville Maynard Wynne was a British spy famous for his involvement with, and imprisonment as a result of, the espionage activities of Oleg Penkovsky. He said the double agent also told him Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev had allowed important guidance equipment to be sent with Soviet missiles being installed in Cuba. Find out about the best deals and the latest Spy Gear first He appeared on US game show To Tell The Truth. The KGB waited to arrest Penkovsky so that they could build up a case against him that didn't expose their moles who had provided information about him. Wynne agreed, and during his visit to Moscow the following month he wound up connecting with Oleg Penkovsky, a lieutenant colonel in the GRU (the Soviet Unions foreign-intelligence agency) who was eager to leak high-level military information to Western powers. The film received rave reviews and, having seen it ourselves, we certainly recommend giving it a watch. [9] Penkovsky was sentenced to death and executed by firing squad, though Wynne believed he died by suicide in prison. See our car trackers, asset trackers, GPS trackers and people trackers. Our complete range of spy cameras. Penkovsky's real-life codename was HERO. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Penkovsky, who was tried with him, was sentenced to death for treason. Browse our recording devices. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Greville Wynne, and is based on the true story of a British businessman who was recruited by the Secret Intelligence Service to be a message conduit with a Russian spy source Oleg Penkovsky (played by Merab Ninidze) in the 1960s. Wynne literally goes from being a charming businessman heading towards retirement, says the actor, to someone secreting Minox film cartridges in his case as he tos-and-fros to Moscow., He was an ordinary man doing an extraordinary thing. The businessman released from a Soviet labour camp was Greville Wynne, a figure portrayed in the media, and in British government protests, as an innocent engineer who had been incarcerated while attending a trade fair in Budapest in November 1962. . Both economy and specialist counter surveillance devices. MI6 took a liking to the engineer-turned-businessman Greville Wynne (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) due to the fact that he often traveled to Eastern Europe on business trips. | He said he first joined the British security services in 1938 and worked for them during World War II. The Courier is also not the first time that Greville Wynnes story has attracted attention over the years. In honour of the Queen's eldest son, our new king, we have put together this collection of highlights from Charles' earlier years. When it came to writing the screenplay, OConnor laments that the true story of Wynnes experiences may never be known. Both Wynne and Penkovsky were convicted of espionage. Greville Wynne is a hero in history books and his family has benefitted from it as well. Truth be told, he wasn't even aware he was talking to spies when the CIA and MI6 approached him. In his role as a British businessman who travelled Eastern Europe, working for British electrical and steel companies, Wynne was perfectly positioned to gain intelligence for MI6. He divorced his first wife Sheila after his return before entering a second failed marriage. In the article, well explore exactly who Greville Wynne was, his spy activity and how his story sparked such wide intrigue. But that would all change dramatically in November 1960 on the day he met an old acquaintance who had invited him to lunch at a London restaurant. In November 1960, Greville Wynne, a 41-year-old British businessman, sat down for a lunch that would change his life. Later on in his professional life, he became a businessman and often travelled to Eastern Europe. Historians question this account. Welcome to another edition of spy histories. But his leaked information on Soviet missile capabilities and played a key role in President Kennedy'sstrong, successful stance duringthe Cuban Missile Crisis. Cookie Settings, Liam Daniel, Courtesy of Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions, The Santa Claus Man: The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Con Man and the Invention of Christmas in New York. Officials in London had also been aware of Penkovsky since he had approached two British businessmen and gave them his business card in hopes it would reach MI6. Wynne wrote about his time as a spy in a book entitled The Man from Odessa, first published in 1981. Reports suggest Prince Charles will live "in a flat above the shop" when he becomes king. Other unconfirmed claims reckoned he committed suicide in a Soviet labour camp. If this spy case would have emerged in the modern day, both Andrew and Sheila may have been more of a centre point for the media and their lives could have been followed closely. He also wrote two books about his experiences as a British spy, The Man from Moscow (1967) and The Man from Odessa (1981). This true story is a very interesting, skewed way to telling a ticking time-bomb, spy-thriller.. Benedict Cumberbatch is known for bringing outlandish, extraordinary characters, from Marvel's "Dr. In the movie, they arrest Penkovsky shortly after discovering he was a double agent. As the film alludes, life never returned to normal for Wynne, who battled depression and the psychological after-effects of his incarceration. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. See FameChain's massive Trump family tree. But as he began researching Wynnes story, he learned that this ordinary man could also tell some extraordinary lies. After his release he said: They treated me as they thought I should be treated.. Greville Wynnefitthe bill simply assomebody who was taking business into Eastern Europe.". Greville Wynne's son is Andrew Wynne. Important information Editorial Use Only. Keir has appeared as a shepherd in Cadburys 2015 Christmas advert and as a flight attendant in a Vodafone commercial. Penkovsky gave a huge amount of details about what missiles the Soviets had, how old they were, how there were queues for foodit was an extremely vivid portrait of the country and the people within intelligence, says Duns. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. In these books, Wynne claimed to have been recruited by MI5 as early as the Second World War, long before his work with Penkovsky. Wynne died of throat cancer in 1990 at a London hospital. It led to him and a Soviet double agent, Oleg Penkovsky, becoming firm friends, involved in smuggling thousands of documents and photographs across enemy lines. This time it's a true story:Wynne served as an unassuming go-between for British intelligence MI-6 and Russian spyOleg Penkovsky atthe height of the Cold War. Computer monitoring devices to help you and your loved ones stay protected online. In one of his biggest whoppers, Wynne explains that he and Penkovsky took a trip together in a private military jet from the U.K. to Washington, D.C. Bug detection solutions appropriate for surveillance professionals and non-professionals with little experience. After being arrested by the KGB in 1962 and convicted of spying on May 11, 1963, Wynne was sentenced to eight years in Moscow's Lubyanka prison, where he was held in brutal conditions and subjected to severe beatings and psychological pressure. The emaciated Wynne 's returntohis middle-class Londonhomewherehis wife and child waited made for a jarring scene newsreels! For the West for what he sacrificed. `` leaked information on Soviet missile capabilities played! Role in President Kennedy'sstrong, successful stance duringthe Cuban missile Crisis seems unlikely to be correct the. Held in RUSSIA on an flat above the shop '' when he king... 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