Post information about influential figures here

[Clive, Founder and Moderator]

Post topics regarding influential figures of WWII here in this folder.

[Feliks, Moderator]

Richard Meinertzhagen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_...


Admittedly, he played a scant role in WWII but is simply one of the most outlandish biographies you might ever encounter.

[Clive, Founder and Moderator]

Interesting character! I wonder how much of his diaries were real and how much was fictionalized.

[Feliks, Moderator]

The whole thing is a hoot. What kind of genteel maniac was this guy?

I like how the first part of the bio describes how he casually kills people all over the world (with his bare hands, even) and then later when he is retired and living quietly in England, his wife dies in a 'hunting accident' and everyone connected seems to react like this, "Oh bother. How unfortunate. Tsk tsk, Foul play? Oh no, certainly not..." Eh? Yeah r-i--i-ight!

And then also the item about, 'he assembled the world's foremost collection of bird lice'

--WHAT? lol

[Clive, Founder and Moderator]

bird lice? Erhm...I've heard of odd hobbies but this one takes the cake.

[Feliks, Moderator]

Heh.

Here's another bloke

Patrick Robert "Pat" Reid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Reid

(just wanted someone to mention the 'Colditz' saga)

[Clive, Founder and Moderator]

Ahh, daring escapes! This guy is real interesting. (I like him more than the first, but that's just me.) It'd be fun to have a board game named after you, lol.

[Feliks, Moderator]

and William Stephenson of course
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_...

[Karl]

Richard Meinertzhagen was also a renowned ornithologist in his time. Later most of his findings have been found to be forgeries if not downright thefts fordom other collections...

[Feliks, Moderator]

Heh heh. Of all things to cop a fraud in. The guy had a long list of military and diplomatic accomplishments, yet he cheats on bird-watching. Bizarre.

Rather like Auric Goldfinger, cheating at cards and golf.

[Feliks, Moderator]

Here's someone who fell short of being influential

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey...

[Feliks, Moderator]

I'm not a fan of the whole 'cryptography' side of espionage. there's just something about it which strikes me as off-putting. Its fussy and niggling. I prefer arson and tugboats!

Nevertheless, here's an influential cryptographer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_...

[Jon]

Have to say, I am a huge fan of cryptography. Went to Bletchley Park two years ago and it was fascinating. Can't remember the name of the book, but it was about when the Germans switched their Naval Code and an important convoy was on the way from USA and the drama behind trying to break the new code was really good. I think there was a movie about it. I just remembered the name of the book, "Enigma".

[Jon]

While I am sure he has been overdone, Wilhelm Canaris, had big cajones!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_...