OUR 17TH THOUSAND ACQUISITION.
UKTV - Secret War (2011) Part 11 Christine Granville Polish Spy
“The secret agents who set Europe ablaze”
Just when you thought you knew everything about WWII, Secret War uncovers more incredible stories that exist under the radar. As bombs were dropped from planes, missiles were launched and tanks were deployed all over the world, another kind of war was being waged by the Allies a secret war – a war of espionage. This secret war involved countless acts of espionage, courage, ruthlessness, double dealing and betrayal. It featured secret agents risking everything, working undercover on the continent to turn the tide against the Nazis, never knowing who, at any time, they could trust. Some became double agents playing both sides for the thrill of the danger, others did it just to stay alive. Always these extraordinary characters lived their lives on the edge. Secret War tells their amazing stories. Less than a year after World War II began, Hitler’s armies occupied much of mainland Europe—and the island nation of Great Britain stood alone. Rather than wait for the expected German invasion, Prime Minister Winston Churchill decided to hit back at the Nazis any way he could. In the summer of 1940, he set up a secret new organization called the Special Operations Executive, or SOE, and gave it a simple mission “set Europe ablaze.” SECRET WAR goes inside Churchill's secret army, to a dangerous world of agents, double agents, and even triple agents. In 13 episodes, it tells the story of SOE agents and other clandestine warriors who went behind enemy lines to conduct intelligence-gathering, sabotage, and assassination. Sometimes the operations were spectacularly successful, at other times inexplicably inept. But together, the efforts of these intrepid men and women helped save thousands of lives, liberate Europe, and turn the tide of World War II.
Part 11 Christine Granville Polish Spy
Beautiful, charismatic, and cunning, Winston Churchill's favorite spy was a young Polish woman, an inveterate gambler who seemed to thrive on adrenaline and beating the odds. Christine Granville was Britain's first and longest-serving female special agent during World War II. Born Krystyna Skarbek in Warsaw in 1908, she joined British Intelligence after Germany invaded her home country in 1939. For five years in the Second World War, she regularly risked her life to arm the resistance and to bring back information crucial to victory over Germany. Beautiful, charismatic and cunningly intelligent, she is said to be the inspiration for the original Bond girl Vesper Lynd, a spy in Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel, Casino Royale. What made her a great spy was her ability and inclination to take risks. Compared to most other female agents who were often quickly caught, Christine evaded capture and never compromised other agents in the field. “A flaming Polish patriot, an expert skier and great adventuress” was how her recruiting agent described her, and Granville served with distinction in three theatres of war – Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Western Europe. She was Winston Churchill's favourite female spy.
Full Version Available Upon Request