He described Penkovsky as possibly the Wests most valuable agent. He battled depression and alcoholism. [15], Later in life, Wynne wrote two books about his work for British intelligence: The Man from Moscow (1967) and The Man from Odessa (1981). He was 71. During the lunch, acquaintance Dickie Franks disclosed that he is an officer of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and revealed that he required Wynnes assistance. After his release he said: They treated me as they thought I should be treated.. 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. She had worked as his secretary and interpreter, speaking eight languages. However, in real life, IRONBARK was the codename for the documents that Soviet double agent Oleg Penkovsky had been passing to the CIA. Despite having no previous experience in intelligence work, Wynne was being recruited to serve as an MI6 agent. They separated several years prior to Wynne's death in 1990. He loves his mum too. After the initial meeting in December 1960, Penkovsky provided Wynne with film of Soviet military documents and later promised more information if an arrangement with British or American intelligence could be made. Click here to Start FameChaining. British Spy Greville Wynne Dead At 71. Single use in context. Greville Wynne's former in laws: Greville Wynne's former father in law was Gordon Beaton Greville Wynne's former mother in law was Elsie Beaton. They had one son. He also held the view that leaking this information would bring him a great deal of recognition and a sense of honour. The operation was the most productive classic clandestine operation ever conducted by the CIA or MI6 against the Soviet target, as Schecter and Deriabin put it, and key to its success was the mustachioed courier with no prior intelligence experience. Wynne returned to his life as a businessman. Keir, who is from London, doesnt have acting classes but enjoys drama at school. They were alone in the world with this incredible burden except for the other man.. Greville Wynne, who spied on the Soviet Union for Britain in the cold war and who spent 18 months in a Moscow prison after being caught, died of throat cancer on Wednesday, hospital officials. He began working for MI6 in 1960, making contact with Penkovsky. In Greville Wynne's 1981 book The Man from Odessa, Wynne claims that Penkovsky committed suicide in a Soviet labor camp. OConnor makes clear that The Courier is not a documentary, even as he explains that he took pains to stick to the facts as much as they could be ascertaineddrawing on works such as Jerrold L. Shecter and Peter S. Deriabins The Spy Who Saved the World: How a Soviet Colonel Changed the Course of the Cold War and other accounts that could be trusted more than Wynnes own inventions. Assisting him in his role as "courier" is Oleg Penkovsky ( Merab Ninidze ), a far more experienced Russian agent. Speaking about the moment he realised the game was up, Wynne recalled: Four men had appeared as if by magic. British officials also never confirmed or denied Wynnes spying claims, and he didnt receive any official recognition for his work. British - Born 70 years ago (April 1952) Mr Andrew Greville Wynne 4 Londesborough Place Lymington SO41 8QB. "(Chisholm)played a very important role in the story that we couldn't get into, because it's a whole other movie," Cooke says. It required plenty of foreign travel, including to Soviet bloc countries. Learn more. 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. The strange post-Courier life of Greville Wynne", "Travelling salesman prevented WW3 in incredible true story behind new Cumberbatch film", "Nonfiction Book Review: The Spy Who Saved the World: How a Soviet Colonel Changed the Course of the Cold War by Jerrold L. Schecter, Author, Peter S. Deriabin, With Scribner Book Company $25 (0p) ISBN 978-0-684-19068-6", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Greville_Wynne&oldid=1141334696, He was portrayed by Peter Lindford in the 2007, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 15:01. His dining . Oleg Penkovsky had his sights set on moving to the West and building a better life with his family and, therefore, he was keen to expose some of the Soviets most valuable military secrets. In The Courier, he plays Andrew, son of Greville Wynne, a real-life businessman who was recruited by MI6 as a spy. In these books, Wynne claimed to have been recruited by MI5 as early as the Second World War, long before his work with Penkovsky. It isnt common knowledge as to whether Andrew and Greville retained a relationship following the divorce. Explore how the celebrity world connects. Bug detection solutions appropriate for surveillance professionals and non-professionals with little experience. Important information Editorial Use Only. In November 1960, Greville Wynne, a 41-year-old British businessman, sat down for a lunch that would change his life. Shelia Wynne Wife Of British Spy Greville Wynne Here With Son Andrew Wynne 1964. Penkovsky either was shot or killed himself in prisonthere are disputing accounts. The film is out now. Sentenced toeight years in a labor camp, Wynne spent 18 months in Moscow'sLubyanka Prison, where he was subjected to beatings and torture. [3] Rachel Brosnahan, Jessie Buckley, and Angus Wright also star. Another rumour alleged he was strapped to a stretcher and burned alive in a crematorium. He later appeared as himself on the May 23, 1967 episode of the American game show To Tell the Truth. The engineer-turned-business man Greville Wynne was, in fact, recruited by the MI6 in November of 1960. After his release from prison, he prospered as a property developer. "The Courier" has compressed the real-life story and changed some facts. Seeking ways to parlay the notoriety he received, he became what Duns calls a rent-a-spokesperson for all kinds of espionage stuff, making appearances in the media about anything related to spycraft, whether or not it was anything he had experience with. But do note that it is not possible to be certain of a person's genealogy without a family's cooperation (and/or DNA testing). In The Courier movie, Wynne's wife Sheila (Jessie Buckley) becomes suspicious of his trips to the Soviet Union, suspecting that he is having an affair. For his treason, Penkovsky was sentenced to death and executed by firing squad days after the trial ended (though Wynne would later claim he died of suicide). Our complete range of spy cameras. Share or comment on this article: Alex Palmer is a travel and culture writer who lives in Brooklyn. Wynne was born in Shropshire, England, and raised in Ystrad Mynach, South Wales. Cumberbatch also gives an update on the Dr. The film mentions a previous affair, which is part of the reason Sheila is suspicious this time. Andrew Wynne born 1952, age 69 (approx.) And he certainly didn't want to become one himself. 22:00 GMT 13 Aug 2021 Among the smuggled photographs and documents was evidence of what became the chilling Cuban Missile Crisis in October, 1962, with secret Soviet rocket sites on communist leader Fidel Castros island bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war. Oleg Penkovsky also provided documents that revealed that the Soviet Union was ill-equipped to fight a war in the area.In addition, Colonel Penkovsky provided Wynne with the names and photographs of roughly 300 East bloc intelligence agents, as well as information about Soviet weapons production and military manpower. The wealthy businessman, who wrote The Man From Moscow and The Man From Odessa, worked for Britains MI6 Secret Intelligence Service. Wynne left The Ivy restaurant in Seven Dials that day probably wondering what hed let himself in for. -The New York Times. In the article, well explore exactly who Greville Wynne was, his spy activity and how his story sparked such wide intrigue. In his memoirs A Man From Moscow published in 1967 and in a later book, The Man From Odessa, Wynne revealed further details of his spying activities. Wynne was a businessman at this point in his life and, during this month, he sat down for lunch not knowing that it would significantly change his life. Greville Wynnefitthe bill simply assomebody who was taking business into Eastern Europe.". We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. He said he first joined the British security services in 1938 and worked for them during World War II. It is believed to be correct at the time of inputting and is presented here in good faith. See the Elon Musk family tree here at FameChain. There, he was reportedly subjected to severe beatings, malnourishment, and spent a great deal of his time locked up in solitary confinement. Your Privacy Rights These guys were in the foxhole togetherthey each had a secret that only the other man knew, says OConnor. Should you have information that conflicts with anything shown please make us aware by email. Protect those closest to you with our phone monitoring solutions. Penkovsky's real-life codename was HERO. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. He returned to his business career, but also tried to cash in on his espionage fame. Greville Wynne was a British businessman who had a liking for the drink and the ability to travel between countries without question. However, he was freed in 1964 in exchange for Soviet spy Conon Molody, or Gordon Lonsdale as he called himself in Britain. Well, his journey as a spy began in November of 1960, at the age 41. As mentioned, Greville Wynne had a son named Andrew with his first wife, Sheila. Even the official accounts put out by American and Russian authorities regarding the Penkovsky affair include disinformation and spin that he, or any historian, has to navigate through. He divorced his first wife Sheila after his return before entering a second failed marriage. They were all short and thickset and wore trilby hats at the same angle. Greville Wynne's sister is Nada Wynne. Here's what to know about Wynne's real history. To top it off, it would have been physically impossible at the time. Usually we get asked to do the same role, so we help each other out with learning the script and we give each other advice.. [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. 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