Churchill and the Generals

Churchill approved of the whole bugging operation of German prisoners. He understood the technique of holding the German Generals in a luxurious stately home to catch them off guard.

To reward the Generals and make them feel even more relaxed, Intelligence Officers occasionally took them into London, where they were treated to a three-course meal at Simpson's restaurant on the Strand. One day Churchill walked in and was furious to see the Generals there at the government's expense. Thereafter, he forbade 'the pampering of the Generals'. But British Intelligence knew that their deception was working and bringing in vital intelligence, so they ignored Churchill and relocated to another restaurant. Even so, Churchill said at the end of the war: 'The records of conversations between enemy prisoners-of-war afford an excellent insight into the German character and the results of the Nazi regime.' The German Generals had some admiration for Churchill. The secret listeners picked up a comment from one General to another at Trent Park: 'Churchill is personally appreciated everywhere. Hitler just stays inside his fox-hole.'