He passed away from throat cancer in London in 1990 at age 70. Wynne wrote about his time as a spy in a book entitled The Man from Odessa, first published in 1981. Wynne died of throat cancer in London's Cromwell Hospital on Wednesday, the British domestic news agency Press Association reported. 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. Computer monitoring devices to help you and your loved ones stay protected online. Discover our wide range of tracking devices. After his release, Wynne revealed details about his espionage career. Therefore, the lives of Andrew and Sheila remained quite private whilst Grevilles activity was broadcasted all around the world. Explore how the celebrity world connects. In 1985 he was portrayed by actor David Calder in the BBC series Wynne and Penkovsky, and in 2007 by Peter Lindford for BBC drama Nuclear Secrets. He later died of a throat disease in London. 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What did Greville Wynne do after he was released from the Soviet prison? They had one child. Keir, who is from London, doesnt have acting classes but enjoys drama at school. Watch an interview with British spy Greville Wynne upon his release from the Soviet prison. March 1, 1990. He described Penkovsky as possibly the Wests most valuable agent. Wynne married his second wife, Herma van Buren, in 1970. 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. Wynne returned to his life as a businessman. No question.. "He started as a nave amateur. He was put on trial in Moscow on May 1963 for spying and sentenced to eight years imprisonment. No question." The Courier is in cinemas now In February 1990, it was announced Wynne had died of. Cumberbatch also gives an update on the Dr. [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. Benedict Cumberbatch is known for bringing outlandish, extraordinary characters, from Marvel's "Dr. After months of negotiations, the British government was eventually able to arrange a trade of Wynne for the Soviet spy Gordon Lonsdale, whod been arrested the year before and was serving a 25-year sentence in England. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Johanna Herma van Buren. Description. Yes. The films screenwriter, Tom OConnor, found Wynnes story of a nobody suddenly becoming a somebody compelling. Welcome to another edition of spy histories. 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. Among the materials Penkovsky provided to Wynne were four photocopies of plans for construction sites of missile-launching installations in Cuba. This provided a near-perfect cover for spying. British spy Greville Wynne owned house in Chelsea during the 1960s He and Soviet double agent Oleg Penkovsky asked MI6 and KGB for a bar Given 500 each but spent most the money on alcohol. Wynne served 18 months in Moscows Lubianka Prison. She had worked as his secretary and interpreter, speaking eight languages. Never formally acknowledged by the British government, Wynnewrote about his experiences in two self-aggrandizingbooks, "The Man From Moscow" (1967) and "The Man From Odessa" (1981). British - Born 70 years ago (April 1952) Mr Andrew Greville Wynne 4 Londesborough Place Lymington SO41 8QB. Greville Wynne was born on 19th March 1919 in Shropshire, UK. See our car trackers, asset trackers, GPS trackers and people trackers. Privacy Statement Something went wrong, please try again later. The couple separated a few years before his death but were still legally married when he died. An industrial sales consultant who regularly traveled through Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union representing British electrical and steel companies, Wynne was told it would be helpful if on his next trip, he could arrange for a meeting with a state committee in Moscow dedicated to developing opportunities with foreigners in science and technology, and report back on his conversations. 0.10 3. . However, that claim seems unlikely to be true. The information that Penkovsky was able to obtain and the position of Wynne enabled the British and Americans to receive crucial information about the Soviet Union. Speaking about the moment he realised the game was up, Wynne recalled: Four men had appeared as if by magic. 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. He preceded this book with The Man from Moscow: The Story Of . British officials also never confirmed or denied Wynnes spying claims, and he didnt receive any official recognition for his work. In The Courier, he plays Andrew, son of Greville Wynne, a real-life businessman who was recruited by MI6 as a spy. [4], After the Second World War, he traded in electrical equipment, travelling often through Europe and India. Greville Wynne's former father in law was, Greville Wynne's former mother in law was. 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. The authors of The Spy Who Saved the World wrote, He [Wynne] had no previous intelligence experience or training.[6] Others have made similar assessments, stating that Wynne was a civilian at the time of his recruitment by MI6 in 1960. 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. 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. Data security and recovery solutions. In The Courier, he plays Andrew, son of Greville Wynne, a real-life businessman who was recruited by MI6 as a spy. Geographic restrictions may apply. The film mentions a previous affair, which is part of the reason Sheila is suspicious this time. Protect those closest to you with our phone monitoring solutions. Get a daily dose of showbiz gossip direct to your inbox. However, he was freed in 1964 in exchange for Soviet spy Conon Molody, or Gordon Lonsdale as he called himself in Britain. They were alone in the world with this incredible burden except for the other man.. Budding actor Keir Hills might have a twin, but theres someone else someone rather famous whos the spitting image of him. [6] Wynne and Penkovsky each pleaded guilty on 7 May 1963 and were sentenced four days later. [7][13], Last edited on 24 February 2023, at 15:01, "From Interrogation in the Lubyanka to rose-growing in Majorca", "Wynne confesses to charges of spying for West", "Greville Wynne, Spy for Britain In the Soviet Bloc, Is Dead at 71", "Gentleman, spy, fantasist? The BBC produced a TV movie based on them. He and his wife Sheila divorced not long after his release. Alex Palmer is a travel and culture writer who lives in Brooklyn. 1. No question. It was on this day that Wynne was captured by the Soviets and flown over to Moscow for sentencing. 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. It involved a lot of foreign travel, including trips to Soviet bloc countries, and thus provided ideal cover for spying. Wynne, despite claiming ignorance of what materials he was smuggling to the West, was sentenced to eight years in prison. Penkovskys information, and Wynnes help in delivering it to British and American intelligence officers, would produce mountains of material, play a role in the Cuban Missile Crisis, and land both men in prison. [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). Strange" to Sherlock Holmes. West maintains that its the result of something all too typical in the intelligence communitywhat he calls post-usefulness syndrome., Imagine that I recruit you and I tell you that whatever you report to me, within an hour, it will be on the presidents desk. Cold War Budapest in 1962 was not the most welcoming place for a British businessman, but Greville Wynne was feeling rather pleased with himself. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. The film received rave reviews and, having seen it ourselves, we certainly recommend giving it a watch. Among the explanations are a desire for money or fame, a ruinous case of alcoholism, or perhaps even psychological scars left by his time in Soviet prison or the shame he felt for publicly turning against British intelligence during the trial. [9][10][11], Wynne was held at the Lubyanka. Penkovsky and Wynnes spy activity produced mountains of information, would go on to play a role in the cuban missile crisis, and subsequently lead to their conviction in 1963. The Courier director Dominic Cooke says: Think about going back to a normal life after that intense drama. 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. Shelia Wynne Wife Of British Spy Greville Wynne Here With Son Andrew Wynne 1964. 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, Wynne and his wife Sheila split up, after Sheila became suspicious of his frequent trips to Eastern Europe and the Soviet State, thinking that he was having an affair. Recalling his first day on set, he said: At first I was really nervous, but the cast were all so nice, and I managed to sit next to Benedict for the read-through of the script. Meanwhile, 43-year-old Oleg Penkovsky was sentenced to death for his role in the spy activity. Describing the moment Wynne was rescued, Cumberbatch, who spent three months losing weight for the scenes, said: His clothes were sort of shrink-wrapped around this skeleton. Wynne arrived back in Britain both mentally and physically traumatised by his experience in the USSR. "And Greville played a big part in that.". Bug detection solutions appropriate for surveillance professionals and non-professionals with little experience. It required plenty of foreign travel, including to Soviet bloc countries. "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. While Angus Wright's character, MI6 agent Dickie Franks, was indeed a real person who worked for Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, according to his 2008 obituary in The Independent, he had nothing to do with the recruitment of civilian Greville Wynne and the claim that he did is based on incorrect reports in the press. He later appeared as himself on the May 23, 1967 episode of the American game show To Tell the Truth. See our devices & software. After his release he said: They treated me as they thought I should be treated.. Greville Wynne's former partners: . Ameeting between theRussian prisoners, in which Wynne tellsPenkovsky of the import of his information, asdepicted in the film, is drama. The Courier is also not the first time that Greville Wynnes story has attracted attention over the years. British Spy Greville Wynne Dead At 71. Assisting him in his role as "courier" is Oleg Penkovsky ( Merab Ninidze ), a far more experienced Russian agent. Some of the most advanced and very best spy cameras on the market. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. He acted as a courier to transport top-secret information to London from Soviet agent Oleg Penkovsky. "He did make a life for himself, but Greville Wynne did pay a big price for his service. Discover our latest products. Thus began their fruitful relationship, one that involved Wynne hosting Penkovsky in London, who was visiting under the pretense of cultivate new opportunities in the West. Truth be told, he wasn't even aware he was talking to spies when the CIA and MI6 approached him. But over time, intelligence experts and those involved in the case, though reluctant to share sensitive information, cast doubt on much of what Wynne laid out in his books. He is the author of The Santa Claus Man: The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Con Man and the Invention of Christmas in New York. 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Wynne dutifully passed the images to his contacts with British intelligence, who established their legitimacy. Wynne was born in Shropshire, England, and raised in Ystrad Mynach, South Wales. He was senior enough that you could sit down with the agents for hours and explain the entire context of how Soviet intelligence worked.. Well, his journey as a spy began in November of 1960, at the age 41. 'The Courier' is currently lived by his son, Andrew as he had already passed away in 1990 at the age of 70. Click to reveal Struggling with deteriorating health, he was released in 1964 in exchange for the Soviet spy Konon Molody. In declining health, he was released roughly two years later on April 22, 1964 in exchange for Soviet spy Konon Molody, who had called himself Gordon Lonsdale while operating in Britain. 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. His dining companion, Dickie Franks, revealed himself to be an officer of the British Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6, and asked Wynne for his help. However, in real life, IRONBARK was the codename for the documents that Soviet double agent Oleg Penkovsky had been passing to the CIA. An NSA employee-turned-Soviet Spy named Jack Dunlap revealed Penkovsky's treasonous activities to the KGB, despite the KGB having already known about the betrayal. 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. 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