Benedict Cumberbatch delivers an appealing, technically tricky performance in "The Courier," in which he plays Greville Wynne, a British salesman who in the 1960s became an improbable player . He was flown to Moscow, imprisoned, and tried alongside Penkovsky, who it would later be learned had been arrested the week before Wynne entered Hungary. On this trip, Penkovsky submitted to hours of interviews with British and American intelligence officials about the Soviet Unions military and political developments. In February 1990, it was announced Wynne had died of throat cancer at the age of 70 at the Cromwell Hospital, London. He was detained at Lubyanka prison. He passed away from throat cancer in London in 1990 at age 70. Reports suggest Prince Charles will live "in a flat above the shop" when he becomes king. -The New York Times. He returned to his business career, but also tried to cash in on his espionage fame. Find out about the best deals and the latest Spy Gear first And he certainly didn't want to become one himself. This was an encounter that would propel Wynne into a dangerous shadowy world of espionage and on a breathtaking adventure that ultimately helped prevent World War III from breaking out. In Greville Wynne's 1981 book The Man from Odessa, Wynne claims that Penkovsky committed suicide in a Soviet labor camp. ", Benedict Cumberbatch on 'The Courier' and update on 'Dr. "Thistrue story is a very interesting, skewed way to tellingaticking time-bomb, spy-thriller.". 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. While this was truly harrowing punishment, his Russian colleague Penkovsky paid the ultimate price with his life. 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. Assisting him in his role as "courier" is Oleg Penkovsky ( Merab Ninidze ), a far more experienced Russian agent. 22:00 GMT 13 Aug 2021 Strange" to Sherlock Holmes. But a living Wynne was more valuable to the Soviets. An on this day article from the BBC reveals that Wynne joked to his wife after the sentencing, stating that he didnt expect his time in prison to be a Butlins holiday camp. [5] His business extended into Eastern Bloc countries from 1955. The moonlighting spy was arrested on a business trip to Budapest in November 1962 and taken to the Soviet Union. It is believed to be correct at the time of inputting and is presented here in good faith. Greville passed away on February 28 1990, at age 70. Keir has appeared as a shepherd in Cadburys 2015 Christmas advert and as a flight attendant in a Vodafone commercial. When it comes to espionage, its hard to know who to trust. 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. Wynne would later relate that as he walked down the steps of an exhibition pavilion, four men suddenly appeared as a car pulled up and Wynne was pushed inside. In his role as a British businessman who travelled Eastern Europe, working for British electrical and steel companies, Wynne was perfectly positioned to gain intelligence for MI6. They were alone in the world with this incredible burden except for the other man.. Greville Wynne showed concern about Penkovskys slightly outlandish notions, but nonetheless went along with it. Penkovsky's real-life codename was HERO. After that divorce, Wynne took another wife, Herma van Buren. The wealthy businessman, who wrote The Man From Moscow and The Man From Odessa, worked for Britains MI6 Secret Intelligence Service. Dont call us, well call you in a couple years. When Greville got out of prison, he was not prepared, as people obviously are not in those circumstances, to be ignored.. [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? (March 18), Battled mystery flu, fake crew cut facing Jodie Foster in 'The Mauritanian', Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Meanwhile, 43-year-old Oleg Penkovsky was sentenced to death for his role in the spy activity. [4] Wynne married Sheila Beaton in 1946; the couple had a son, Andrew, born in 1952. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Explore how the celebrity world connects. 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. Both Wynne and Penkovsky were convicted of espionage. 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. Benedict Cumberbatch is known for bringing outlandish, extraordinary characters, from Marvel's "Dr. Penkovsky gave a huge amount of details about what missiles the Soviets had, how old they were, how there were queues for foodit was an extremely vivid portrait of the country and the people within intelligence, says Duns. 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.. 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. Majorca Daily Bulletin reporter Palma 03/12/2018 09:38. By
After his release, Wynne revealed details about his espionage career. His second wife, whom he married in 1970, was Herma van Buren, his constant companion, secretary and interpreter who spoke eight languages. Wynne literally goes from being a charming businessman heading towards retirement, says the actor, to someone secreting Minox film cartridges in his case as he tos-and-fros to Moscow., He was an ordinary man doing an extraordinary thing. Here's what to know about Wynne's real history. Welcome to another edition of spy histories. 'The Courier' is currently lived by his son, Andrew as he had already passed away in 1990 at the age of 70. Strange' sequel, Benedict Cumberbatchs latest film, The Courier, which he also executive produced, tells the true story of an ordinary, British businessman who was recruited to become a hero spy during the Cuban Missile Crisis. They were convicted of espionage. Some of the most advanced and very best spy cameras on the market. The unlikely British spy was freed in 1964 in exchange forSoviet spy Konon Molody. Wynne served 18 months in Moscows Lubianka Prison. Author: www.historyvshollywood.com Post date: 30 yesterday Rating: 3 (581 reviews) Highest rating: 3 Low rated: 3 Summary: Spy Greville Wynne with his son Andrew and wife Sheila outside of their London home after being released from the Soviet prison in April 1964. It was during one of these meetings that Wynne met Oleg Penkovsky, a lieutenant colonel in the GRU, which was the Soviet Unions foreign-intelligence agency. Keirs twin Lewis, who is also an actor, was originally lined up for role, but their mother Marie OGrady-Hills had better ideas. This was because he took regular business trips to Eastern Europe. In The Courier, he plays Andrew, son of Greville Wynne, a real-life businessman who was recruited by MI6 as a spy. 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. Her Other Children Greville Wynne Bio Details Full name Greville Maynard Wynne Gender Male Age 70 Date of birth Wednesday 19 Mar 1919 Birth place Wrockwardine Wood, Shropshire, Wales, UK Date of death: 28 Feb 1990 Place of death Cromwell Hospital, South Kensington, London, England, UK Cause of death Home Spy Histories The Story Of British Spy Greville Wynne. It required plenty of foreign travel, including to Soviet bloc countries. However, shortly after Grevilles return to Britain, Sheila divorced him. It's athank you from the West for what he sacrificed.". 1. Penkovsky was executed the following year and Wynne was sentenced to eight years imprisonment. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. For example, his obituaries in The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Times all claim that he did recruit the businessman Greville Wynne, which according to The Independent is false. Computer monitoring devices to help you and your loved ones stay protected online. The true story behind The Courierconfirms that some of the intelligence Wynne received from his Russian contact, Soviet military intelligence colonel Oleg Penkovsky, informed the United Kingdom about the Soviet emplacement of missiles in Cuba. Share or comment on this article: Speaking about the moment he realised the game was up, Wynne recalled: Four men had appeared as if by magic. And he wrote two memoirs about his time as a spy The Man From Moscow in 1967 and The Man From Odessa in 1981. But the chummy interactions between the agents and Penkovskys prolific, even reckless, acquisition of materials grew increasingly perilousand finally caught the KGBs attention. The Courier fact-check reveals that, like his father, Penkovsky had become disillusioned with the Soviet system. 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. But their relationship later collapsed. 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. 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. What did Greville Wynne do after he was released from the Soviet prison? It led to him and a Soviet double agent, Oleg Penkovsky, becoming firm friends, involved in smuggling thousands of documents and photographs across enemy lines. Current appointments. Something went wrong, please try again later. He and his wife Sheila divorced not long after his release. He acted as a courier to transport top-secret information to London from Soviet agent Oleg Penkovsky. This version is supported by Alexander Zagvozdin, who was the KGB's chief interrogator during the investigation. 1. Copyright FameChain 2023, All rights reserved. In an overcoat, wearing a trilby and carrying a briefcase, middle-aged travelling salesman Greville Wynne looked every inch a rather ordinary, unremarkable family man going about his daily life. [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. In honour of the Queen's eldest son, our new king, we have put together this collection of highlights from Charles' earlier years. The President of the Court declared Greville Wynne, aged 44, would serve. The film seeshim arrested on a plane leaving Moscow and does not delve into his show trial for spying alongside PenkovskyinMay 1963. British officials have never officially commented on his accounts. KGB chief Vladimir Semichastny later revealed: They led Wynne along the corridor as Penkovsky was approaching in the opposite direction so that both could see that the other had been arrested. Of course, they had no idea how much the other would reveal. This marriage didnt last either and the couple separated several years before Greville Wynnes death in 1990. They had one son. Mild-mannered salesman Greville Wynne was recruited by MI6 to work with a Soviet double agent on secret missions across the Iron Curtain and now his story is being told in new movie The Courier. One of them said quietly, Mr Veen? and I said, Yes, that is my name.. He also held the view that leaking this information would bring him a great deal of recognition and a sense of honour. Ideal for gathering evidence and remote monitoring. Penkovsky, who was tried with him, was sentenced to death for treason. In November 1960, Greville Wynne, a 41-year-old British businessman, sat down for a lunch that would change his life. It was pathological with him.. The loosely allied forces that made up the White Army favored capitalism and social democracy, which stood in contrast to the communist ideologies of the Red Army. The affair developed into the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. This time it's a true story:Wynne served as an unassuming go-between for British intelligence MI-6 and Russian spyOleg Penkovsky atthe height of the Cold War. Johanna Herma van Buren. [9] Penkovsky was sentenced to death and executed by firing squad, though Wynne believed he died by suicide in prison. Mr Andrew Greville Wynne. He and his wife Sheila divorced not long after his release. They had one child. Wynne was a well known character on the island in the 1980s and at one stage . In real life, Wynne's wife Sheila divorced him after he was released from the Moscow prison and returned to Britain. LONDON (AP) _ Greville Wynne, a British spy who told in his celebrated memoirs how he pried loose some of Moscows best-kept secrets and who served 18 months in a Soviet prison for espionage, has died. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Ameeting between theRussian prisoners, in which Wynne tellsPenkovsky of the import of his information, asdepicted in the film, is drama. If this spy case would have emerged in the modern day, both Andrew and Sheila may have been more of a centre point for the media and their lives could have been followed closely. Keir, who is from London, doesnt have acting classes but enjoys drama at school. But that would all change dramatically in November 1960 on the day he met an old acquaintance who had invited him to lunch at a London restaurant. Didnt last either and the couple had a son, Andrew, born in 1952 plenty of foreign,! 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