Any Truth In This

sappernz · 29-01-2005, 02:22 AM

While perusing the topics on this excellent site I have just glanced at my thousands of books and Jack Higgins " The Eagle Has Landed " caught my eye.
Yes I know its a novel and what it was doing in my serious history section is a puzzle but I would like to know if there is anything true it is based on.
Also, my apologies for two topics but they are connected, if there is any basis of fact would documents still be sealed until a certain date and does anyone know of documents or incidents that are still sealed and for how long.
I am always amazed at some of the documents released after 50 or 60 years of secrecy and wonder what is so damned important that they were kept under wraps for so long.
Any help would be much appreciated.

morse1001 · 29-01-2005, 07:58 AM

I do not think that there is any truth in the story. if there had been then the original story would have leaked out years ago.

sappernz · 30-01-2005, 04:21 AM

Morse, I agree, that is what i used to think, but with some revalations about secrecy during the war know coming out I believe it is possible for many cover ups to be revealed yet.
I am not a conspiracy theorist yet my reading and research tells me the old saying, " truth is stranger than fiction" may have some merit.
While it is now well known that Churchill used a double and his famous speech about fighting on the beaches was made by an impersonater, some claim Churchill was to drunk to go on air, it is possible there was a grain of truth in it.
Still a damn good book though.

sapper · 30-01-2005, 09:42 AM

Not a vestige of truth in it, A fairy tale. No german forces landed anywhere in Britain apart from the channel isles. But it is a nice bit of fiction
sapper.

Harry Ree · 30-01-2005, 11:40 AM

"The Eagle has landed" appears to have been based on the wartime film "Went the Day Well" which was propaganda based in that it demonstrated to the public that German minor incursions of the British Isles could happen.

With this in mind,there must have been some concern by HM Government for the protection of sensitive targets near the coast which could be raided by German Forces.This was the reason why the Radar Research Establishment was transferred from the south coast at Swanage to Malvern in the West Midlands.This establishment was carrying out cutting edge radar pioneer work which transpired to put us ahead of any development the Germans had.Winning the radar research race proved to be one of the vital contributions to final victory.

As for Churchills famous speech,there has been been some reports in the past of the task being undertaken by a "stand in".The speech was said to have been written by a speechwriter.All politicians seem to employ speechwriters and Churchill's daily diary at the time must have been intense.

Further revelations have been made recently on a Melvyn Bragg programme on the English language which I have not heard, that the speech was deliberately written to include only Anglo Saxon English as far as possible.Apparently only one word,not Anglo Saxon, a word of French origin was included.

sapper · 30-01-2005, 02:28 PM

No one ever landed on British soil. Thank heavens! There was a lot of talk about a secret landing of German forces to destroy the Radar station on the South Coast. That also, is not true! Why am I so sure? I lived there.
Sapper

sapper · 30-01-2005, 02:38 PM

With permission and with resect. I would like to point out that what happened during the war.D Day and the battle of Normandu and Europe is, and has been, totally distorted by 60 years of American Films and documentaries.

To such a degree that legends have been built up, that have not the slightest, or the tenuous link wiht the truth.

Some of thse legends are so "Way out" That I, and many old Normandy Veterans like me, are just amazed that the public are fed such utter rubbish, and because of the constant repitition have become "REAL" legends.

There is something quite unrealistic that because of these USA Films. These "legends " are now historical fact.
Now that is sad!
Sapper

Kiwiwriter · 31-01-2005, 04:43 PM

Harry Patterson, the real name behind the "Jack Higgins" pen-name, was a schoolteacher, when he wrote "The Eagle Has Landed," in his copious free time when not correcting term papers. It never happened. It's an entertaining thriller and movie, with a talented cast (Larry Hagman chews the English countryside well as an incompetent colonel), but that's about all. Churchill did read the famous speeches in Parliament and on the air. The use of the stand-in is a popular myth. There's no such place as Studley Constable, either.

sapper · 31-01-2005, 04:53 PM

Makes good fairy tales though Kiwi?
Sapper

angie999 · 31-01-2005, 06:17 PM

The film actually follows the book very well in my opinion. And although fiction, it is a gripping yarn.

29-01-2005, 07:58 AM	#2 (permalink)
morse1001 Very Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland Posts: 4,585	I do not think that there is any truth in the story. if there had been then the original story would have leaked out years ago. __________________ WWW.WARFARETODAY.com

31-01-2005, 04:43 PM	#8 (permalink)
Kiwiwriter Very Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Newark, NJ, and Christchurch, NZ Posts: 2,431	Harry Patterson, the real name behind the "Jack Higgins" pen-name, was a schoolteacher, when he wrote "The Eagle Has Landed," in his copious free time when not correcting term papers. It never happened. It's an entertaining thriller and movie, with a talented cast (Larry Hagman chews the English countryside well as an incompetent colonel), but that's about all. Churchill did read the famous speeches in Parliament and on the air. The use of the stand-in is a popular myth. There's no such place as Studley Constable, either. __________________ "My intensity is intense." -- Roger Clemens "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." -- Winston Churchill. "I am not a hero. The heroes are all dead. I am a survivor." -- Sgt. William Guarnere, Easy Company, 506th Parachute Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Check out my little contributions to World War II history at my web pages: World War II Plus 55 or http://davidhlippman.wildbillguarnere.com

31-01-2005, 06:17 PM	#10 (permalink)
angie999 Very Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: near Bristol, UK Posts: 1,551	The film actually follows the book very well in my opinion. And although fiction, it is a gripping yarn. __________________ Angie "History is lived forward but it is written in retrospect. We know the end before we consider the beginning and we can never wholly recapture what it was like to know the beginning only." C V Wedgewood

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29-01-2005, 02:22 AM	#1 (permalink)
sappernz Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 87	While perusing the topics on this excellent site I have just glanced at my thousands of books and Jack Higgins " The Eagle Has Landed " caught my eye. Yes I know its a novel and what it was doing in my serious history section is a puzzle but I would like to know if there is anything true it is based on. Also, my apologies for two topics but they are connected, if there is any basis of fact would documents still be sealed until a certain date and does anyone know of documents or incidents that are still sealed and for how long. I am always amazed at some of the documents released after 50 or 60 years of secrecy and wonder what is so damned important that they were kept under wraps for so long. Any help would be much appreciated.

30-01-2005, 04:21 AM	#3 (permalink)
sappernz Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 87	Morse, I agree, that is what i used to think, but with some revalations about secrecy during the war know coming out I believe it is possible for many cover ups to be revealed yet. I am not a conspiracy theorist yet my reading and research tells me the old saying, " truth is stranger than fiction" may have some merit. While it is now well known that Churchill used a double and his famous speech about fighting on the beaches was made by an impersonater, some claim Churchill was to drunk to go on air, it is possible there was a grain of truth in it. Still a damn good book though.

30-01-2005, 09:42 AM	#4 (permalink)
sapper WW2 Veteran Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,512	Not a vestige of truth in it, A fairy tale. No german forces landed anywhere in Britain apart from the channel isles. But it is a nice bit of fiction sapper.

30-01-2005, 11:40 AM	#5 (permalink)
Harry Ree Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 634	"The Eagle has landed" appears to have been based on the wartime film "Went the Day Well" which was propaganda based in that it demonstrated to the public that German minor incursions of the British Isles could happen. With this in mind,there must have been some concern by HM Government for the protection of sensitive targets near the coast which could be raided by German Forces.This was the reason why the Radar Research Establishment was transferred from the south coast at Swanage to Malvern in the West Midlands.This establishment was carrying out cutting edge radar pioneer work which transpired to put us ahead of any development the Germans had.Winning the radar research race proved to be one of the vital contributions to final victory. As for Churchills famous speech,there has been been some reports in the past of the task being undertaken by a "stand in".The speech was said to have been written by a speechwriter.All politicians seem to employ speechwriters and Churchill's daily diary at the time must have been intense. Further revelations have been made recently on a Melvyn Bragg programme on the English language which I have not heard, that the speech was deliberately written to include only Anglo Saxon English as far as possible.Apparently only one word,not Anglo Saxon, a word of French origin was included.

30-01-2005, 02:28 PM	#6 (permalink)
sapper WW2 Veteran Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,512	No one ever landed on British soil. Thank heavens! There was a lot of talk about a secret landing of German forces to destroy the Radar station on the South Coast. That also, is not true! Why am I so sure? I lived there. Sapper

31-01-2005, 04:53 PM	#9 (permalink)
sapper WW2 Veteran Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 1,512	Makes good fairy tales though Kiwi? Sapper

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