-The New York Times. 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. A British businessman accused of spying for the West has been sentenced to eight years' detention by a Moscow tribunal. 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. [4] Wynne married Sheila Beaton in 1946; the couple had a son, Andrew, born in 1952. That was what they were working on and they were closely watching anyone I associated with.. He was married twice. However, life wasn't always easy for Wynne after his imprisonment. [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? We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. -The New York Times. ", Benedict Cumberbatch on 'The Courier' and update on 'Dr. No question.. Greville Wynne's son is Andrew Wynne. Explore how the celebrity world connects. Budding actor Keir Hills might have a twin, but theres someone else someone rather famous whos the spitting image of him. | READ MORE. Privacy Statement He was put on trial in Moscow on May 1963 for spying and sentenced to eight years imprisonment. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. It was on this day that Wynne was captured by the Soviets and flown over to Moscow for sentencing. The films screenwriter, Tom OConnor, found Wynnes story of a nobody suddenly becoming a somebody compelling. Another rumour alleged he was strapped to a stretcher and burned alive in a crematorium. 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. Copyright FameChain 2023, All rights reserved. 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 he certainly didn't want to become one himself. He battled depression and alcoholism. Greville Wynne's sister is Nada Wynne. Wynne was flown from Hungary to Moscow, where he was brutally tortured before being sentenced to eight years in a Soviet labour camp. Strange sequel. March 1, 1990. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. 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. These events serve as the inspiration for The Courier, the new film starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Wynne and Georgian actor Merab Ninidze as Penkovsky, out in theaters on March 19. 01:26 GMT 14 Aug 2021. In the movie, they arrest Penkovsky shortly after discovering he was a double agent. It isnt common knowledge as to whether Andrew and Greville retained a relationship following the divorce. Devices such as phone chargers, watches and pens. Wynne set up his own business as an exporter of industrial engineering products in 1950. In 1961, jet travel did not allow someone to fly from the U.K. to the U.S. and back again in 24 hours, says West. Greville Wynne had a wife, Sheila, and a son, Andrew. Penkovsky's career in the Soviet military had been hindered by the fact that his father had died fighting as an officer for the White Army against the Bolsheviks (Red Army) during the Russian Civil War (1917 1923) and Penkovsky didn't denounce this legacy. During an interview at Sundance, Brosnahan told The Davis Clipper's Tom Haraldsen, "Emily is a combination of several true-life figures who worked with Benedict's character (Greville Wynne) to help the CIA penetrate the Soviet nuclear program.". In 2021 in the UK, Greville Wynne and Oleg Penkovskys story was brought to the big screen, as the film The Courier was released. 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. Ideal for gathering evidence and remote monitoring. They separated several years ago. His dining . Greville passed away. 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. His name was Konon Molody, but was known in the West as Gordon Lonsdale. A drink-lovingbon vivante as portrayed onscreen, Wynne'sreal-life salesmanship and genuine naivet made him perfect for throwing off serious suspicion. He acted as a courier to transport top-secret information to London from Soviet agent Oleg Penkovsky. -The New York Times. 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.. Share or comment on this article: This gave American officials a clearer picture of what the Soviets were doing in the region, bringing in medium-range ballistic missiles. It was directed by English director Dominic Cook, who is also known for films such as On Chesil Beach and Follies. It required plenty of foreign travel, including to Soviet bloc countries. So we got along a lot.. Upon release from prison, Wynnes old life was in tattershed lost much of his business and the time spent in the Soviet prison seemed to have caused long-term damage. No question." The Courier is in cinemas now In February 1990, it was announced Wynne had died of. The U.S. was then able to use U-2 spy planes to take photographs and identify the missile sites (see image below). Click here to Start FameChaining. Greville passed away on February 28 1990, at age 70. 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. Greville Wynne's former partners: . The couple separated a few years before his death but were still legally married when he died. Our listening devices are concealed within items that won't raise suspicion, from car keys to bear toys. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Yes. He gave me lots of good advice. In this edition, we will be focusing on the remarkable life and story of British spy, Greville Wynne. Greville Wynne had a wife, Sheila, and a son, Andrew. Penkovsky had made earlier offers to spy for the West. 22:00 GMT 13 Aug 2021 2023 Smithsonian Magazine Hes such a nice character. These guys were in the foxhole togetherthey each had a secret that only the other man knew, says OConnor. Theres a fair amount of source material from all different kinds of authors, so by reading everybodynot just Wynnes books, but other historians, and the official history put out by the American side and the Soviet side I was able to try and work out what made the most sense and what seemed liked disinformation, says OConnor. "Thistrue story is a very interesting, skewed way to tellingaticking time-bomb, spy-thriller.". Single use in context. Browse our recording devices. Greville Wynnefitthe bill simply assomebody who was taking business into Eastern Europe.". To top it off, it would have been physically impossible at the time. Konon Molody features in the story of The Ruislip Home That Contained A Soviet Spy Ring, which reveals how he ended up in a British prison. "He did make a life for himself, but Greville Wynne did pay a big price for his service. Wynne married his second wife, Herma van Buren, in 1970. He appeared on US game show To Tell The Truth. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. They were all short and thickset and wore trilby hats at the same angle. Ameeting between theRussian prisoners, in which Wynne tellsPenkovsky of the import of his information, asdepicted in the film, is drama. [13] He died of throat cancer at the Cromwell Hospital in London on 28 February 1990, aged 70. A stand-off between US President John F Kennedy and Russias Nikita Khrushchev ended with the Soviet president backing down at the 11th hour and removing the threatening missiles. On October 29 of that year, just hours after the Soviets stood down during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Wynne went to Soviet-occupied Budapest with a traveling exhibition of British industrial goods, against the advice of his MI6 handlers. Wynne went along, slightly concerned about whether Penkovsky was on the level and concerned about putting himself into a dangerous situation, kicking off what would be one of the most productive clandestine operations in Cold War history. Destructive 'Super Pigs' From Canada Threaten the Northern U.S. This intelligence gave both the United Kingdom and the United States the knowledge necessary to manage the quickly evolving military friction with the Soviet Union. The article also reveals other information about what happened on the day of sentencing and is well worth a read. 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. He got married again in 1970, to his secretary Herma van Buren, who also worked as an interpreter and spoke eight languages. On this trip, Penkovsky submitted to hours of interviews with British and American intelligence officials about the Soviet Unions military and political developments. Wynne said he was subjected to severe beatings and psychological pressure by the Soviet KGM. 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. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a10a13b9bbf427a 'The Courier' is currently lived by his son, Andrew as he had already passed away in 1990 at the age of 70. But, meanwhile, at the height of their greatest coup, Wynne and Penkovsky were facing their own downfall after British double agent George Blake told his KGB controllers that Penkovsky was also passing secrets to a British embassy workers wife. Penkovskys dynamism and enthusiasm, his wide-ranging and passionate denunciations of the Soviet system and its leaders illustrated with anecdotes, fascinated and captivated the American and British teams, write Schecter and Deriabin. "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. Wynne was a middle-class British businessman whose frequent travel to Eastern Europe attracted recruitment by MI-6 to serve as a liaison to high-ranking Soviet official Penkovsky. Greville Maynard Wynne was a British spy famous for his involvement with, and imprisonment as a result of, the espionage activities of Oleg Penkovsky. Protect those closest to you with our phone monitoring solutions. Hes such a nice character and identify the missile sites ( see image below.. We will be focusing on the day of sentencing and is well worth a read to a and! 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