582:. This copy was found by Michael Rolke when doing some unrelated research and formed the basis for the German re-translation that appeared in the re-publication of the German version of Almásy's "Unknown Sahara" in 1987 (Schwimmer in der Wüste, Haymon, Innsbruck). Another version was prepared by Jean Howard (née Alington), who received the English translation from Bagnold in 1978, together with the cover note of Count de Salis and other forwarders. She re-typed the documents, correcting a number of errors and mis-translations based on her superior knowledge of German and making some abbreviations to reduce the task of re-typing. This is also the source of the uncertainty regarding the finding date, as the note of de Salis (as copied by Jean Howard) dates 28 January 1950, while the later forwarding note dates 2 February 1949, obviously one having been copied in error. The original diary is probably still in the unreleased MI5 Personnel File of Almásy. There is no question as to the authenticity of the document, the contents of which are corroborated by many sources including intercepted wireless messages. As it surfaced during Almásy's life, it could have even been with his knowledge that it was passed to Count de Salis. The 2013 book on Operation SALAM contains a merged transcript of the IWM and the Howard copies.
448:, this source of information was considered so vital to the war effort, that it was only de-classified in the early seventies. Almásy's presence in Libya was already known to British intelligence from captured messages by late 1941 but the nature of his activities were not. It was only when Operation SALAM was well underway that a young intelligence analyst, Jean Alington (later Jean Howard) realised that an enemy unit was moving in the Libyan Desert behind British lines. As Rommel's advance was imminent, messages from
480:. Sandstede had installed their radio set in a gramophone cabinet in the living room on the boat. This device of furniture was built by Sandstede himself as a masterpiece of carpenter craftsmanship; the radio unit and the gramophone unit (record player) could still be operated while the radio operator was seated inside the cabinet veiled behind a wooden panel unseen and undetectable from the outside and send Morse radio messages while the device played music.
394:(a hard surfaced gravel desert) but they soon encountered an impassable range of low dunes unmarked on the map. After several members fell sick and one of the cars was abandoned in the dunes with a broken axle, the party returned to Jalo oasis to make an aerial reconnaissance of the route. Starting out a second time they encountered the same difficulties and Almásy devised a new plan: with fewer cars and members they would go south towards enemy occupied
38:
353:(German military intelligence), initially to aid in the preparation of maps and the description of desert terrain. Subsequently, he was assigned to an Abwehr commando operating in Libya under the command of Major Nikolaus Ritter. After Ritter was injured in the first airborne attempt to deliver two spies to Egypt (the first
540:
on 29 May. Thus in part Rommel was responsible for the failure of CONDOR, as he personally ordered the SALAM operators to join his headquarters as there was a shortage of wireless operators during the battle. Fearful of reprisals in case of Rommel actually reaching Cairo, they started to create fake
572:
The diary of Almásy describing the events from 15 to 29 May 1942 surfaced in
Austria in 1949 or 1950, found by Lt. Col. Count Peter de Salis, who was at the time working for the Intelligence Organization, Allied Commission for Austria. Seeing the name of Bagnold mentioned several times in the
535:
The truth was quite different, as revealed by the interrogation protocols taken after their capture. Eppler and
Stanstede never managed to collect any meaningful information, and they never made any contact with a German radio station after they parted with Almásy near Asyut. Unknown to them,
182:
with two "a"-s, the codename of the operation (used interchangeably in wireless transmissions both for the operation, and its leader, Almásy) was consistently "Salam", with one "a", in all related historical documents – or rather "SALAM", in keeping with the convention to render code names in
555:
The spies' extravagant lifestyle (and the fact that unknown to them, most of the
British pounds they had with them were forgeries), as well as the various other leads picked up by Allied intelligence, led to their hideout being discovered and the houseboat was boarded by British
954:, Greenhill Books 2000 - This book was first published in 1945 soon after the war and names the Abwehr agents as 'Reichert and Vollhardt'. This is probably deliberate misinformation due to the book being published so close to the end of the war.
443:
had managed to decipher the Abwehr hand cypher used by field stations (including SALAM), and by early 1942 had also broken the Enigma machine code which was used for the most-secret communication between German commands. Code named
560:. Sandstede had started to flood the vessel but they were quickly taken into custody. Sanstede attempted suicide by slashing his wrists but eventually Eppler and Sandstede cooperated with their interrogators and were spared
564:(the usual fate of spies out of uniform during World War II). Hekmet Fakhmy only received a suspended sentence but later claimed that she provided valuable intelligence to Eppler and that she was imprisoned for two years.
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through intelligence channels. It is not known at what point was the original German text translated into
English but two versions remain. One which was passed on by Bagnold to David Lloyd Owen and is kept in the
490:(Eppler's friend from his younger days), as well as other dancers and escorts in the bars and nightclubs of Cairo - a very lively city during the war and the destination of thousands of Allied service personnel
381:. Planning and preparations took several months, and the start was delayed several times due to the changing situation on the front. Finally Operation SALAM was ready to start from Tripoli on 29 April 1942.
590:
Although
Operation CONDOR ended in failure, Operation SALAM is notable as one of the few Axis operations that mirrored the important Long Range Desert Group activities in the Libyan Desert during the
1001:
544:
Apparently, all Eppler and
Sandstede ever did in Cairo was to spend the considerable sums they had at their disposal on women and a lavish lifestyle. Sadat was extremely critical of them in his book
276:
406:
along a route known to Almásy from his explorations there ten years earlier. From this point onwards the account of
Operation SALAM is narrated by Almásy, in his diary of the operation.
468:
and Cairo after his mother had remarried to a wealthy
Egyptian and Eppler had thus acquired this name. Sandstede posed as an American 'Peter Monkaster', since he had worked in the U.S.
456:
had priority in deciphering and analysis, and there were several days delay in warning HQ Middle East in Cairo. By the time a search was organised, Almásy was safely back in Jalo.
423:. Operation SALAM now became Operation CONDOR with the two spies on their way to Cairo, while Almásy and his convoy of vehicles returned into Axis-held Libya. He was awarded the
516:
he claims to have managed to make temporary radio contact with a German forward radio interception post near
Alamein (the nearest to Cairo Axis forces had reached before the
604:, a desert patrol group formed on three to five companies, with various vehicles customised for desert operations and integrated air support, and sometimes referred to as
307:. Two spies would be delivered via a route taken far south of the Qattara Depression where the enormous expanses of open desert would lessen the risks of being captured.
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244:
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in 1959, is based on the book written by John Eppler, although it takes many liberties and does not pretend to be an exact account of the operation.
191:
of Almásy. Hence the operation should be correctly referred to as "(Operation) Salam" (or "SALAM"). Once the two spies were delivered by SALAM in
548:. Sadat's view was that the two Germans deliberately sabotaged their own radio, because they wanted to enjoy themselves and live with two Jewish
495:
536:
communication was impossible as the designated SALAM wireless operators had been captured when Rommel's advance headquarters were overrun near
941:
248:
611:
483:
Eppler in his book claims that they garnered information on
British troop and vehicle movements with help from a nationalist-inclined
357:), Almásy assumed command of the unit. Planning for what eventually became Operation SALAM started in earnest in the fall of 1941.
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Kuno Gross, Michael Rolke & András Zboray: László Almásy’s most daring Mission in the Desert War, Belleville, München, 2013
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appearing as other German operatives taking part in the mission. The film is drawn from the 1958 novel by
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intercepts, they had few agents in Egypt. Operation SALAM was intended to provide them eyes and ears in
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as a sideshow and at the time of Operation SALAM he was very much concentrated on the recently launched
524:, who were nominally pro-Axis in the belief that they would 'liberate' Egypt from the British. A young
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had plans for capturing Egypt which would have put the Allies in a very precarious situation with the
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The Lost Oasis: The Desert War and the Hunt for Zerzura; The true Story behind The English Patient
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where the British authorities and community were in crisis over the Axis advance, with a citywide
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187:. It has been suggested (but never proved) that the origin of the code name could be a partial
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diaries detailing their supposed intelligence gathering and meeting of various sources.
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under enemy control. Although the Germans had intelligence coups such as the Black code/
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877:, C.Bertelsmann, GĂĽtersloh (Germany), 1959, German Edition (Book# 1873 59.-68. tsnd)
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and then dropped Eppler and Sandstede off at the edge of the desert escarpment near
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using captured British CMP Ford trucks and patrol cars, delivering the two agents,
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552:. Reading the British interrogation reports, it is hard to argue with this view.
520:). Communication problems forced them to request assistance from the Cairo-based
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476:. After a rail journey to Cairo, the two spies rented a houseboat on the river
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and used forged British and Egyptian banknotes. Using an arranged system of
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In Egypt, Eppler went under the name of Hussein Gaffar. He had grown up in
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they started out towards the east where Italian maps suggested a firm flat
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had entered the war on the side of the Axis, Almásy was recruited by the
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Operation SALAM - László Almásy's most daring mission in the Desert War
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The initial plan was to enter Egypt by crossing the desert south of
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532:) was sent to help with Eppler and Sandstede's radio equipment.
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494:. Eppler claimed to have often posed as a lieutenant in the
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months previously. The area is bordered on the north by the
170:
While the name of the operation appears to derive from the
916:
The Secret Life of Laszlo Almasy: The Real English Patient
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and LRDG operations up until Allied victory in Libya and
219:. This position was an excellent site for defence of the
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in the months before June and many Europeans fleeing to
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1002:
Military operations of World War II involving Germany
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document, de Salis forwarded the diary to Brigadier
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by the commander of the Afrika Korps, Erwin Rommel.
329:in the 1920s and 30s with other Europeans such as
837:. GĂĽtersloh: C.Bertelsmann Verlag. p. 156.
223:, and preparations had been ordered by General
150:. The mission was conceived in order to assist
804:Gross, Kuno, Michael Rolke and András Zboray,
726:Military history of Egypt during World War II
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599:
211:desert, German and Italian forces had pushed
195:, they were referred to as Operation CONDOR.
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965:Hekmat Fahmy - the Egyptian belly dancer-spy
656:(1980) is loosely based on Operation SALAM.
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64:introducing citations to additional sources
891:, Futura Publications; New Ed edition 1978
427:(first class) and promoted to the rank of
279:was months away from participation in the
586:Other long-range operations in the region
660:based on this book was produced in 1985.
239:, to the south. It is debatable whether
54:Relevant discussion may be found on the
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610:), was a long-lived unit that harassed
439:By early 1941 British code-breakers at
997:Battles and operations of World War II
631:and Operation SALAM is present in the
341:who were now working for the British
249:Mediterranean and Middle East Theatre
134:military operation organised by the
7:
884:, Macdonald & Jane, London, 1977
215:forces into a retreat that ended at
472:before the war and could pass as a
259:which had been sent to support the
27:World War II intelligence operation
992:German World War II special forces
739:(German intelligence organization)
669:(Rommel Calls Cairo), directed by
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369:, starting from the Italian held
205:numerous advances back and forth
47:relies largely or entirely on a
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415:they bluffed their way through
889:Operation Condor: Rommel's Spy
868:Alamein - The War Without Hate
866:John Bierman and Colin Smith,
321:. He had already explored the
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601:Compagnie Auto-Avio-Sahariane
528:(who much later would become
435:Intercepted Wireless messages
823:, John Murray, London, 2002.
690:as his radio operator, and
178:in most languages using the
243:had serious designs on the
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925:, Hamish Hamilton Ltd 1989
810:, Belleville, MĂĽnchen 2013
923:Cairo in the War, 1939–45
627:A fictional portrayal of
154:by delivering two German
140:under the command of the
833:Eppler, John W. (1959).
261:Italians in North Africa
952:Long Range Desert Group
936:. London: John Murray.
902:. New York: J. Day Co.
748:Western Desert Campaign
733:(Deutsches Afrikakorps)
384:Reaching Jalo oasis in
335:Long Range Desert Group
317:explorer, motorist and
283:and the Axis commander
987:World War II espionage
753:North African Campaign
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596:Auto-Saharan Companies
592:North African campaign
522:Free Officers Movement
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263:, had demoralised the
474:Scandinavian American
950:W. B. Kennedy Shaw,
932:Kelly, Saul (2002).
918:, Penguin Books 2005
821:The Hunt for Zerzura
708:The Cat and the Mice
518:Battle of El Alamein
398:and then across the
60:improve this article
743:Sudan Defence Force
637:The English Patient
580:Imperial War Museum
575:Ralph Alger Bagnold
409:After crossing the
379:Hans Gerd Sandstede
343:Middle East Command
313:was an experienced
900:Revolt on the Nile
851:Revolt on the Nile
649:The Key to Rebecca
641:film based upon it
622:In popular culture
546:Revolt on the Nile
530:President of Egypt
470:petroleum industry
452:Panzerarmee Afrika
247:for he viewed the
237:Qattara Depression
166:Operation codename
158:into British-held
152:Panzer Army Africa
982:Abwehr operations
943:978-0-7195-6162-7
875:Rommel ruft Kairo
835:Rommel ruft Kairo
666:Rommel ruft Kairo
508:Daphne du Maurier
267:with the fall of
245:conquest of Egypt
235:, the impassable
225:Claude Auchinleck
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663:The German film
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460:Operation CONDOR
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327:Egyptian deserts
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45:This article
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488:Hekmet Fahmy
485:belly dancer
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257:Afrika Korps
213:Commonwealth
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654:Ken Follett
550:prostitutes
396:Kufra oasis
231:and a huge
176:transcribed
130:was a 1942
976:Categories
764:References
646:The novel
639:" and the
538:Bir Hakeim
466:Alexandria
425:Iron Cross
412:Gilf Kebir
402:Gilf Kebir
371:Jalo Oasis
367:Siwa Oasis
289:Suez Canal
281:Desert war
221:Nile Delta
217:El Alamein
199:Background
116:March 2023
86:newspapers
562:execution
506:based on
361:The route
305:Palestine
253:Case Blue
142:Hungarian
56:talk page
898:(1957).
715:See also
510:'s book
492:on leave
271:and the
233:salt pan
185:all caps
908:1226176
635:novel "
616:Tunisia
513:Rebecca
498:of the
347:Hungary
345:. When
319:aviator
207:in the
189:anagram
100:scholar
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737:Abwehr
682:stars
351:Abwehr
337:) and
323:Libyan
315:desert
301:curfew
275:. The
269:Tobruk
255:. The
241:Hitler
172:Arabic
137:Abwehr
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95:
88:
81:
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504:codes
446:ULTRA
429:major
421:Asyut
391:serir
386:Libya
297:Cairo
193:Egypt
160:Egypt
156:spies
107:JSTOR
93:books
938:ISBN
904:OCLC
698:and
478:Nile
377:and
325:and
79:news
652:by
612:SAS
62:by
978::
783:^
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