It strikes me that the film includes some handy hints on how to spot enemy agents - suspicious behaviour, the use of 'continental' numbers and so on, as one might expect from a propaganda film.
But - I find it hard to believe that the Germans would really be stupid enough to equip their agents with bars of chocolate which had 'Chokolade' emblazoned on them in large, gothic type. Bit of a giveaway, no? For me, it's the only bit of the film which is seriously lacking in credibility.
You are right that such a slip would be beyond ridiculous. However if you read up on SOE Agents who were parachuted into occupied France, Holland, etc ... there were numerous examples of 'slips' made by people who had been specifically trained to blend in with the local community.
If you consider the possibility that the chocolate bar was from a ration pack intended for that soldier ie not intended to be seen by anyone else and that he he gave it, without thinking, then it is perfectly possible. You only need to drop your guard for a moment for the enemy to get an inkling of an idea - notice the other 'cues' in the film 'the crossed 7s', and pronouning j like a y in the place name jarvis cross - easily done by someone under stress.
It seems obvious because all these were intended to be picked up on by cinema audiences living in an England that still believed such an invasion was a realistic prospect.
The unspoken message 'We are under threat .... be alert.'
What I found less believable than the chocolate was the way the Germans were all talking loudly in German while billeted in the village hall. If they were all, with a few exceptions, fluent in English, why didn't they speak English the whole time to avoid anyone hearing them?
shareWhat I found less believable than the chocolate was the way the Germans were all talking loudly in German while billeted in the village hall. If they were all, with a few exceptions, fluent in English, why didn't they speak English the whole time to avoid anyone hearing them?
As was explained earlier, only one of the men could not speak english (the radio operator) and he was the one playing cards. All the rest were speaking english.
During WWII, a British apy was captured by the Germans when she automatically looked right to cross the street. Only in England and some of its territories do people drive on the left-hand side of the road.
shareA laughable gaffe indeed. You would never catch Gordon Jackson making such an elementary mistake ;-)
shareNot quite true, particularly if you're discussing the situation during WWII.
Of European countries not influenced by the British Empire, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and much of Austria only changed from left-hand side to right by Hitler's decree after they had been invaded or annexed just before or during the war. Sweden and Iceland didn't change until 1967 and 1968 respectively.
In the East, China and Korea didn't go right until shortly after WWII....and Indonesia and of course Japan still drive on the left today.
India, the second most populous country in the world, also drives on the left.
shareThe Chokolade bar was supposed to have been a stupid slip-up by a sugar craving soldier who slipped one in his pack. A common enough error made in wartime by many a real soldier. (If you were captured while having a personal item belonging the the enemy on you, you were dead meat!). The German accents and other flaws could easily be explained away by real imposters by simply stating they were from a different part of Britain or the Empire. British accents in those days were so strong that many people were unable to understand a person from just a few miles away. If the man had simply stated he was from South Africa and had taken the bar from a captured German pilot he could have defused the situation.
Of course in Lying 101 you never try to explain yourself away. Too many chances to say too much. Hence the advice to only give your name, rank and serial number to the enemy when captured.
Maybe a few of the Germans were chocoholics!
Its that man again!!
One would also expect them to be smart enough to be able to spell "Schokolade" properly.
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan
There were a number of examples of very stupid mistakes made by agents on both sides in WW2, though training on the Allied side and by the German SD was excellent. Any food items that agents would be supplied would be VERY carefully chosen to fit in properly, but then it's not too hard to imagine that some low-ranking German soldier with a sweet tooth would slip some extra chocolate bars into his kit if he were provided none, or very little, by his agent handlers.
Excellent morale-type film of its era, not heavy-handed or preachy, and having some good hints to the British public about spotting clues to potential spies.