Struggling with deteriorating health, he was released in 1964 in exchange for the Soviet spy Konon Molody. 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 Should you have information that conflicts with anything shown please make us aware by email. Wynne dutifully passed the images to his contacts with British intelligence, who established their legitimacy. The MI6 specialist experienced post-arrest sadness and torment. 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. A drink-loving. She had worked as his secretary and interpreter, as she spoke eight different languages. 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. Among the smuggled photographs and documents was evidence of what became the chilling Cuban Missile Crisis in October, 1962, with secret Soviet rocket sites on communist leader Fidel Castros island bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war. Despite Greville Wynne being in the spotlight for large parts of his life, Andrew Wynne and Sheila Wynne were seemingly not in the public eye too often. On 22nd April 1964, Wynne was officially exchanged for a Soviet spy, who was being held in Britain. The 12-year-old bears an uncanny resemblance to Benedict Cumberbatch, which caught the eye of the casting director on the Hollywood stars latest film. Strange sequel. Also, see Wynne in his appearance on the American game show To Tell the Truth. By Discover our wide range of tracking devices. All relationship and family history information shown on FameChain has been compiled from data in the public domain. If you continue to use this site, we will assume that you are happy with this. In the movie, the title refers to Oleg Penkovsky's codename. F T W M. A new Hollywood blockbuster based on the life of the late Cold war British spy Greville Wynne, who retired to Majorca, is being produced starring Benedict Cumberbatch of Doctor Strange and Sherlock fame. Wynne returned to his life as a businessman. It was directed by English director Dominic Cook, who is also known for films such as On Chesil Beach and Follies. 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. Greville Wynne's sister is Nada Wynne. He returned to his business career, but also tried to cash in on his espionage fame. He acted as a courier to transport top-secret information to London from Soviet agent Oleg Penkovsky. Benedict Cumberbatch is known for bringing outlandish, extraordinary characters, from Marvel's "Dr. Me and him have a really good relationship were really lucky, Keir said. His second wife, whom he married in 1970, was Herma van Buren, his constant companion, secretary and interpreter who spoke eight languages. Another rumour alleged he was strapped to a stretcher and burned alive in a crematorium. [9][10][11], Wynne was held at the Lubyanka. 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. A British businessman accused of spying for the West has been sentenced to eight years' detention by a Moscow tribunal. He was released in a swap at a checkpoint in Berlin in April, 1964, in exchange for Soviet spy Konon Molody, known in Britain as Gordon Lonsdale. This gave American officials a clearer picture of what the Soviets were doing in the region, bringing in medium-range ballistic missiles. Yes. When Wynne visited Moscow in July 1962, his hotel room and luggage were searched, and he was tailed during his travels. 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. Cumberbatch, whose mother is actress Wanda Ventham, is best known for playing Sherlock in the BBC drama and Alan Turing in The Imitation Game. But he reportedly committed suicide in a Soviet labor camp. 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. This kind of psychological game made them easier to handle during interrogations.. Greville Wynne is a hero in history books and his family has benefitted from it as well. Quick Facts Personal Life and Family From online or printed sources and from publicly accessible databases. The film mentions a previous affair, which is part of the reason Sheila is suspicious this time. In the movie, he only seeks assurances that he will be able to defect with his family. 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.". Johanna Herma van Buren. While this was truly harrowing punishment, his Russian colleague Penkovsky paid the ultimate price with his life. The man sitting across the table from him revealed he worked for MI6 and that 41-year-old Wynnes frequent trips to Eastern Europe selling British electrical engineering parts to industrial companies would be the perfect cover for a job the secret service needed doing. He described Penkovsky as possibly the Wests most valuable agent. In 2021 in the UK, Greville Wynne and Oleg Penkovskys story was brought to the big screen, as the film The Courier was released. "He did make a life for himself, but Greville Wynne did pay a big price for his service. Advertising Notice Learn more. Cookie Policy It was pathological with him.. [3] Rachel Brosnahan, Jessie Buckley, and Angus Wright also star. US based Meghan and Harry.. FameChain has their amazing trees. 1. Truth be told, he wasn't even aware he was talking to spies when the CIA and MI6 approached him. Destructive 'Super Pigs' From Canada Threaten the Northern U.S. He and his wife Sheila divorced, and Wynne became estranged from his son and only child, Andrew. The engineer-turned-business man Greville Wynne was, in fact, recruited by the MI6 in November of 1960. Later on in his professional life, he became a businessman and often travelled to Eastern Europe. His wife Sheila divorced him and he became estranged from his only son Andrew. Keirs twin Lewis, who is also an actor, was originally lined up for role, but their mother Marie OGrady-Hills had better ideas. He said he first joined the British security services in 1938 and worked for them during World War II. In 1985 he was portrayed by actor David Calder in the BBC series Wynne and Penkovsky, and in 2007 by Peter Lindford for BBC drama Nuclear Secrets. After his release, Wynne struggled with depression and alcoholism. [4], After the Second World War, he traded in electrical equipment, travelling often through Europe and India. The MI6 agent suffered from depression after imprisonment and torture. "In a way, it's a love letter to Penkovsky,"Cumberbatch says. The film seeshim arrested on a plane leaving Moscow and does not delve into his show trial for spying alongside PenkovskyinMay 1963. Greville passed away. 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. [4] Wynne married Sheila Beaton in 1946; the couple had a son, Andrew, born in 1952. Among the materials Penkovsky provided to Wynne were four photocopies of plans for construction sites of missile-launching installations in Cuba. Click to reveal Wynne and Penkovsky were both arrested by the KGB in November 1962, when some of the information their endeavours produced was of assistance to the West during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Sentenced toeight years in a labor camp, Wynne spent 18 months in Moscow'sLubyanka Prison, where he was subjected to beatings and torture. The Wynne-Penkovsky coalition kickstarted one of the most covert operations in Cold War history. In 1950, engineer Greville Wynne set up his own business as an exporter of industrial engineering products. 113.23.219.119 With the foundations laid, Wynne was asked to arrange a meeting with a state committee in Moscow and report back on the conversations he had. 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. He did make a life for himself, but Greville Wynne did pay a big price for his service. He preceded this book with The Man from Moscow: The Story Of . They had one son. Recalling his first day on set, he said: At first I was really nervous, but the cast were all so nice, and I managed to sit next to Benedict for the read-through of the script. Despite having no previous experience in intelligence work, Wynne was being recruited to serve as an MI6 agent. He just was an ordinary man who got thrust into this just extraordinary, life-altering situation that was going to define his existence forever, says OConnor. Other unconfirmed claims reckoned he committed suicide in a Soviet labour camp. He was put on trial in Moscow on May 1963 for spying and sentenced to eight years imprisonment. Some of the most advanced and very best spy cameras on the market. But what he did want was to protect his wife and son. He was married twice. The week before Wynne entered Hungary, Penkovsky was captured by the Soviet Union. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. In 1961 and 1962, at the height of the Cold War, disgruntled colonel Oleg Penkovsky (portrayed by Merab Ninidze) became the highest-ranking Soviet military official to spy for the United Kingdom up until that time. 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. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Greville Wynne, who spied on the Soviet Union for Britain in the cold war and who spent 18 months in a Moscow prison after being caught, died of throat cancer on Wednesday, hospital officials. After the initial meeting in December 1960, Penkovsky provided Wynne with film of Soviet military documents and later promised more information if an arrangement with British or American intelligence could be made. 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. A drink-lovingbon vivante as portrayed onscreen, Wynne'sreal-life salesmanship and genuine naivet made him perfect for throwing off serious suspicion. -The New York Times. He was asked to bring back crucial intelligence from a Soviet double agent keen to hand Russias darkest secrets to the West. Budding actor Keir Hills might have a twin, but theres someone else someone rather famous whos the spitting image of him. Here's what to know about Wynne's real history. The pair first met in December 1960 and became close acquaintances, meeting up in London and Eastern Europe up until 1962. The Courier fact-check reveals that, like his father, Penkovsky had become disillusioned with the Soviet system. He then worked at a telephone factory as an apprentice. The films screenwriter, Tom OConnor, found Wynnes story of a nobody suddenly becoming a somebody compelling. The couple separated a few years before his death but were still legally married when he died. Wynne was then hit over the head and knocked out, bundled into a car and taken to prison where interrogators played out a guessing game to establish the links between him and Penkovsky. I chatted to him not just about the film but his life and it was really interesting. Wynne married his second wife, Herma van Buren, in 1970. He said Penkovsky provided him the names and photographs of about 300 East bloc intelligence agents details of Soviet missile sites, and an analysis of Soviet military manpower and weapon production. 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. His dining . He was arrested during a business trip to Budapest, Hungary, in November 1962 and taken to the Soviet Union. Alex Palmer In The Courier movie, Wynne's wife Sheila (Jessie Buckley) becomes suspicious of his trips to the Soviet Union, suspecting that he is having an affair. She had worked as his secretary and interpreter, speaking eight languages. The unlikely British spy was freed in 1964 in exchange forSoviet spy Konon Molody. Why did Wynne make up so much, when the truths of his 18 months as a spy are already filled with astounding details? There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. During a business trip, he made contact with Oleg Penkovsky in Moscow, a high-ranking Soviet Intelligence colonel. Single use in context. Greville Wynne's son is Andrew Wynne. 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. Childhood pictures of Cumberbatch at a similar age prove why Keir was the perfect fit and he is now appearing as the son of his 45-year-old doppelganger in Cold War thriller The Courier. He struggled with dyslexia and left school at 14 to work for an electrical contractor. 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