A new book claims that British traitor Anthony Blunt, known to be a double agent for the Soviets, was also a spy for the Nazis, passing on secrets which led to the deaths of thousands of Allied troops during Operation Market Garden in 1944. Blunt, who was part of the Cambridge Five spy ring in the 1930s to 1950s, was believed to have been the mysterious spook codenamed Josephine, responsible for providing the Germans with details of the plan for Allies to push into northern Germany from the Netherlands. This operation faced unexpected heavy resistance, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of servicemen and civilians during the prolonged war.
Author Robert Verkaik suggests that Blunt’s actions may have contributed to the defeat of the Allies at Operation Market Garden, which was essential in the Allies’ push to Germany in 1944. The defeat of this operation could have suited the Russians, as Stalin did not want the Americans and British to reach Berlin while his troops were still fighting on the eastern front. Blunt, who joined MI5 in 1940 after working as a Cambridge don and serving in the Army, rapidly rose up the ranks and would have had access to critical information about Operation Market Garden.
Operation Market Garden involved dropping paratroopers and glider troops into the Nazi-occupied Netherlands to create a pathway into Germany, but the Allied forces faced heavy resistance, resulting in a significant loss. Verkaik claims that Blunt, as a spy for the Nazis, provided details that led to this heavy resistance and the subsequent defeat of the Allies. Blunt’s actions, along with his role as a double agent for the Soviets, have been linked to the deaths of thousands of military personnel and civilians during the war. His involvement in passing critical information to the Germans may have played a crucial role in the outcome of this important operation that shaped the course of the war in Europe.
