Over 50 local dignitaries and guests attended the official unveiling of the 'Operation Mincemeat' plaque at Hackney Churchyard and Mortuary on Sunday April 24th, to commemorate the great deception plan involving the Allied invasion of Sicily in WW2.
The Hackney mortuary was the only site where all the main players gathered before the 'unknown body ' was prepared for the long journey to the Spanish coast. The initiator of the plaque was AJEX Archivist Martin Sugarman. The donor Jerry Klinger of the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation flew in especially from the USA to be there. The Speaker of Hackney Michael Desmond and his PA Jane Ware organised the gathering and speakers included the grand-daughters of Commander Ewen Montagu, MBE, RNVR, Rachel and Sarah Montagu; (it was Montagu and RAF F/O Charles Cholmondeley who implemented the whole plan). The USA Military Attache to London, Colonel Michael Cullinane also said a few words.
AJEX National Chairman, Dan Fox also attended with the local AJEX Standard and the Rector of the Hackney St John's Church, Reverend Al Gordon. As Mr Klinger and others said, in their short speeches, the plaque celebrated the diversity of the input from the Allies in defeating Nazism, and the importance attached by the Montagu family of the Jewish heritage of Commander Montagu himself. Tea was later served at the Town Hall.
The plaque was timed perfectly with the blockbuster film Operation Mincemeat launching at the same time in cinemas.
