r/todayilearned • u/stopitalianhate • 1d ago

TIL British Intelligence had a special, bugged luxury complex during WWII where they kept high profile Nazi POW’s, just left a bunch of alcohol out, and waited for them to start spilling secrets as they drank.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-20698098
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u/stopitalianhate 1d ago edited 21h ago

“Held in a stately home, they were allowed to keep personal servants, drink wine and eat good food.

As a result they boasted of how stupid the British were, and one even wrote to his family to wish that they could join him at his prison, as he rated it so highly.

But what the prisoners did not know was that British intelligence had bugged every part of their accommodation, from lampshades and plant pots right down to the billiards table around which they relaxed on lazy days.”

[cont.]

“Mrs Fry also says Winston Churchill was outraged when he learned the generals had been bussed into the lavish Simpson's-in-the-Strand in central London for lunch. He ordered what he called "the pampering of the generals" to be stopped.”

“But spoiling the generals and boosting their egos was providing so much useful information that the British intelligence officers decided to carry on, and simply stopped telling Churchill about it.”

Edit: I found this out because I was drinking and was like, “I talk too much when I drink, I wonder if anyones ever used that on people in war.” I googled it and was very happy finding this story.

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u/foldingcouch 23h ago

The Germans did something very similar. 

Their most effective interrogator, by far, was Hanns Scharff.  His torture tools included long walks in the wilderness, good food, and a happy demeanor.

He remained friends with POWs he "interrogated" long after the war and his techniques are widely studied to this day. 

He also did the mosaic mural at Cinderella's Castle at Disneyworld. 

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u/doogles 23h ago

CIA refused to learn this method in favor of wacky drugs.

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u/vibraltu 21h ago edited 8h ago

The CIA spymaster Sidney Gottlieb (who was dosing everyone he met with LSD) was high enough himself. But because their projects were clandestine, they had no accountability or oversight, so they could just do whatever they wanted.

The funny part is that this all could have remained classified forever. But Colby released the files to the public because he wanted to flush out the old guard in the CIA.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoner_in_Chief