talkmagic.co.uk

OK, all you magic historians. Here's a question for you:

I remember reading once about a magician during WWII who aided the Allies in the area of dis-information. He is said to have made model ships appear to be full size (apparently when viewed from across the English Channel or maybe by air plane). The Axis would think ships were in port rather than out at sea.

Does anyone know of a reference where I can learn more about this historic use of magic?

There is a film being produced about him soon, there is a book too. I have no idea as to his name but it was in a newspaper article at the beginning of the year. As to where you can find more info before then I haven't a clue.

[Anonymously Posted by: 'Neil Cook']

I believe it was Jasper Maskelyne - or so my magic 'mentor', who was inspired to take up magic as a child by seeing him perform, tells me. I think it was Jasper - I'm pretty sure it was one of the dynasty.

Thanks, Nick!

With you knowing his name, I was able to find some info about him in an excellent book called A Man Called Intrepid.

I will post more about him shortly.

Thanks again.

A little background:

Camp X was an Allied covert training facility during WWII used to train spies and resistance fighters. Station M was a secret section of the covert operations.

From the book A Man Called Intrepid by William Stevenson (which I believe is no longer published) (page 204):

The "M" in Station M is said to stand for Magic and Jasper Maskelyne, a hero to British schoolboys before the war, one of the greatest magicians of all time and a master at the art of deception. His section a Camp X was known as the "Magic Group"; it conjured up illusions and laid false trails.

Maskelyne was a genius at make-believe. During an early visit to the camp by Hoover, the FBI director was astonished to see what appeared to be several warships on Lake Ontario. He was standing in a hut, and Maskelyne had rigged mirrors to produce a magnified effect with toy German battle cruisers.

"He put the conjuring arts into battle," said Murray. "The trick was to make the enemy see what he had been led to expect." Maskelyne flew from Camp X to all corners of the world, creating nonexistent armies, dummy cannon, trick air bases, false fleets.

This program will be on The History Channel (cable) USA

More info at www.HistoryChannel.com

PROGRAM: The War Illusionist (2001)
INFO: Part of the "History's Mysteries" series. This episode looks at Jasper Maskelyne's adventures during WWII in 1941 where he apparently made the Suez Canal disappear. Originally aired on June 19, 2001. DURATION: 1 hour.

Friday, May 31, 2002 11:00 PM to 12:00 AM
Saturday, June 1, 2002 3:00 AM to 4:00 AM

Does anyone have any idea when this program will be out in the UK as I am intruiged been british myself as to who this famous brit was...

afraid you missed one about him a few weeks ago, one of the Secret History programs, but I would suggest you read the book "the war magician", can't remember the auther or publisher so you could try Amazon.com for it.

I suppose you guys have seen the recent references to Tom Cruise starring in the Channel 4 backed film of Maskelyne?

[Anonymously Posted by: 'Paul Stevens']

Yeah, I can't see Cruise in the role really, unless he's a much better actor than he seems.

Sad, isn't it - Maskelyne was the typical British Gentleman so somebody more like Hugh Grant, Richard E Grant, or similar would be more suitable. Instead we get Tom Cruise!

He will have to put in an Oscar winning performance to manage the role - unless the whole thing's been re-written (as per usual Holywood practice) to get around the problems. Once again the US wins the war single handedly!

I hate to pre-judge but it all sounds as unconvincing as that awful Tony Curtis film about Houdini - only the name was accurate, everything else was pure fiction!

[Anonymously Posted by: 'Paul']

the americans are generly nice people , but they do like to rewrite history .
the houdiny film was a shame, a british director proberbly would have done a grand job, but it would not have been big at the box office.
factualy accurat does not make good movies.
being able to hide tanks as trucks and vice versa may well have helped with the war, but the american version would have the tanks become the desert, or maybey ice cream vans .
we will just have to wait and see.

At last The War Magician seems to be in production - see sutra476582.php#p476582

I have read some suggestions somewhere or other that the whole "Jasper Maskelyne-the War Magician" thing is a myth. In fact I have come across this a few times. I hope it isn't true since I have always believe in it. Still, I hate the holiday season and wish to insert a bit of misery into it. In fact I am now going to make a search for some verification that the whole thing is a myth. One moment please.

I have been and I have seen. Oh, there is a ton of it. Here is one picked out at random.

https://www.waterstones.com/blog/now-yo ... of-alamein

So the illusions could just be illusions - of the mind?