TV Documentary on Meeting with Churchill & General Smuts

[Jannway]

I wonder if anyone can help. I saw on television a part of a documentary about a meeting Churchill attended along with General Smuts and other leaders involved in the war. It seems that General Smuts felt that there were Germans around. He said he could 'smell them'.

Having searched the area the leaders were assured that it was safe. Later, two German parachutists were found hiding nearby.

My son won't believe this story and I can't remember on which programme I saw it.

Is this story true and if so, on what television programme might it have been seen. If on 'Churchill's Bodyguard' what year and episode? Thanks

[voltr4m4x]

During the Second World War only two noteworthy contacts were ever made between Churchill and Field Marshall Smuts. The first occasion involved Smuts sending a telegraph message to Churchill from South Africa following the Allied triumph over the Italians at Cyrenaica, which, by February 1943 was now in British hands, and on this "good news" Churchill had deemed to make a broadcast. However, Smuts warned against this, saying, "Every broadcast is a battle". Yet the day after Churchill had set in motion his plan to turn Cyrenaica into the "beginning of a free Italy", General Erwin Rommel had arrived in Tripoli with specific orders from Hitler to drive the British out of Cyrenaica. This was something which Smuts had long feared and these fears were communicated to Churchill. The second occasion of any meaningful communication between Smuts and Churchill occurred also in 1943 on September 4. On this occasion Churchill telegraphed Field Marhsall Smuts to say that "Russia will be the greatest land power in the world after this war will have rid her of the two military powers, Germany and Japan, who in our lifetime have inflicted upon her such heavy defeats..." As a historian of the causes of the Second World War, I am sorry to say that I personally find nothing in my research that would remotely support the BBC documentary programme to which you refer.

[Cheeris]

Can we have more History question answers like this please?!?

[voltr4m4x]

Cheeris, Yes I would be delighted to attempt to supply genuine answers to genuine questions on any historical matter which might arouse interest. Thanks.

[Jannway]

It seems that I am not the only one to have seen the TV documentary as I read the following last night:. As I understand it Smuts was part of Churchill's War Cabinet and he did travel with him, so this episode wouldn't be totally unusual in the fact they were together. Still don't know which TV documentary it was though. Were there two people with the name of SMUTS perhaps?

Hi all.

I was watching a documentary the other day about WW2 and Winston Churchill. It was on in the background... but I was listening to it.

Now apparently during WW2 Churchill had on his "War Cabinet" a General (from South Africa I believe) called Smuts. Nothing too special in another bloke wearing braid and broaches and uniform, I know but there was a minor event I heard mentioned in passing got me thinking.

After D-Day Churchill went to visit his troops near the front-line. The immediate area had been swept clean of enemy troops a day or so earlier and the area was secured....they obviously wouldn't want to take chances, with the Brit Prime Minister there as a trophy.

As they went to go into a building for a meeting, General Smuts said he could "smell" Germans nearby. The associated security staff said all was swept and clear and that there were no enemy about. But Smuts insisted that there were definitely enemy about, he could smell them and that he always could. Anyway they went into the meeting and no incident was reported.

However, a couple of days later two young German Paratroops emerged from some bushes nearby. They had been cut off from their unit and held up, secretly until they realised that turning themselves in would be better than being found.

It was mentioned in passing, as a kind of matter of fact thing in the documentary...but I found it quite amazing. I have looked on the Internet but so far have found nothing about Smuts and his psychic smell ability.
<

[voltr4m4x]

Jan Christian Smuts (1870-1950), was a South African politician and soldier; prime minister of South Africa between 1919-24 and again between 1939-48. He supported the Allies in both world wars and was a member of the British Imperial War Cabinet between 1917-18. So it was during his premiership of South Africa throughout the Second World War that he had contacts with Winston Churchill, but he was never a member of the British War Cabinet during the Second World War. His wartime exploits were chiefly those he experienced during the First World War, when he commanded the South African Forces in East Africa (1916-17), and subsequently became prime minister (1919-24), minister of justice (1933-39). On the outbreak of World War II he succeeded General Herzog as premier and he remained in that post until 1948. To the best of my knowledge and with the benefit of all research papers at my disposal I can find no further evidence of the existence of another man called Smuts being involved at high level during the Second World War. There is an autobiography entitled "Jan Christian Smuts", written by his son, JC Smuts, but I believe this may now be out-of-print in the UK. I have tried to be as helpful to your enquiry as I can - and I am indeed intrigued by your query - However, I will attempt to consult some of my colleagues at the BBC who will be able to pick up on any doubts you may have in this regard.

[Jannway]

Thanks everybody, but I have found the answer. The meeting as described that combrised of Winston Churchill, General Smuts and Montgomery is shown on 'Churchill's Bodyguard' Episode 11. Unless Walter Thompson, Churchill's bodyguard was making it up, we have to presume this to be an accurate account of a quite intriguing event.

[voltr4m4x]

It is also interesting to note that sometime during 1943 Churchill had planned a visit to Tehran to meet with General Eisenhower and other Joint Chiefs of Staff, which did not include General Smuts. We need to be aware that Gen. Smuts remained in South Africa as its premier throughout the whole of World War II, although in fact he was seen as being wartime leader in Great Britain in the event of the demise of Churchill during that critical period. At that particular time also Walter Thompson, Churchill's Bodyguard, had discovered from Bletchley (the Enigma Code) that the Germans were planning a suicide mission to assassinate Churchill by means of parachute drops and that the most likely venue for this mission was Tehran. A parlourmaid Called "Nell" became convinced that she saw "German parachutists" on the roof of Admiralty House in London and raised the alarm. However, this turned out to be nothing more than Nelson atop of his column in Trafalgar Square and the alarm passed. The incident is recorded in the Diary of Elizabeth Layton, Churchill's wartime secretary who died in November 2007, aged 90. This has been an intriguing question. Thanks.

[Jannway]

Thank you for all the contributions. Its all very interesting, but if what has been said is true - then the documentary actually showing film of Gen. Smuts with Churchill and the event mentioned must be totaly incorrect and misleading, which is a grave concern. Should this be taken up with the makers of the documentary and the question raised, was the film faked in some way?