NAVY NEWS, JULY 2008 25
Enigma heroes
LETTERS to the editor should always be volume of letters, we cannot publish all of
accompanied by the correspondent’s your correspondence in Navy News.
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information. letters from serving personnel to open
Letters cannot be submitted up debate on issues that matter to
were unsung
over the telephone. you.
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I WISH to reply to the letter Given the impressive missions.
headlined ‘Enigma Heroes
were honoured’ (June).
The letter from the Naval
Honours and Awards office
points out that Grazier, Fasson
and Brown were honoured by
the Admiralty shortly after the
incident in which they rescued
codebooks from U559; two of the
men posthumously received the
George Cross and the other the
George Medal.
On the basis of this the writer
goes on to question points made
in a Navy News article about the
recent campaign to “honour” the
men – that they were described as
“unsung heroes”; that there was
mention of a drive to get them
“international recognition”; that
it was stated there was a “wrong
that needed to be righted”; and
that the article alluded to the
men being denied “proper recog-
nition”.
The writer says the article
implied the Admiralty had taken
no notice of their bravery.
This interpretation is incorrect
and as the person who led the
campaign to bring the men to
wider public attention, I feel I
ought to address these points.
Firstly, there was no criticism
whatsoever intended of the
Admiralty for not recognising
the men, and throughout the
campaign it has been made clear
that they did receive medals.
That is what was meant by the and a fabulous sculpture has
However, the term ‘unsung’ is
term unsung – it had nothing to been erected in their honour in
wholly justified for many other
do with a lack of medals. Tamworth town centre (pictured
reasons, not least of which is the
I believe the above points also above with author).
fact that the enormous significance
clarify why I referred to a “serious I was disappointed that the
of the men’s actions needed to be
wrong to be righted.” The men letter was more concerned with
kept secret for decades – not even
were also “wronged” by the film trying to argue that the men had
the men’s families could be told of
U571, which falsely suggested been sufficiently recognised,
the immense importance of their
Americans were responsible for rather than on how much their
actions.
retrieving the most value Enigma actions merited the long overdue
In that sense the men were
treasures from U-boats. public tributes to them.
undeniably ‘unsung heroes.’ Even
The mention of a ‘drive to win I can only see positives in all
when the truth emerged in the
the men international recognition’ this and I am extremely proud
mid-1970s, no huge fuss was
refers to the widespread results of about what has been achieved on
made of them.
the campaign. It led to the men’s the men’s behalf.
Robert Harris, the author of
heroism being told in newspapers I also believe the Royal Navy
Enigma, told me: “Without these
as far away as America, Canada can take enormous pride in what
three men there may never have
and Australia. these men achieved.
been a D-Day in June 1944.” Finally, I would like to justify Since the end of the war, they
I also have a letter from Tony the phrase ‘honouring the men’. have not been celebrated in a way
Blair in which he says they made Of course the medals were an befitting the significance of their
“a contribution to the winning of honour, but so too are the amazing actions.
the war that few individuals could developments that have happened I will always view this campaign
match.” since the true significance of their as the most worthy of causes and
Now contrast that with the fact actions have become known. remain grateul to the hundreds of
that in 1998, Colin Grazier’s home Roads have now been named people who supported it.
town newspaper, the Tamworth after them, a hotel bears Grazier’s – Phil Shanahan,
Herald, could hardly find anybody name, the men are remembered deputy editor of the
in the town who recognised his in an annual ceremony, beers Tamworth Herald and author of
name – let alone what he died for. have been named after them, The Real Enigma Heroes
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