Churchill's secret ninja program

**nightowl** · Posted On: 5/08/2010 7:39am

Only vaguely martial arts related, but oh well. Fact: Winston Churchill was a badass. When not trolling Nazis, other Brits, or drinking gin by the bottle (the real man's drink), he also was apparently running a secret ninja program on the side...because dammit if the Japanese are going to be doing something, Churchill was going to do it better.

Today, Beaulieu is the home of the Montagu family and a major tourist attraction in the depths of the New Forest in Hampshire. But 70 years ago it was the last point of call for secret agents being sent into occupied territory, and at the centre of some of the most extraordinary wartime preparations made to beat Hitler.

Away from prying eyes, trainee agents were taught the arts of silent killing, housebreaking, bridge-blowing, arson, forgery, disguise and sabotage, as well as how to resist interrogation and torture.
'Security was very, very tight. It was like being in a very enclosed family,' says Noreen, now 84 and living outside Paris.
'I knew I had to keep my mouth shut and not ask questions. My mother thought I was working for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.'

In all, about 3,000 Special Operations Executive spies passed through Beaulieu's gates. Nearly half never returned, but those who did often owed their lives to their training.

A gamekeeper from the Queen's estate in Sandringham taught students how to move across a field in moonlight without being seen. A former safe-blower taught them how to pick locks. Two former Shanghai policemen showed them how to kill silently. Even the Soviet double agent Kim Philby was there, sharing the arts of 'black propaganda' - passing false information to the enemy.

(Full article from the Dailymail HEREHEREHEREHEREHERE)

The program known as Special Operations Executive, was also called Churchill's secret army and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Real Ninjutsu comes with a side of fish and chips.

**Psycho Dad** · Posted On: 5/08/2010 9:58am

I thought it he was secretly using Daleks?

**dougguod** · Posted On: 5/08/2010 11:58am

Originally Posted by Psycho Dad

I thought it he was secretly using Daleks?

I'd rather have a ninja. At least they can climb stairs.

**Psycho Dad** · Posted On: 5/08/2010 12:05pm

They can climb stairs.

**Cdnronin** · Posted On: 5/08/2010 2:24pm

Originally Posted by nightowl

Only vaguely martial arts related, but oh well.
Two former Shanghai policemen showed them how to kill silently.
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This would be William Ewart Fairbairn and Edward Anthony Sykes. As Fairbairn's Dan rankings from the Kodokan are signed by Jigoro Kano himself, this qualifies as martial arts related.

**dougguod** · Posted On: 5/08/2010 3:36pm

Originally Posted by Psycho Dad

They can climb stairs.

I did see a recent episode where they hovered up a stairwell. Screw that. Daleks shouldn't fly, R2-D2 shoudln't fly. They're all just mailboxes on wheels, damnit.

**nightowl** · Posted On: 5/08/2010 11:10pm

Originally Posted by Cdnronin

This would be William Ewart Fairbairn and Edward Anthony Sykes. As Fairbairn's Dan rankings from the Kodokan are signed by Jigoro Kano himself, this qualifies as martial arts related.

Awesome. RNC for the deadly.

**Stu-Jitsu** · Posted On: 5/08/2010 11:32pm

Originally Posted by Psycho Dad

I thought it he was secretly using Daleks?

Get t3h 1r0ny he was a-using the nazi-aliens against teh n4zis!!1!

Speaking of which, I'd just like to point out that the Daily Mail is a rag of epic proportions. If you're not white and don't have a picture of nick griffin in your bathroom, then by jove what makes you think (that) you're British by jove!

Stu xD

**nightowl** · Posted On: 5/08/2010 11:53pm

Originally Posted by Stu-Jitsu

Get t3h 1r0ny he was a-using the nazi-aliens against teh n4zis!!1!

Speaking of which, I'd just like to point out that the Daily Mail is a rag of epic proportions. If you're not white and don't have a picture of nick griffin in your bathroom, then by jove what makes you think (that) you're British by jove!

Stu xD

Doesn't all British media not labeled "BBC" fall into that category?