The Dennis Wheatley 'Museum' - Dennis Wheatley in World War II: a supplement

DW skips the chain of command to voice his opinions – and is given (fortunately for him) a warm reception

(Sir) Desmond Morton

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DW bypasses the chain of command and becomes a friend of Desmond Morton

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In ‘The Deception Planners’, DW recounts how, in July 1942, his unconventional behaviour risked getting him the sack.

DW had become increasingly concerned that the Allies were not been strict enough with the neutral countries, and in particular Spain, which despite being officially neutral, was allowing its ports to shelter U-boats as well as helping the enemy in other ways.

To send a paper up his own chain-of-command would have proved to no avail because this was a Foreign Office matter, and the Foreign Office would have had a fit.

Having consulted his friend Maxwell Knight in MI5, DW took the paper direct to (later Sir) Desmond Morton, Churchill’s personal assistant.

As DW later reflected, to have done so while he was a civilian would have been perfectly acceptable, but now he was an officer, to go against the chain-of-command in this way was a grievous sin.

Notwithstanding this, Morton received DW civilly, listened to what he had to say, and then explained why he disagreed with DW in a conversation lasting the best part of an hour.

Over the course of the conversation and the dinners which followed, DW and Morton became great friends.