Leopold Samuel Marks, January 15, 2001
Series: Who Died Today
From: Jonathan Thomas Stratman
Length: 00:04:00
Marks was a British code maker in World War II. While still in his early twenties, in charge of wireless communication codes to espionage agents and saboteurs throughout the European Theater of War. Few individuals can change the course of the war. Marks was one.
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Transcript
Leopold Samuel Marks (M-A-R-K-S) died today, January 15, 2001.
Leo Marks was a code-maker in World War Two … joining Britain’s Special Operations Executive branch at the age of just twenty-two … and soon becoming chief designer of codes used behind enemy lines. A group sometimes called “clever children” because so many were so young.
It was all very top-secret … in fact, Marks’ family thought he worked for the Ministry of Supply. So secret that someone sent him … anonymously … a white feather of cowardice for not being in uniform.
Marks described the SOE as 'pitted and pockmarked with improbable people … doing implausible things … for imponderable purposes … and succeeding by coincidence',
But General Eisenhower put it this way: “… they shortened the war by as much as three months and saved thousands of lives.
Marks’ near-savant talent with codes was already active at age eight...
Read the full transcript
Musical Works
| Title | Artist | Album | Label | Year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billie's Tune | Jonathan Thomas Stratman | Audiosparx | 2006 | 04:06 |
