FYI- Normandy code words appeared in Telegraph's crossword puzzles in the months before invasion

Interesting & credible tale, O/P!

From the above link


An explanation of how the codewords came to appear in the paper emerged only in 1984. Following a re-telling of the "D-Day Crosswords" in the Telegraph, Ronald French, a property manager in Wolverhampton, came forward with further information.

He said that, as a 14-year-old at the school in 1944, he inserted the names into the puzzles.

According to French, Dawe occasionally invited pupils into his study, where, as a mental discipline, he would encourage them to help fill in the blank crossword patterns. Later, Dawe would create clues for their solution words.

French claimed that during the weeks before D-Day he had learned of the codewords from Canadian and American soldiers camped close by the school, awaiting the invasion.

He was adamant that, in the final days before the landings, the words were well known and the only thing secret was the where and when.

Undoubtedly, wartime and the proximity of Allied soldiery was exciting for the schoolboys. French claimed to have kept notebooks of information he gleaned.

"I was totally obsessed about the whole thing

"the only thing secret was the where and when"

Just like media and politicians talk about terrorism. Attacks will happen, the only mistery is when and where.

Maybe in the years to come, they will explain the Operation Blackjack slideshow not as a coincidence, but because the author had a terrorist cell living in the house next to his.