John Eppler

Johannes Eppler 19141999 also known as Hans Eppler John Eppler and Hussein Gaafer was a World War II Abwehr spy a German who had been raised in Egypt by his Egyptian stepfather One of Rommels spies during the North African campaign in World War II Operation Salaam led by László Almásy spirited Eppler and HansGerd Sandstede into Cairo although they were both arrested soon after arrival in July 1942 Eppler is the subject of MI5 file KV 21467 After World War II Eppler told dramatic stories about his spy exploits during the war but historians have shown that his actual work was ineffective and amateurish Eppler and a colleague disguised as British officers infiltrated Cairo and made contact with the Free Officers movement who were attempting to defect to the Axis Their plans ultimately fell through and Eppler and future Egyptian president Anwar Sadat were imprisoned together According to Sadat Eppler was visited in his cell by Winston Churchill in 1942 and offered leniency in exchange for a full confession Eppler is the subject of a book by Leonard Mosley The Cat and the Mice and is again referenced in Mosleys The Druid Eppler and his radio operator Sandstede are played by Adrian Hoven and Neil McCallum in the British film of The Cat and the Mice retitled Foxhole in Cairo 1960 although Sandstede is renamed Sandy Another depiction of Epplers exploits is in the German film Rommel Calls Cairo 1959 based upon Epplers book of the same name In this film Eppler is again portrayed by Adrian Hoven Eppler portrayed Rommel in the French film Le Mur de lAtlantique 1970 The film and novel The English Patient also reference Operation Salaam and Epplers activities Epplers history is the same as that of the character Alexander Achmed Wolff the Cairo spy in Ken Folletts The Key to Rebecca 1980 Source Article Johannes Eppler from Wikipedia in English licensed under CCBYSA