Read about him in the Times–
How did Hollywood miss doing a movie about this guy?!?
Soldier, escape artist (of sorts), & a con artist (of sorts, but only for his country), but certainly a hero.
England has lost an amazing man!
R.I.P Major. What a soldier you were.
When you see those old grainy, badly taken actual wartime footage, its all too easy to forget that this was real, and forget the debt we owe men like him.
Man, after reading that article I was just left in awe. That man was nothing short of brilliant.
C’mon, they were Italian soldiers… bluffing them into surrending couldn’t have been that hard, right?
But in all seriousness, what a soldier, indeed. That guy’s a real life superhero.
“Surrender and we won’t take your balls.” Major Fane-Hervey had plenty of his own by the sounds of it. RIP to a true Brit with true grit.
That’s a remarkable story. Sounds like it would make a great movie, too… if only Hollywood wouldn’t turn him into an American (as they always seem to, with British WW2 heroes).
Great link Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor very interesting and brave man.
Cheers,Bippy
Wow, what a tough cat.
Good grief. My first actions after being captured would involve crying and wailing like a schoolgirl. He managed to talk 300 soldiers into surrendering to a non-existent opponent.
Put that scene in a movie, and I scoff at Hollywood imagination. Put it in real life and I stand in utter amazement at the ability and quick thinking of an astonishing sounding human being.
Great link and great inspiration for toughness under pressure.
Getting the German autographs at the opera is my favorite story there. Wow.
… and some people worship basketball players and bad singers. Priorities, folks: always keep track of your priorities.
Wow. That guy had chutzpah. I’ve sent the article on to my folks and a good friend of mine–I think they’ll be pretty danged impressed, too.
Just out of curiousity, how did you come across this obit?
Am I the only person who thought this was a follow up thread about Scylla?
As John Wayne would say: That guy had true Brit.
Thanks for sharing that Bosda.
Excellent, excellent.
Since he died at 86 with what looks like a rich and fulfilling life behind him, I can post this with a smile on my face.
You did well, Fane. Rest in peace.
I read the London Times online. After the BBC, it’s the best news source I know. Much better than any TV news, & covers much US news better than US papers do.
Main reason for not making a film about this guy…No actor wants to walk like charlie chaplin anymore, and that’s the only way a guy with balls that large could have walked. 
Just as there is a fine line between heroism and foolishness, there is also a fine line between bravery and lunacy. This gentleman managed to keep both feet planted on the correct side of the line, not only surviving the greatest war we have ever known, but in his passing gave us all a much needed tale of what true heroism is all about.
Ashkickers Note: The words above are not my own, but that of my hubbys. I had saved the link above knowing he would like to read the story and we both enjoyed it.
All men die
Not all men truly live
Damn! What an impressive man!
Thanks for the link, Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor