The photograph used for Martin’s identity card was of Ronnie Reed, an MI5 officer who bore a reasonable resemblance to what a mid-thirties Royal Marine major might plausibly look like. Reed agreed to have his photograph used, though his involvement was kept classified for decades. The photograph in the card was not a photograph of Glyndwr Michael, who had died weeks before the identity card was prepared. The physical resemblance between Reed’s photograph and the actual body was close enough, the operational planners judged, that a Spanish doctor conducting a brief examination would not notice a discrepancy.
This is a detail that bears repeating because it is sometimes misunderstood: the photograph on Major William Martin’s identity card showed a living MI5 officer, not the dead man whose body was carrying the card. The dead man’s physical description was used to construct the rest of the identity, but the card’s photograph was of someone else entirely.
The question of whether a German or Spanish official might notice a discrepancy between the card’s photograph and the body’s face was considered. The answer was that after several days in cold storage and transport, and then time in the sea, the body would not be in a condition that permitted easy comparison to a clean photograph. This was part of the operational logic: the physical condition of the body would make detailed comparison difficult, which meant the documentary identity could carry more weight.
The uniform and clothing presented practical problems as well. Royal Marine officers wore specific uniforms with distinctive insignia, buttons, and features. The clothing had to be authentic — not a costume assembled from general military stores, but actual British military clothing of the right type. The equipment had to include the appropriate personal items: identity discs, a watch, a cigarette case, items appropriate to the rank and role.