Operation Mincemeat

Operation Mincemeat was a military operation which took place on Earth during the mid-20th century.

The Third Doctor initially compared his mission to track down the magnetoid in 2520 to Operation Crossbow. However, when a larger conspiracy revealed itself, the Doctor drew comparisons with Operation Mincemeat instead, complete with a "man who never was". (AUDIO: Conspiracy in Space)

Behind the scenes

 * Operation Mincemeat was a 1943 Allied initiative during World War II to dump a dead body with a and fake battle plans off the Spanish coast. This was intended to fool the Germans into diverting forces away from Sicily ahead of the impending.
 * The story of Operation Mincemeat were dramatised in the 1956 film, which featured William Russell, André Morell, William Squire and Cyril Cusack. It is not connected to the final episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures bearing the same name. Coincidentally, Alan Barnes, writer of Conspiracy in Space, also wrote a story titled The Girl Who Never Was thirteen years prior.
 * Another film entitled was released in 2022, featuring Penelope Wilton, Mark Gatiss, Nicholas Rowe, Hattie Morahan, Alex Jennings, Mark Bonnar, James Fleet, Jonjo O'Neill and Simon Russell Beale as Winston Churchill.