BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 / The Coventry Blitz Conspiracy

**Posted by Davina** March 25, 2012 7:47 pm

During this episode which involves the flight of the dead the conspiracy theory surrounding the bombing of Coventry during the Second World War by the Luftwaffe is mentioned.

I have managed to find a BBC News article about this:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11486219

The article was published 12th November 2010.

The discussion surrounding the events of the bombing is very interesting. Sherlock says that the conspiracy theory is probably untrue. What do you think?

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** March 25, 2012 7:54 pm

I didn't realise it was an actual real thing to be honest... ...should have paid more attention in History class. Will read the article and get back to you...

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** March 25, 2012 7:56 pm

A couple of other sites discussing the conspiracy theory:

http://www.historiccoventry.co.uk/blitz/myths.php
http://www.smeggys.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=2&p=343519

**Posted by Longsnowsmoon** June 2, 2012 2:28 pm

Thank you for these links, Davina and SH. Heartbreaking. Reminds me how lucky I am to have somehow missed the tragedies of war, any war, in my life so far.

Seems there are still many opinions out there about foreknowledge and decisions. I won't pretend to have one. I think it is true that one of the reasons that we like fictional characters like Mycroft is that it reassures us that somebody out there knows everything, is managing everything, will make all the decisions and let us cheer or jeer them with impunity.

Well, I say "we/us". I mean to say "I/me".

My guess is that the truth of any situation like this is that it is a lot more chaotic and ill-defined than any of us would like to know.

This also reminds me that the writers of Sherlock are always walking a fine line. Storytelling works best when it has reality mixed in (as they demonstrate in the Fall), the trick is to find the right balance. Reading about those real casualties at Coventry, the real mass burials there... Then to think of Mycroft's outrageous solution, an airplane full of corpses... It makes my stomach curl. But there it is, you see, I was delighted with Bond Air when I was watching Scandal, how very clever! Only afterwards does it leach into my mind that it could be regarded as a bit "not good".

Not sure I am being clear. Love Sherlock, murder mysteries in general. Simply musing on my willingness to get delightfully lost in fictional tragedy while at the same time abhorring the real thing. I suppose this is natural, how would writers make a living otherwise?

Last edited by Longsnowsmoon (June 2, 2012 2:29 pm)

**Posted by Britigander** June 2, 2012 6:56 pm

I think you put all that very well LSM.
I guess those who work in the Forces or certain areas of gevernment, or historians who have access to private papers etc, are more used to the reality of the chaotic side to events. I remember very clearly being told how close certain negotiations in an African country came to failing by someone who was involved, I didn't want to believe it for the reason you give. I wanted to believe that at least 'nowadays' somehow everything goes exactly according to plan, 'in a gentlepersonly fashion'... The longer I live and learn, the more frequently I conclude there is/was no one right decision to many things, however it's reached, that can satisfy those at the time and those who come after. Glad I don't have to make those kinds of decisions.

LSM wrote:
...willingness to get delightfully lost in fictional tragedy while at the same time abhorring the real thing

Indeed! Something to do with 'knowing its fiction' so that tragedy isn't real? Or being told the line of reasoning behind the shocking actions? Whatever it is, some writers are very good at it.

**Posted by Longsnowsmoon** June 3, 2012 4:10 pm

Thanks, Britgander! Yes, I admit I prefer not to peer behind the curtain, much easier to assume all will be well. When I first started working at a bank (many many years ago) and came to know all the odd erratic very smart but a bit wild programmers handling the software, I started telling my friends and family (only half joking) they might be safer with their money stuffed into a mattress!

**Posted by KeepersPrice** July 6, 2012 2:27 pm

Arrgh....I wasn't sure where to post my question so I'll just pop it into the Coventry thread. It sort of relates. The dead man they find in the trunk of the car with all the airplane paraphenalia who was supposed to be one of the bodies in the Dusseldorf crash, what went wrong there? Why didn't he make the flight? If the car was delayed somehow, why leave the car abandoned for the police to find? Wouldn't that be pretty sloppy work even for the government? So was the airplane to Germany the first "Flight of the Dead"? And, Bond-Air was actually the second? I think Mycroft might have explained all this while inside Bond-Air with Sherlock but I can't quite remember. Sorry to be so dense.....

**Posted by Smoggy_London_Air** July 6, 2012 2:39 pm

@KP Bond Air was supposedly the second flight of the dead. As far as the body in the car trunk, that was the issue: he didn't make the flight. I'm not sure why he was there, because you're right, it does seem kind of sloppy. Maybe they were unloading the bodies and missed one or something? Not quite sure, I'm just making excuses for Mofftiss. XD

**Posted by besleybean** October 5, 2012 8:24 pm

It's supposed to be a joke...but obviously he didn't make it from the morgue, for whatever reason.

**Posted by veecee** October 6, 2012 8:15 pm

I think we have to let a lot of plot holes slide, don't we? Oh, wait, what would we talk about between now and Season 3 if we did that?

**Posted by besleybean** October 6, 2012 8:17 pm

We seem to find plenty. Ha!

**Posted by Sherlock Holmes** October 9, 2012 11:49 pm

The dead guy in the boot was the case where John typed up "Sherlock Holmes baffled", and then Sherlock complained "Don't publish the unsolved ones!" so I guess Sherlock himself never worked out why the dead guy was there...

**Posted by besleybean** October 10, 2012 7:05 am

Ah, interesting...