Writer and historian Giles Milton investigates the mysterious disappearance of Lionel Crabb in a new podcast.
Cover Up: Ministry of Secrets attempts to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of Crabb and why it still continues to be covered up.
Lionel ‘Buster’ Crabb was a famous British Navy diver and highly decorated war hero. During World War Two, he worked in special ops diffusing mines planted by the Nazis in Venice, saving the city from destruction.
This made him a household and was said to be the inspiration for James Bond. He was a close friend of Ian Fleming, the author of the novels, as they worked together throughout the war.
Giles discovered that in Spring 1956, Crabb took part in a top-secret diving mission to investigate a Russian ship docked in Portsmouth Harbour. The ship had brought Nikolai Bulganin and Nikita Khrushchev over for a state visit during the Cold War. After this dive, Crabb was never seen again.
What followed has been kept a state secret for decades. Giles tries to find out what really happened and why the truth continues to be hidden from the public.
Normally files such as those for this incident, are released after 20 years, but the Lionel Crabb files are officially embargoed for a century, to be kept under lock and key until 2057.
Throughout the podcast, Giles speaks with his producer and oldest friend Sarah Peters, as they investigate this disturbing story.
From Somethin’ Else and Sony Music Entertainment, Cover Up: Ministry of Secrets launches today, 1 March on all podcast platforms.
