A charming British double agent who infiltrated the German secret service during WWII, feeding them false intel while working for MI5.
Eddie Chapman, codenamed Agent Zigzag, was a British double agent during World War II, who offered his services to Nazi Germany as a spy, only to become a valuable asset for the British Secret Service.
Born on November 16, 1914, in Burnopfield, County Durham, England, Chapman grew up with a reputation for disobedience and received little parental guidance. He was the eldest of three children, and his father, a former marine engineer, later became a publican in Roker.
Despite being bright, Chapman regularly played truant from school to go to the cinema and hang around the beach. At 17, he joined the Second Battalion of the Coldstream Guards, where he enjoyed the perks of the uniform, but soon became bored with his duties.
After nine months in the army, Chapman went AWOL with a girl he met in Soho, only to be arrested and sentenced to 84 days in Aldershot military prison. On release, he received a dishonorable discharge from the army.
Back in Soho, Chapman worked casual jobs, from barman to film extra, but his lifestyle outstripped his earnings, leading to gambling debts and a taste for fine alcohol. He soon turned to fraud and petty theft, earning him several run-ins with the law.
Chapman became a skilled safecracker with London West End gangs, spending several stints in prison for his crimes. However, with the outbreak of World War II, Chapman saw an opportunity to use his skills for personal gain, offering his services to Nazi Germany as a spy.
Codenames "Fritz" or "Fritzchen" by the Germans, Chapman was trained in espionage and sabotage, but he soon double-crossed the Nazis, offering his services to the British Secret Service, who codenamed him Agent Zigzag.
As a double agent, Chapman fed false information to the Nazis, while providing valuable intelligence to the British. His work was instrumental in deceiving the Germans about the D-Day landings and played a significant role in the war effort.
For his services, Chapman was awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) and was mentioned in dispatches for his bravery.
After the war, Chapman returned to his life of petty crime, but his exploits during the war had earned him a degree of notoriety. He wrote his memoirs, "The Eddie Chapman Story," which became a bestseller.
Eddie Chapman died on December 11, 1997, at the age of 83, leaving behind a legacy of deception, bravery, and a life of intrigue.
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