united-kingdom military
In the Allied movie, was the order to the officer to kill spying wife a legal fact or fiction?
<p>In the World War II era film <em>Allied</em> (Paramount Pictures, 2016), Canadian RAF airman Max Vatan (played by Brad Pitt) is informed by his superiors that the British military code requires him to quickly execute his wife Marianne Beausejour (played by Marion Cotillard) if it is confirmed she is spying for the Germans, or face execution himself.</p>

<p>Is this twist in the film based on actual legal fact in the British military code (at least at the time) or is it just cinematic fiction?</p>

<p>Its complete crap.</p>

<p>Enemy agents (spies) were executed by a state executioner <em>after</em> they were convicted by a court or court martial. The law governing espionage is the Official Secrets Acts of 1911 and 1920 as amended.</p>

<p>However, the vast majority of German agents in Britain were never prosecuted: they were turned, that is, they were forced to work as double agents for the British, feeding whatever information the British wanted them to their German "masters". This was the famous <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-Cross_System" rel="nofollow noreferrer">double cross system</a></p>
