Dear reader,
Today is Remembrance Day in the UK, a moment to pause and reflect.
It got us thinking about the extreme constraints of conflict, and how they often lead to the most incredible bursts of lateral/creative thinking.
We thought we'd share a few ingenious examples from the past...
1. Bureaucratic Sabotage
In 1944, the U.S. spy agency (later the CIA) literally weaponised bureaucracy. Their Simple Sabotage Field Manual (link to the original manual) taught allies to derail the enemy by "talking at great length," "haggling over precise wordings," and "referring back to matters already decided." Sound like your last Tuesday Zoom call?
2. The Porridge-Powered Glider
Stuck in the "escape-proof" Colditz Castle, Allied POWs decided to simply... fly out. In a hidden attic, they built a working glider (the 'Colditz Cock') from bed slats, floorboards, and, no jokes, porridge used as a sealant. The war ended just before their rooftop launch, but a 2012 replica proved their wild plan would have worked.
3. The Ultimate Body Double
To trick the Germans before D-Day, the British found an actor who was a dead ringer for General Montgomery. They sent this decoy on a very public tour of North Africa, making German intelligence report that "Monty" was miles away from the real invasion site. Classic misdirection.
4. The Ship-Shifting Island
How do you hide a warship from the Japanese fleet? Disguise it as an island. The crew of the Dutch ship HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen covered their vessel in jungle foliage, anchored by the coast all day (to blend in), and only sailed at night. They "island-hopped" their way to safety in Australia.
5. The Plague That Wasn't
A Polish doctor, Eugene Lazowski, saved 8,000 people by inventing an epidemic. He injected healthy locals with a harmless dead typhus strain, which caused them to test positive. When German labs confirmed a "raging" outbreak, they got terrified and quarantined the entire area, unknowingly sparing its population from deportation.
Got any favourite examples of genius lateral thinking? Hit reply and let us know!
Big love,
Chris & the 42courses team x
👇 P.S. Enjoyed these mental gymnastics? We explore this exact mindset in Creative Leadership and Creative Thinking. If you're ready to sharpen your creative brain, come and see what's inside.
