Enigmatic Variations No. 1328: A Major Deception by Ploy

This week, I had a preamble that told me that I probably didn’t have too much to worry about clue-wise:

A single word must be removed from three answers on entry into the grid; the removed words relate thematically to a word forming part of the theme. Four other clues contain an additional word which must be removed before solving; these hint at the title of a subsequent book and film. A name must be completed in the grid, and highlighted along with two other symmetrically-placed thematic names (a total of 23 cells); the MAJOR DECEPTION (9,9) must be written below the grid. All grid entries are real words.

I was a bit concerned that the (9,9) which had to go under the grid didn’t seem to be signposted in any obvious way, but no doubt Ploy would help me.

The clues came together reasonably quickly, including the straightforward clue at 1ac, even though I’d not come across SIFREI before (plural of SEFER). Four clues lost a word: cairn, ship, chap, piece, and three clues lost the same four letters, AEMT: STEAMHAMMER, MATELOTE, STAMENED. I should have got the connection between the four extra clue words more quickly, but it would have to wait until later.

The grid was complete after about 90 minutes, and I was left with WI•LI•M•AR•IN in the unclued central column. This was obviously the “name to be completed” and WILLIAM was the first part. But what next? CARLIN, HARBIN, LARKIN, PARKIN? Luckily, it didn’t take long to think of MARTIN and a quick google revealed all in the form of Operation Mincemeat. Mincemeat indicated the four anagrams of meat in the clues.

Identifying the two symmetrically-placed names in the grid came next. My initial thought was that it could be GLYNDWR MICHAEL, the tramp who became Major Martin but that, together with 6dn, would overrun the 23 cells that needed highlighting. It didn’t take too long to identify HUELVA and SERAPH crossing the central column, having initially tried the diagonals. HMS Seraph was the submarine which delivered the canister containing the body of Michael/Martin to the sea off Huelva in southern Spain.

Finally, the extra words in the clues needed to be understood. They were all synonyms for man and, by disappearing, represented the book and film referred to in the preamble: The Man Who Never Was.

All in all, a very enjoyable puzzle as we’ve come to expect from Ploy. Thanks.

Solving time: about 1¾ hours

Legend:
Definition in clue
[AT’EM] = anagrams of MEAT missing from entries
[bloke] = synonyms of man missing from clues
ABC* = anagram
ABC< = reversal
abCDef = hidden