Hemingway's Marriage to Martha Gellhorn.

Hemingway got a divorce from Pauline and married Martha Gellhorn on 21st November 1940.

But when they set off for the Far East to cover Chiang Kai-Shek's war against Japan in January 1941 their relationship was already strained.

Hemingway could not cope with a wife who had a career of her own. He had bought a house in Finca Vigia, Cuba with the proceeds from 'For Whom the Bell Tolls', which had sold 500,000 copies in the first five months.

He found himself alone for most of the time in Cuba, Martha was acting as a reporter in wartime England.

In 1942 with USA now Britain's ally in the Second World War, Hemingway created the Crook Factory, a private undertaking whose self appointed mission was to investigate the pro-Nazi factions in Cuba.

His headquarters were at Finca Vigia and until April 1943 its undercover agents - fishermen, priests, waiters, pimps and whores, collected information on the Spanish Falangists on the island. The organization was finally disbanded and Hemingway concentrated his efforts on sub-hunting.

To identify and harass any German submarines that might be lurking in the area. Hemingway would be on his boat day and night looking for Germans, returning only to land to stock up on food and fuel.

In March 1944 he went to England at Martha's urging. Soon after he arrived he was involved in another car accident. Several newspapers incorrectly reported his death.

In May 1944 in London he met Mary Welsh, and fell in love with her. Martha had joined him in London but things were very bad between them.

Between June and December 1944 Hemingway covered the European conflict. Officially he was attached to the Third Army, but he also went on reconnaissance and bombing raids with the RAF.

He followed the Fourth Infantry on his reporting missions but became so involved in actual fighting his articles were just a pretext to remain at the front. He was a Captain.

Because of his keenness to fight with the army he was court martialled for violating the Geneva Convention, but his name was cleared and he rejoined Colonel Lanham and the Fourth Infantry Division and was with them for fierce fighting in the Hurtgenwald in November-December 1944.

By early January he was back in Paris with Mary. His marriage to Martha Gellhorn was over.

Continue