He was one of the most powerful people in the Third Reich. As deputy Führer, he enjoyed influence and trust. He sacrificed all this to go to Britain on a secret peace mission that he had set for himself. He almost lost his life on the way. He hoped that at least on the spot he would be received with the appropriate seriousness and honors ... He couldn't have been more wrong.
The famous flight of Rudolf Hess on May 10, 1941 is the subject of many articles - contrary to Hitler and on his own, he wanted to negotiate with the British authorities and end the war. Although he got to the Islands in an unconventional way (he had fallen on a parachute with a wounded leg in the Scottish village of Eaglesham), he still expected that he would receive suitable accommodation soon, and the prime minister himself would come to meet him. Well, maybe the king right away!
At first, however, he was only offered hospitality by ... a local farmer . This obliging man named David McLean led the battered German to his farm, sat him down in an armchair by the fireplace, and even
offered him a cup of tea.
Fearless Rudolf Hess…
Hess reportedly politely declined, saying he would have preferred a glass of water at this hour. Maybe he did get it, but he didn't seem to have had time to do anything with it. Several members of the National Guard burst into the hut who noticed the mysterious plane crash.
It can be guessed that neither of them knew German or what to do with the unexpected prisoner. So they led Hess straight to their commander:a certain Graham Donald, stationed at their unit's quarters.
A real grotesque unfolded there, described in detail by Stephen McGinty, author of The Secret Life of Rudolf Hess. The captive gave the name of his brother-in-law (for some reason he was afraid of being introduced as a deputy leader of the Third Reich) and requested an immediate meeting with Prince Hamilton - an influential aristocrat and member of the House of Commons. He claimed to have "a secret, extremely important message."
In his company, Hess revealed his identity (they had previously met at the 1936 Olympics - it is hard to say whether Hamilton could remember him at all) and began a tirade about the peace-loving Hitler, the nonsense of war and the necessary negotiations. Hearing this, Hamilton turned pale with fear.
The second man after the Führer was just trying to enter into some secret deals with him, which during the war anyone could take as a sign of treason! Obviously, Hamilton didn't want to hear anything like that.
He broke off the intended negotiations even before these began and immediately contacted London. It soon turned out, however, that the authorities were not particularly interested in the matter . It was only after much persuasion that Hamilton made an appointment with the prime minister.
… And his unfortunate plane. Or rather, what's left of it.
Churchill admitted him in private, but did not believe the revelations about the unannounced "visit" of the leading Nazi to Great Britain. Maybe he did not ignore them completely, but stated that he had more pressing interests for now:
Then Churchill, who liked to watch a Hollywood movie after dinner, had been told earlier that in the next room on the projector there was already a spool ready to be set in motion with " Marx brothers in the Wild West ", he uttered one of the most important issues of the Second World War:
"Well, Hess or not Hess, I'm going to watch the Marx Brothers" . And with these words he left with a heavy step, no doubt chewing an unlit cigar (p. 74) .
Churchill took him in private, but did not believe the revelations about
It was only the next day (and therefore a day and a half after Hess's arrival in the UK!) That the head of government agreed to send the former ambassador in Berlin, Ivone Kirkpatrick, to Scotland to check if Hess was really Hess.
Fifteen or twenty soldiers that were in the room at the time burst out laughing . The conversation was interpreted by Roman Battaglia, a representative of the Polish consulate, who during this amazing scene asked every question shouted out by the gathered crowd ("Secret Life ...", p. 70) .
Churchill admitted him in private, but did not believe the revelations about the unannounced "visit" of the leading Nazi to Great Britain. Maybe he did not ignore them completely, but he stated that so far he has more
Major Graham Donald was not a fool and quickly recognized Rudolf Hess in the strange newcomer. He managed to get in touch with Prince Hamilton, but this one ... was in no hurry to arrive . He did not arrive at the place of internment until morning.
On May 13, Kirkpatrick met the prisoner, listened to his hour-long monologue, and returned to London. After the fact, he stated that Hess is a funny character :
He spoke for almost an hour but said nothing. However, he is certainly the deputy of F ührer and for that first hour he read from his notes an intricate speech in which he blamed Great Britain for the present conflict (p. 75) .
For Ivone Kirkpatrick, the British diplomat who interviewed Hess, Hitler's deputy was simply a frivolous and even funny character. In the photo, Hess looks meaningfully at his leader.
This is where Hess's diplomatic career - as an emissary of peace and builder of a new European order - ended. Churchill simply ordered him to lock up so that he could stand trial after the war. Perhaps he would have reacted a bit more favorably had it not been for a minor mistake of Rudolf .
When Kirkpatrick said he was saying that his generous offer of a truce could only be considered on the condition that it would be negotiated by Germany with any British government other than the present (p. 77) . So with anyone but Churchill.
The prime minister listened to these revelations, smiled to himself and ordered Hess to be returned to the military camp. In captivity, he waited until the Nuremberg trials. He was later sentenced to life imprisonment and never left the prison walls again.
Source:
Trivia is the essence of our website. Short materials devoted to interesting anecdotes, surprising details from the past, strange news from the old press. Reading that will take you no more than 3 minutes, based on single sources. This particular material is based on:
- Stephen McGinty, The Secret Life of Rudolf Hess , Character Literanova 2012.