Astonishing but true
Last night I watched a programme featuring Fern Britton as she revisited childhood memories in Buckinghamshire where she was born. Her journey took her to Chalfont St Peter and Chalfont St Giles and finally Latimer House. My memories came flooding back...
Latimer House now functions as a countryside hotel used for country house weddings and conferences. This was not the case during the 2nd World War. During the Second World War, the house was the headquarters of IV Corps from August 1940 and the centre of top secret activities by MI5 and MI6. It was also one of three stately homes where captured German U-boat submarine crews and Luftwaffe pilots were initially held before being transferred to conventional prisoner of war camps.
My Auntie Bet (Betty Radley) joined the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) in 1939, the women's branch of the British Army during WW2. She was a very good cook (always was) and found herself deployed to Latimer House to join a catering team to feed the captured Germans. At the time this was very hush-hush.
On 10 May 1941, Rudolf Hess, Deputy Führer to Adolf Hitler, made a solo flight to Scotland, where he hoped to arrange peace talks with the Duke of Hamilton, who he believed to be a prominent opponent of the British government's war policy. The British authorities arrested Hess immediately on his arrival and held him in custody. Although not common knowledge he was held at Latimer House for a while, something that my Auntie Bet was able to confirm after the war. She was there. During his time here he was held in solitary and provided with his own cook - my Auntie Bet. When he was moved from Latimer House my Auntie stole his slippers!. She later gave them to my father who was engaged to her sister Barbara - my mother (and the mother of davesmusictank my brother). Neither of us had been born at this time obviously. Dad was in the Cheshire Regiment stationed at an Army camp near Lynsted in Kent, just up the road from where Mum lived in Teynham. In late 1944 Dad was deployed to the war zone to drive ammunition trains as he was able to handle a steam locomotive having worked in Crewe engine sheds before the war.
It was only in later years after the war had ended that he was able to recount the story of Rudolf Hess' slippers! And I was reminded of this incredible story all because Fern Britton revisited her childhood home. Thank you Fern and this story may well be new to my brother. I don't know.
Latimer House now functions as a countryside hotel used for country house weddings and conferences. This was not the case during the 2nd World War. During the Second World War, the house was the headquarters of IV Corps from August 1940 and the centre of top secret activities by MI5 and MI6. It was also one of three stately homes where captured German U-boat submarine crews and Luftwaffe pilots were initially held before being transferred to conventional prisoner of war camps.
My Auntie Bet (Betty Radley) joined the ATS (Auxiliary Territorial Service) in 1939, the women's branch of the British Army during WW2. She was a very good cook (always was) and found herself deployed to Latimer House to join a catering team to feed the captured Germans. At the time this was very hush-hush.
On 10 May 1941, Rudolf Hess, Deputy Führer to Adolf Hitler, made a solo flight to Scotland, where he hoped to arrange peace talks with the Duke of Hamilton, who he believed to be a prominent opponent of the British government's war policy. The British authorities arrested Hess immediately on his arrival and held him in custody. Although not common knowledge he was held at Latimer House for a while, something that my Auntie Bet was able to confirm after the war. She was there. During his time here he was held in solitary and provided with his own cook - my Auntie Bet. When he was moved from Latimer House my Auntie stole his slippers!. She later gave them to my father who was engaged to her sister Barbara - my mother (and the mother of davesmusictank my brother). Neither of us had been born at this time obviously. Dad was in the Cheshire Regiment stationed at an Army camp near Lynsted in Kent, just up the road from where Mum lived in Teynham. In late 1944 Dad was deployed to the war zone to drive ammunition trains as he was able to handle a steam locomotive having worked in Crewe engine sheds before the war.
It was only in later years after the war had ended that he was able to recount the story of Rudolf Hess' slippers! And I was reminded of this incredible story all because Fern Britton revisited her childhood home. Thank you Fern and this story may well be new to my brother. I don't know.