WW2 veteran remembers guarding Rudolf Hess

Ajouté : 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]And I took it in turn, serving in Spandau Prison, looking after Hess. What was that like? So, did you did you meet Hess? Oh, yeah, mate. And as much as we were we had to check that he was in his cabinet or about every half an hour.

[00:00:14]Mhm. We would check that he hadn't committed suicide or done himself in in some way. Yeah.

[00:00:20]And so, he was well checked. So, Did he talk at all? No, we couldn't speak to him.

[00:00:25]>> You weren't allowed? You couldn't No, you weren't allowed. No.

[00:00:28]You were there to check on him and keep him um keep him living. Yeah.

[00:00:35]He had to serve out his term. I don't know what it I don't know what it was.

[00:00:37]20 some odd years. Yeah, he ended up eventually being the only one left in the prison. That's right.

[00:00:42]>> Um and he died in his 90s. That's right.

[00:00:45]Yeah, he was very old, but I think he did eventually commit suicide.

[00:00:49]>> Yeah. But at very old age. But he was [clears throat] before he flew to Scotland, Mhm. um he was essentially second in command to Hitler, wasn't he?

[00:00:59]>> That's right.

[00:01:00]>> Yeah. He was the deputy führer, essentially. Yeah. Yeah. Yes, he was.

[00:01:03]>> And then he flew over to the UK. That's right. And the message was Yeah. Yeah.

[00:01:08]And he was put in the Tower of London, I think, wasn't For a short time. Yeah.

[00:01:12]Well, I we only did a 3-month tour, but it I don't just over 4 months.

[00:01:18]And we guarded him all that time. Yeah.

[00:01:22]And I took it in turns. One squad of them would be guarding the prison.

[00:01:26]And the other one would be patrolling the outside fence. Yeah. And another squad of them would be patrolling the inside of the fence.

[00:01:36]>> Mhm.

[00:01:36]So, making Spandau Prison very, very secure indeed.

[00:01:41]>> Yeah.

[00:01:41]Because he was a very valuable prisoner.

[00:01:44]Mhm.