Historian suggests Hess murdered

Press, 24 May 1988, Page 37

Historian suggests Hess murdered

NZPA-Reuter London A British historian has alleged that Hitler’s deputv, Rudolf Hess, who died in a Berlin war crimes prison after 47 years captivity, was murdered to prevent his imminent release. Hugh Thomas said he had strong evidence contradicting the official ver-' diet of his jailers — the World War II Allies Britain, France, the Soviet Union and the United States — that Hess, aged 93, hanged himself at Spandau jail last August.

“There is no substance in the allegation that prisoner No. 7, Rudolf Hess, committed suicide ... On the contrary, there is overwhelming evidence that murder was committed,” he said. An inquiry by the British Royal Military Police concluded that Hess, the only prisoner at Spandau since 1963, had hanged himself on electrical flex tied to a window latch. Thomas, whose book, “Hess: A Tale of Two Murders,” will be published soon, said Hess’s family had evidence that a suicide note found on his body was a fake and Shat British had

destroyed cruicial evidence.

He said Britain had feared the Soviet Union was about to lift its veto on Hess’s release, allowing the former Nazi to reveal embarrassing details of a wartime plot to overthrow'the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. “They have hidden behind the veto very successfully for a long time,” Thomas said. “The reason ... is quite simply the protection of the reputation of people in the hierarchical system of the Goveijiment.” He said he would give no details of his evidence but would be prepared to present it at an international investigation. The four wartime Allies had guarded Hess at Spandau since he was jailed for life on charges of conspiracy against peace. He had been in captivity since parachuting into Scotland in 1941 on an apparent mission to negotiate a peace with Britain. The Western allies repeatedly called for Hess’s release but the Soviet Union vetoed the move, arguing that Hitler’s long-time comrade should die in jail.