Mysterious Fate Of Unity Freeman-Mitford

Southland Times, Issue 23989, 2 December 1939, Page 12

Mysterious Fate Of Unity Freeman-Mitford

A sensational story about the Hon. Unity Mitford, daughter of Lord Redesdale and Hitler’s choice as “the perfect Aryan woman,” has been made public in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, by Prince Nicholas Orloff, who was an Englishspeaking radio announcer in Berlin until the outbreak of war. Prince Orloff, who left Germany at the end of October, declared that Miss Mitford did not poison herself when war was declared, as it was believed, but shot herself with a revolver in her Munich flat. Telling his story to a London journalist in a Belgrade restaurant, Prince Orloff went on: Unity Mitford was taken to a Munich hospital, where Hitler—‘Mein Fuhrer,’ as she used to call him—sent her flowers.

“When I last heard of her, the doctors had little hope of saving her life. I believe she is dead. “She was in despair over the outbreak of war between Britain and Germany, especially over the signing of the Soviet-German pact of friendship. At one stroke all her ideals and hopes, centred in Hitler, had been shattered. “I do not believe stories of a stormy meeting with Hitler. She never saw Hitler in Munich during the fateful days at the end of August and beginning of September. At the time she was in Munich. Hitler was in Berlin. .“I learned the true story of Unity

Mitford’s tragedy from somebody in close touch with Hitler’s, personal staff. “I was' told that on the morning when war was declared—Sunday, September 3—she went to her flat in Aneserstrasse, Munich, which she took last spring when she decided to live in Germany. “This, apparently, was unfurnished when she took it. It had two rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom. “One of the two rooms was left unfurnished—she told her friends that Hitler had promised to supply furniture similar to that which she had admired in the Fuhrer’s villa at Berchtesgaden. “My informant said that when war was announced she locked herself in the flat, turned on the radio, and there shot herself with an automatic pistol. “When friends asked her why she needed the gun, she Used to say,’ ‘One never knows.’

“.When she, was found shot, Hitler was immediately told by telephone, my informant added.

“Miss Mitford was taken to hospital unconscious and one of Hitler’s aides-de-camp was in constant touch with the hospital doctors. “Hitler was greatly upset, and ordered a great bouquet of flowers to be sent to the hospital. A week later she was still alive, although the doctors held little hope. ■ : / , KEEP FATE SECRET “While travelling from Munich to Vienna I met a close friend of Miss Mitford. She told me she had not heard from her for some weeks. This friend, who could not believe my news, telephoned to the flat. After some delay, the operator said there was no reply. “Another call produced a statement from the Munich telephone exchange that no communication couid be made to the number as the service to it had been suspended.

“It was obvious that orders had been given to the Gestapo to keep Miss Mitford’s fate a secret.

“Unity had always a hankering to play the martyr’s role,” Prince Orloff concluded. “She had often said in conversation how happy she would be to 'die for a cause.”