On the 10th May 1941 Deputy Fuhrer of the German Party, Rudolf Hess, flew from Germany to Scotland on a mission to strike a peace deal with the British government. Other than a couple of close confidantes, nobody – not even Hitler himself – knew what Hess had planned.
In preparation for his mission, Hess had learned how to fly a 2-seater Messerschmitt Bf 110, that was adapted to his specifications. Travelling solo, and navigating by spotting landmarks on the ground, Hess reached the north-east coast of England at around 9pm. Continuing in the air for another two hours, Hess parachuted out of his plane six hours after departing Germany. He landed just 12 miles away from his intended destination of Dungavel House, the home of the Duke of Hamilton with whom he hoped to open peace negotiations.
Hess’ arrival in Britain was not met with the enthusiasm he had hoped. He was discovered by a ploughman working in a nearby field, but soon found himself in custody. Back in Germany, Hitler is said to have taken Hess’ mission as a personal betrayal and signed a secret order that he be shot on sight if he ever returned.
Hess was held in Britain until the end of the war, after which he was found guilty of crimes against peace at the Nuremberg War Trials that resulted in life imprisonment at Spandau Prison in Berlin. When he died in 1987, he had been the prison’s only inmate for 21 years.
