Letter: Flight of fancy

The "new evidence" found in a document written by Hess's adjutant Karlheinz Pintsch, that suggests Adolf Hitler ordered his deputy, Rudolf Hess, to embark on a peace mission to Britain during the Second World War (your report, 30 May), does not stand up.

It does not stand up to well-researched and documented facts, as related in the book The Truth About Rudolf Hess, by Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, the former MP and MSP and son of the wartime Duke of Hamilton whose home, Dungavel House, Hess was trying to reach.

Pintsch's statement that Hitler hoped "agreement with the Englishmen would be successful" is a fair comment but a far cry from being interpreted as an order by Hitler.

Hess knew that Hitler did not want a war on two fronts, and that he wished for an Anglo-German understanding. It is probable that Hitler gave limited approval for Hess to speak to his political friends and to investigate, behind the scenes, the possibility of entering into peace negotiations. However, Hess far exceeded any authority given by Hitler and decided to act on his own, partly to recover his ever weakening position in the Nazi party.

In his History of The Second World War, Winston Churchill wrote of Hess: "He knew and was capable of understanding Hitler's inner mind." True, but Hess was not "following the orders of his Fuhrer" although, without doubt, he would have wanted Hitler to issue such an order.

The truth is, Hitler would not have allowed Rudolf Hess, who by 1941 was his deputy in name only, to undertake such a dangerous flight to Scotland knowing that such an initiative was likely to fail.

Indeed, Hess's aircraft was within minutes of being shot down by an RAF Defiant fighter plane when he bailed out. Also, Hitler was worried that Hess would reveal plans for the imminent invasion of Russia.

Malcolm W Ewen

Ferryhills Road

North Queensferry