The London Cage - Lt. Col. A.P. Scotland O.B.E. - Part 4

The London Cage - Lt. Col. A.P. Scotland O.B.E.

2017 Reading Challenge - Day 174

June 23, 2017 

Book 50 - The London Cage
Lt. Col. A.P. Scotland O.B.E.
 Part 4 - p. 161-195
Reading Time - 45 minutes

In the last section we have another big story about German reprisals against the Italians. A bomb had been set off in Rome that killed or wounded a number of German police officers. In retaliation for the 33 dead Germans, Hitler decreed that 10 Italians would be killed for every 1 German. That meant 330 Italians had to be rounded up and executed. Scouring the prisons, the Germans found over 200 "worthy" Italians. The rest were made up from Italian Jews. But... eventually, 335 Italians were executed (possibly a math error). During the war crimes trials, the courts decided that the Germans had been within their rights to execute 10 Italians for every German... and so the perpetrators were only tried for the 5 extra Italians. Scotland is obviously outraged by these miscarriages of justice.

The other interesting thing is that many of the war criminals were given death sentences which were later reprieved. Or they were given life sentences but then freed a few years later. It does make one wonder then, why someone like Rudolf Hess, who flew to Britain on some crazy diplomatic quest in May 1941, was imprisoned in England (and then Spandau, Germany) until his death. Alas... Scotland tells us nothing about Rudolf Hess.