War of the Damned (Relic Hunters)

by Martin Ferguson

  And of the trains themselves. There was a train known as the Fuhrersonderzug, or Hitler’s Steel Beast. The Fuhrer used this train as his armoured mobile headquarters to plan his campaigns across Europe and against the Soviet Union, evacuating entire towns when the train was stopping for the night or to refuel. The train itself is said to have been divided up by the American and British forces at the end of the war and converted to commercial use, though only a single carriage still survives today.

  It is sad to say that the Nazis really did plunder occupied Europe and Russia for its riches with much still unrecovered. Even today, many historians dedicate their lives and careers in tracking down these missing relics. The Nazi gold trains or the Walbrzych Gold Trains is. However, a local legend in Poland. A train, or three trains as the legend goes, is supposed to house three-hundred tonnes of gold, jewels, and masterpieces hidden away in a system of tunnels known as the Owl Mountains. These tunnels are said to be part of Project Riese (the unfinished train routes, not the Nazi occult experiments the hunters face) and house the trains and their gold horde somewhere in the mountains near Walbrzych. Searches for these tunnels and the trains within have been ongoing for years, with the largest expedition to date occurring in 2015-16. Nothing was found, and according to historians, there has never been any proof that the trains existed at all.

  Trains loaded with gold, jewels, and masterpieces. Of course the hunters of the British Museum would join the search for such prized treasures.

  Acknowledgments

  So here we are, Book Three. First of all I have to say a massive thank you to everyone who has supported the Relic Hunters series. All the reviews and feedback have been tremendous and it really is all the motivation I need. It is great when readers come up to me to talk about particular scenes, favourite characters and their own theories as to how the story will go. To all of you I express my deepest gratitude.

  The biggest thank you regarding research for this entry in the series goes to the Suffolk Regimental Museum and the Curator Gwyn Thomas. I wanted to base the historical story on a local regiment in the Second World War, and though I am a Norfolk lad, the neighbouring Suffolk Regiment and their journey through the Second World War matched perfectly with the story I wanted to tell. Curator Gwyn Thomas gave me a wealth of information and stories about the regiment and its tremendous deeds and answered all the many questions I had. The story of Andrew Cooper and the Suffolk Regiment would not have turned out nearly as well as it did without his valuable information.

  I thank you all.

  About the Author

  Martin Ferguson

  I live in Norwich, England and am currently working on the young adult adventure and historical series 'Relic Hunters'. Inspired by the myths and legends my parents told me as a boy and with the help of my ever-suffering wife, a teacher and history graduate, 'Eagle of the Empire' was the first entry in the 'Relic Hunters' series.

  When not writing I am training or at least planning my next challenge. Following a serious knee injury, I was told by surgeons never to run or play sports again. Stubborn and reckless, much like the characters in my writing, I have not listened and have completed the Three Peaks Challenge, the Great North Run, the Greater Manchester Marathon and the London Marathon.