by Iain Colvin
‘Well, I think it’s safe to say this isn’t a shipping manifest for Swedish timber,’ said Craig.
Fiona and Lynn pulled their chairs round so they could sit on either side of Craig as he untied the ribbon and turned over the first page.
The document was addressed to His Majesty King George VI of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Dominions of the British Empire.
Craig caught his breath. He continued to read in silence, turning the pages slowly as he got to the bottom of each one. The entire document was forty-two pages long, neatly typed in English, and signed on the last sheet by Deputy Reichsführer Rudolf Hess himself, on behalf of the German people. Craig experienced a peculiar feeling of disembodiment, as if he was watching himself from the other side of the room. He slowly came to terms with the fact that what he was holding in his hands was nothing less than a detailed peace proposal from Germany to Britain.
Dated 10th April 1941, it began with a preamble, outlining the importance of Hess’s mission and stressing the genetic, hereditary, ideological and social links between the Nordic races of Britain and Germany, and the respect that the German people had for their British kin. It expressed deep regret for the current hostilities and assured the British people that it was never the intention of Germany to pursue a war against Britain and its empire. It then stated the main reason for the peace offer – the threat to European stability posed by the continued growth of Soviet Communism. Hitler wanted to focus his war effort in the east. It went on to explain why this would be best for Britain in the long term. Notwithstanding the fact that Britain was losing the war in April 1941, the document emphasised the risk attached to the growing economic and military dependence Britain had on the United States of America. Germany predicted that the crippling debt Britain was amassing would cause the break-up of the empire and ensure that the UK would be in a permanently weakened position and a subservient junior partner in its relationship with the Americans.
The document then laid out the German vision for the future. It was in both Britain and Germany’s best interests, it said, to forge a pan-European alliance. Germany would be dominant in continental Europe, trading in harmony with a strong and prosperous British Empire. The alternative, it explained, would be further bloodshed, continued privations as a result of the successful U-boat campaign and an inevitable weakening of both proud nations, to the benefit of the USA and the Soviet Union. It noted that President Roosevelt was on record as declaring that British global imperialism was as reprehensible to the US as German continental imperialism. It was in American business interests that Britain and Germany fight each other to exhaustion. A British–German alliance however would provide a strong European powerhouse against the rising influence of communism in the east and American capitalism in the west.
Craig paused as he reached the end of this opening preamble, which stretched to a full eighteen pages. ‘Can you believe this?’ he asked of no one in particular.
‘Incredible,’ said Lynn as she pored over the pages Craig had already turned over. ‘This is utterly incredible. Every sentence reeks of the self-confidence of a Germany at the height of its success in 1941. Masters of Europe and all it surveyed. The sheer arrogance of the logic is astounding.’
‘But isn’t it creepy that it foresaw the disintegration of the British Empire after the Second World War,’ said Fiona. ‘And our growing dependence on America since.’
‘Hitler knew that Churchill was half American and naturally leaned towards Roosevelt,’ mused Craig. ‘Hitler didn’t want America in the war. This is a pitch for creating a United States of Europe with Britain and Germany providing the main power bloc.’
He turned the next page. ‘Oh my God,’ he breathed as he began to read. ‘Here are the peace terms. The actual peace terms.’ The three of them read on, conscious that they were the first people in over forty years to hold this piece of history in their hands.
They continued reading for several minutes, only the ticking kitchen clock reminding them that time hadn’t in fact stood still. The peace terms took up the remainder of the document, describing Germany’s offer in specific detail. Each point was explained and rationalised, intended to persuade as well as to define and delineate. It started by confirming that Germany would cease all hostilities in the west if Britain agreed to a number of terms. Firstly, she would be required immediately to end all hostile actions by the Royal Navy and the RAF against Germany and German dependencies overseas. A reduction in the size of the British navy, army and air force would be imposed, commensurate with its peacetime needs to provide security across its global territories.
Britain would adopt an attitude of ‘benevolent neutrality’ towards Germany as it conducted its plans for eastern Europe. The document proposed a twenty-five-year alliance between Britain and Germany that would secure peace, foster mutual prosperity and ensure the continued existence of the British Empire.
In return, Germany would undertake a number of actions in good faith as part of the peace accord. It would evacuate all of France except for the regions of Alsace, Lorraine and the industrial centre in the north-east of the country. It would also withdraw from the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway and Denmark but retain control over Luxembourg, which it saw as a German state. Germany would in addition withdraw from Yugoslavia and Greece and would use its good offices to effect an agreement between Britain and Italy to settle the Mediterranean conflict. No belligerent or neutral country would seek or be entitled to reparations from any other nation.
Turning to the struggle against communism, the document stated that Germany would commit to taking receipt of the full output of British war production, thus preventing the British economy from sinking into another depression. Germany would take sole responsibility for defeating the evil of Bolshevism, thereby convincing a doubtful world of its benevolent intention to save humanity. It was not necessary to provide military details of how that would be accomplished as that was a matter for Germany alone.
The proposal went on to describe several other actions that would be performed following the cessation of hostilities, including plans for plebiscites in the occupied countries and population exchanges for displaced people across western Europe and the Balkans.
Craig then came to a strange clause in the document. It declared that, as part of the intended population realignment in Europe, Britain would be required to allow free passage to German ships sailing through the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal. The German vision for a new Europe required the transportation of all Jews from Germany and occupied territories to Madagascar. The island off the east coast of Africa would become a new Jewish state. The document explained that this was also to Britain’s advantage because it would resolve the problem of a prospective Jewish settlement in British-occupied Palestine.
Craig finally got to the end of the document and looked at the signature at the foot of the last page. It occurred to him that everything that had happened, everything he’d done in the last few days, was suddenly focused right there. It crystallised on the ink in that signature, on that page, on that table, in that kitchen. It felt to him like the eye of a hurricane, and he knew that he had to find a way to navigate through the storm to the other side.
He looked at Lynn, then at Fiona. ‘It’s all true,’ Craig finally said. ‘All of it.’ He realised that what began with the letter of safe conduct had now led him to the proof that there had been a peace offer after all. It was obvious that it had been thought out carefully, and despite the crooked logic it contained, it was coherent and meticulous and above all, it seemed authentic. It had lain in the Swedish Consulate since 1941, Craig had seen the proof of that with his own eyes.
Right there and then, Craig knew why Claire had been killed. The authorities must know that the peace offer existed. Hess would have explained the offer to his captors all those years ago when he first arrived. The government must have known how explosive the details would be if they ever got out. What if it came out
that they had the chance to save thousands, if not millions of lives by shortening the war by four years? That must have been why it was hushed up at the time.
Even now, after all these years, it would create a sensation. The government would have some difficult questions to answer. Craig realised that they’d do anything to prevent the details from getting out. Hess had withheld the location of the printed copy of the proposal for reasons known only to him. Maybe for the same reason he gave the hidden letters to his grandad, to protect the people involved at the British end. Now Craig knew why the police wanted to speak to him about the letter. They wanted to silence him and prevent the possibility of those details leaking out. Craig thought hard. He needed to think harder. He needed help, now more than ever.
He turned to Lynn. ‘Did you speak to Clive Prior?’
‘Yes. He wants to meet you. He’ll definitely want to meet you now,’ said Lynn as her eyes pointed to the document on the table.
‘Did he say when he was free?’
‘He’ll make time for us as soon as we can get there.’
‘I need to go to Cambridge tomorrow.’ He backtracked a step. ‘Wait a minute, as soon as we can get there?’
‘I’m going too.’ She turned to Fiona. ‘Fiona, do you want to come too?’
‘Too right I do.’
Craig held up his hands, as if trying to stop a juggernaut suddenly bearing down on him. ‘Hold on, hold on. I can’t ask you to give up any more time on this. You’re a busy lady, and Fi, you’ve got uni. Lynn, you’ve been more help than I could ever thank you for, and you’ve got me in to see a Cambridge professor who might be able to sort out this mess.’
‘No chance,’ said Lynn. ‘I’m protecting my investment.’
‘What investment?’
‘I’m assuming when this story breaks, you’ll want a publisher not to mention someone who can help you tell the story?’
‘Do you honestly think this will be allowed to see the light of day?’
‘They said that about Watergate too.’
‘Well, I hadn’t…’
‘Good. That’s settled. I’m coming too.’
Craig was struck dumb temporarily. After a moment he admitted to himself that he’d be glad of Lynn’s company not to mention her expertise in dealing with academic types like Clive Prior.
‘I don’t know what to say.’
‘Say nothing.’
Chapter 28
Thursday 17th March, 1983
Craig and Fiona took a bus heading out of town, then jumped on a number 11 heading back in, got off at Tollcross and hailed a taxi to take them to Waverley station. Craig had only just managed to convince Fiona that it wasn’t his paranoia getting the better of him. Now that he knew that Wilson was in Edinburgh he thought it was an essential precaution to take. He had to avoid the police until he got the chance to get Clive Prior on board. With a Cambridge professor and a well-respected literary agent in his corner he’d feel much more secure when the time came to hand himself in.
The night before, Craig and Fiona reached a compromise about the trip. Fiona would go to her uni lecture and afterwards do some research at the library. She insisted that she wanted to do something, even if it was going through the records of the time to try to piece together more of the background picture. Craig and Lynn would meet Professor Prior.
It was chilly on the station concourse as they waited for Lynn to appear. ‘It’s freezing this morning,’ said Craig, stamping his feet and rubbing his hands. He turned the collar up on his jacket to conjure the psychological illusion of warmth. Fiona had lent him an Adidas holdall for the journey, and now he wished he’d packed a scarf and gloves along with his things. Fiona saw Lynn making her way towards them, and she didn’t look happy. In fact, she looked extremely worried. Fiona tugged Craig’s arm, and he turned to see what had caught her attention.
‘Morning Lynn, everything okay?’
‘Not exactly.’ She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him towards a quiet corner away from most of the morning hustle and bustle. When she was sure that they couldn’t be overheard, she produced a copy of that morning’s Scotsman and opened it to the home news items on page four. She folded the broadsheet in half, then in half again to make it easier to handle, and gave it to Craig. He recognised the photograph above the news article. It was his own passport photo.
‘Jesus.’
The headline read:
Police seek men in Stranraer murder case
He read on:
Police investigating the brutal murder of Stranraer teacher Claire Marshall on 2nd March are keen to trace a local man, Craig Dunlop (25). Detective Inspector Bruce Cowie who is heading the investigation told reporters yesterday that they are looking for Dunlop, who has been missing from his Stranraer home since Monday. He confirmed that police are also searching for a second man, Frank Blake (42) who is described as of medium build with short light brown hair. DI Cowie urged the public not to approach these men but to contact the police incident room on 0776 2688 if either is sighted.
‘This is all I need,’ sighed Craig. He was surprised to discover that he felt no sense of panic, simply irritation. ‘I can’t let the police catch up with me yet.’
‘Well it could be worse,’ said Lynn. ‘I phoned the city desk this morning. My old chum Eric Jobson told me that they put the story on page four because the police haven’t actually come out and said that you’re a suspect, but it seems they’re getting desperate and you’re one of the few strong leads they have. Anyway, it’s a lousy picture so with luck no one will recognise you.’
‘Thanks.’
‘You know what I mean. Here, wear this till we get on the train.’ Lynn produced a baseball cap from the small rucksack she was carrying and gave it to Craig. ‘It’ll help to hide your face.’ Craig put it on and felt no better, in fact he felt like the cap drew attention to him, probably because he wasn’t in the habit of wearing one. He looked around and realised that none of the dozens of commuters within twenty yards of him was paying him the slightest interest. Lynn continued. ‘The other good thing is that the article is only in the Scottish papers for now, so with luck no one will recognise you in Cambridge.’
Their London train was due to leave in fifteen minutes so Craig and Lynn said their goodbyes to Fiona and made their way to platform 2 to wait for it to arrive.
‘Who’s Frank Blake?’ asked Lynn when they got to the platform.
‘I have no idea,’ said Craig. The name hadn’t rung a bell when he read the newspaper article, and despite having racked his brains for the last few minutes he couldn’t think of anyone he knew called Frank Blake. ‘Maybe they think he has some information, or maybe the police found something in Claire’s house with his name on it and they want to eliminate him from the enquiry.’
‘Maybe.’ Lynn wasn’t convinced by either of those possibilities, but she saw that Craig had other things on his mind so she didn’t press the point.
A tannoy announcement told them that their train was arriving, and a small crowd of passengers jostled for position on the platform as the train entered the station and slowed to a stop. Craig and Lynn managed to get a table to themselves and settled in for the journey. The train would take them to Peterborough where they’d change for a connection to Cambridge. Craig looked at his watch. 8:50. They should get to Cambridge before three o’clock. Lynn decided it would be better for Craig to stay put rather than wander around the train, so she went to the buffet car to get some coffees. She returned a few minutes later with the drinks and a couple of small packets of shortbread.
‘One pound twenty for two coffees and two biscuits,’ she said. ‘Daylight robbery.’
They took a few sips of their drink and made some small talk. Craig asked if her husband was okay with her suddenly travelling to Cambridge.
‘Yes, it’s all good. Nicolas was fine with my change of plans for today, he’s kind of used to it with my line of work.’
They took another few sips of the
ir coffee, then Craig brought the conversation back round to the document. He looked round to see if anyone was within earshot. In the seat across the aisle, a young man was plugged into a Sony Walkman that was loud enough for Craig to hear the tsk tsk tsk tsk of the drumbeat from where he was sitting.
Craig looked out of the window at the passing countryside, then back at Lynn. ‘Have you had any more thoughts since last night about the document we found?’
Lynn gave a slight shrug. ‘The dust hasn’t settled on that one yet.’ She looked at him. ‘You look like you didn’t get much sleep last night, no need to ask if you’ve had any more thoughts on it.’
‘I keep thinking about what would have happened if Britain had accepted those terms.’
‘That’s dangerous thinking,’ said Lynn.
‘Why do you say that?’
‘That would involve a complete rewrite of history.’
‘I know,’ said Craig. ‘That’s what kept me awake.’
He looked out of the window again for a long minute.
‘The world might be a different place today,’ he said.
‘Craig.’
‘What?’
Lynn looked at him with concern written on her face. ‘You have to stop taking everything on your shoulders.’
‘I’m not.’
‘What was keeping you awake then?’
‘It scares me how attractive the offer looked and how its view of the future was uncannily accurate. How dependent we now are on America, and how in debt we are to them. And look at the growth of communism. Look at the Warsaw Pact, and the Berlin Wall. What’s happened in western Europe is that Germany and France have become the power bloc, not Germany and Britain. Ironic.’