Thomas Selvester's brush with Himmler
Oct 26, 2012 22:32:45 GMT
Post by shred on Oct 26, 2012 22:32:45 GMT
Taken from the Salford City Reporter 1945
Heinrich Himmler the hated chief of the German Police and director of the Gestapo revealed his identity to an officer who was formally in the Salford City Police Force. Himmler was taken prisoner while trying to cross a bridge at Bremervoerde as a minor member of the S.S.
“One of the usual lorry-loads of suspects came in last Wednesday May 23rd and I did not pay much attention to the occupants” the officer told me. “One of his adjutants, however, asked an N.C.O. if he could see the officer in charge of the camp. This was refused as I was busy at the time, but he was so persistent that I eventually agreed.
“The three men came into the office; the ill-looking, sallow, shoddy H??nger – as he called himself – and his two powerfully-built adjutants. As soon as he got into the room Himmler took the black patch off his left eye and put on spectacles. It was then that I realised who my prisoner was.
“He asked if he could speak to me, and I took him to an interpreter. “I am Heinrich Himmler” he said, and seemed anxious that only we should hear him and that nobody else would recognise him” the officer continued.
“I immediately put him under a special armed guard and with another officer stripped and searched him. We found little of interest except a small phial of poison. He protested when I took it away and said: “That is my medicine. It cures stomach cramp.”
“In order to further establish his identity we asked Himmler to write his name as proof. At first he refused, and only agreed on condition that the signature was afterwards destroyed. Then he signed his name and after we had seen it the paper was burned.
“While we were waiting for senior intelligence officers to arrive at the camp, Himmler asked if he could have something to eat, and he was given bread and cheese and a mug of tea. He did not eat much however. Then he asked for a wash. All this time he was closely supervised, and when the interrogation officers arrived I acted as escort to him.
“Under interrogation he was asked to sign his name again. He did and then tore the paper into tiny fragments. He was taken off to the Second Army headquarters.
“Himmler’s disguise was excellent, and it would have been quite impossible to identify him while he wore the black shield over his eye. Incidentally he had a bad caste in that eye. There was nothing of the arrogant, bullying Nazi about him – just a very ordinary little man in a leather motoring-coat and looking shabby, unshaven and ill” the officer concluded.
The “City Reporter” understands that the officer to whom Himmler revealed his identity was Captain Thomas Selvester, whose home is in Barclays Avenue, Pendleton.
Captain Selvester, who is a native of Edinburgh, joined the City Police Force in 1935 on the completion of seven years service with the Black Watch, He was attached to the “C” (Broughton) Division and for a time did plain-clothes duty.
He rejoined the Black Watch in December 193?. He was granted a commission as a lieutenant shortly afterwards, and was posted to another unit. He landed in Normandy on D-Day.
Read more here
Heinrich Himmler the hated chief of the German Police and director of the Gestapo revealed his identity to an officer who was formally in the Salford City Police Force. Himmler was taken prisoner while trying to cross a bridge at Bremervoerde as a minor member of the S.S.
“One of the usual lorry-loads of suspects came in last Wednesday May 23rd and I did not pay much attention to the occupants” the officer told me. “One of his adjutants, however, asked an N.C.O. if he could see the officer in charge of the camp. This was refused as I was busy at the time, but he was so persistent that I eventually agreed.
“The three men came into the office; the ill-looking, sallow, shoddy H??nger – as he called himself – and his two powerfully-built adjutants. As soon as he got into the room Himmler took the black patch off his left eye and put on spectacles. It was then that I realised who my prisoner was.
“He asked if he could speak to me, and I took him to an interpreter. “I am Heinrich Himmler” he said, and seemed anxious that only we should hear him and that nobody else would recognise him” the officer continued.
“I immediately put him under a special armed guard and with another officer stripped and searched him. We found little of interest except a small phial of poison. He protested when I took it away and said: “That is my medicine. It cures stomach cramp.”
“In order to further establish his identity we asked Himmler to write his name as proof. At first he refused, and only agreed on condition that the signature was afterwards destroyed. Then he signed his name and after we had seen it the paper was burned.
“While we were waiting for senior intelligence officers to arrive at the camp, Himmler asked if he could have something to eat, and he was given bread and cheese and a mug of tea. He did not eat much however. Then he asked for a wash. All this time he was closely supervised, and when the interrogation officers arrived I acted as escort to him.
“Under interrogation he was asked to sign his name again. He did and then tore the paper into tiny fragments. He was taken off to the Second Army headquarters.
“Himmler’s disguise was excellent, and it would have been quite impossible to identify him while he wore the black shield over his eye. Incidentally he had a bad caste in that eye. There was nothing of the arrogant, bullying Nazi about him – just a very ordinary little man in a leather motoring-coat and looking shabby, unshaven and ill” the officer concluded.
The “City Reporter” understands that the officer to whom Himmler revealed his identity was Captain Thomas Selvester, whose home is in Barclays Avenue, Pendleton.
Captain Selvester, who is a native of Edinburgh, joined the City Police Force in 1935 on the completion of seven years service with the Black Watch, He was attached to the “C” (Broughton) Division and for a time did plain-clothes duty.
He rejoined the Black Watch in December 193?. He was granted a commission as a lieutenant shortly afterwards, and was posted to another unit. He landed in Normandy on D-Day.
Read more here
