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Herald writer named in "Hess" plot

A new book suggests a former aviation correspondent of the Glasgow Herald may have been murdered as he got close to finding out the truth behind Rudolph Hess’s doomed wartime flight to Britain.

Double Standards highlights the role the Herald has played in the mystery over the years, from the death of aviation correspondent Fred Nancarrow in 1942 to revelations in 1998 of the alleged murder of Spandau Prison’s most famous resident.

The authors claim the true purpose of Hess’s flight – which ditched in Scotland 12 miles short of his destination as he fled Nazi Germany on a peace mission in 1941 – has been a cover-up for 60 years.

They blame the Government and historians for not unravelling the true story.

The accepted history is that Hess believed the British establishment would be willing to discuss peace terms with Germany to thwart the Soviets, who he saw as the common enemy.

But his peace plan was never taken seriously and he was imprisoned after the Nurembourg trials, committing suicide at Spandau prison in 1987.

The authors claim Hess flew to meet members of the British establishment, including some members of the royal family, who favoured negotiated peace with Germany. They believe the Herald man was part of this group, whose aims were sabotaged by Churchill’s Government.

They claim Hess died in a flying boat accident and the man at Spandau was a double.

Journalist Nacnarrow died in another flying boat crash soon afterwards.

The authors say: “In journalistic circles in Glasgow, it has long been thought there was something very suspicious about Nancarrow’s death.

“As the former Lord Provost of Glasgow Patrick Dollan was very interested in the true story of the Hess mission, had he engaged – or at least inspired – Nancarrow to investigate it?

“Had he stumbled on some secret connected with the Hess affair? Was this why Nancarrow had to die?”

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