Interesting show about ww2.

[daniel1234]

Hello all,
Did anybody see this last night (Sunday)?
Spying on Hitler's Army: Secret Recordings - 4oD - Channel 4

Watched it and thought it was very interesting.
Sad to know that the allies knew about the shameful acts going on in ww2 and did nothing or never used this evidence at the Nuremberg trials.
This show also clears up myth of it was just the ss who did these acts as completely untrue.

[Adrian]

I'll see if I can catch up with that over the weekend Daniel.

[big ned]

I saw it too. It was interesting to note that Ludwig Cruwell was portrayed as an ardent Nazi and supporter of Hitler whereas Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma was an outspoken critic and never a member of the Nazi party, yet after the war when both were repatriated, Cruwell was considered for a high ranking position in the Bundeswehr whereas von Thoma was widely regarded as a traitor and snubbed until his death in 1948.

A case of old habits die hard?

Regards, Ned.

[daniel1234]

I saw it too. It was interesting to note that Ludwig Cruwell was portrayed as an ardent Nazi and supporter of Hitler whereas Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma was an outspoken critic and never a member of the Nazi party, yet after the war when both were repatriated, Cruwell was considered for a high ranking position in the Bundeswehr whereas von Thoma was widely regarded as a traitor and snubbed until his death in 1948.

A case of old habits die hard?

Regards, Ned.

Interesting the allies knew of what types of people they was, all the crimes they had committed,but allowed them to walk free and join the bundeswehr.

[Scout]

A different time. Guess they were needed against the new enemy during the Cold War.

Some die hards were never allowed back in 'polite soceity' nor the armed forces, as they never turned their backs on the TR nor denounced Nazism (Rudel et al).

A strange time.

[Scout]

And for those for whom the link does not work, here on youtube:
spying on hitler secret recordings - YouTube

[big ned]

Interesting the allies knew of what types of people they was, all the crimes they had committed,but allowed them to walk free and join the bundeswehr.

I don't think Cruwell actually made it into the position that he was being considered for in the Bundeswehr and he died in 1958. As was pointed out in the programme, non of the senior officers held by the british at Trent Park were ever prosecuted for war crimes after the cessation of hostilities, even though Churchill was keen on the idea, because it was seen as being better not to reveal the intelligence methods used to obtain the intel to the Soviets and the foreseen upcoming Cold War.

As for allowing wartime officers back into the post war Bundeswehr, there cannot be such an organisation run without the experience, both in combat, intel, logistics and bureaucracy required to do so without employing the best men for the job, which included some doubtless war criminals and still unreconstructed Nazi's, although an effort was made to overlook certain specific individuals who may have escaped the hangman's retribution or served long prison sentences for whatever reasons and of course, the so called "Good Nazi's".

As they say, "You can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs..."