Collaborators

[David Layne]

Going through my father’s effects I found correspondence with David Rolf author of “Prisoners of the Reich, German's Captives 1939-1945.”

Apparently my father contributed to this book by loaning his P.O.W. “Wartime Log” to David Rolf and filling in a questioner.

Atttached a page of that book in which mention is made of an R.A.F. prisoner who has collaborated with the enemy. In my father’s correspondence with David Rolf he refused to name the collaborator that was active at Dulug Luft, the initial camp that P.O.W.’s were sent to.

In the cold light of day, some 65 years later, can anyone name the collaborater that my father refused to name?

[von Poop]

This chap's book on RAF POW camps seems to have a chapter on collaborators, might be worth an ask? :
Oliver Clutton-Brock : Footprints on the Sands of Time (Grub Street Publishing 2003)
Oliver Clutton-Brock

Found one dodgy American cited for Dulag Luft 'Martin James Monti' as covered in a solid looking manner here on AHF:
Axis History Forum • View topic - U.S. soldiers who defected to Germany (looking for thread)

[sapper]

This is a subject that nearly got me into serious trouble. When the enemy was driven out, the first thing the locals did was to take revenge on those that had collaborated with the enemy. In my mind some of it was just petty personal revenge.
This was seen at its worst with young girls that had been attracted to the young German men.
It was natural that the Girls would find some Germans attractive. Those at school when they were invaded had grown up with the Germans. But I did really chance my luck when this happened.
sapper

[Harry Ree]

Don't forget as it states that the Germans planted Germans as "RAF POWs" to mingle with recently downed aircrew at the Stuttgart RAF POW induction centre.These spoke excellent English and reasssuringly conversed with new inductees, who were at their most vunerable, in order to earn their confidence.Germans who had spent time in North America masqueraded as POWs of the USAAF and RCAF.When a POW finally arrived at a StalagLuft, there would be informal methods and checks of personel and the masqueraders would likely be uncovered.In some cases it took time.

It is a fact that POWs were vunerable at this stage even though they had been given anti intelligence leaking training by RAF Intelligence officers.Information such as RAF airfields, their resident squadrons, names of squadron commanders were given by the unweary.Information such as the local pubs that aircrews used were extracted in casual conversion.Overall this information was then used to equip the masqueraders with the necessary confidence to pump information out of POWs on air operations, targets and any information likely to be useful to the Germans.

The POW IRC form which every POW had to complete was substitued by an information form whose use was intended to extract more information of use to the Germans than the name, rank and number defined by the Geneva Convention.If this information was forthcoming it formed a database of knowledge to German military intelligence as well as equipping the masqueraders with their cover stories.

The variation on this ploy was when such Germans or their consorts acted as Allied personnel to trap those in Occupied Europe who would help and assist Allied evaders.

I know of one case where an aircrew member broadcast for the Germans.I believe the information is in the public domain and it happened when it was obvious that Germany would lose the war.He survived without the most severe penalty.

I am sure that there were others who took this path for a variety of reasons.

[Peter Clare]

Soon after the end of the war the RAF Special Investigation Branch, had compiled a list of thirty airman who were 'suspected of aiding the enemy' (the most serious category) A further ten were 'suspected of giving information to the enemy'

As the lesser crime of 'giving information to the enemy' usually occurred under duress in circumstances entirely favourable to the enemy at Dulag Luft the decision in all ten cases was: 'In view of the treatment these prisoners received it was decided that no further action should be taken against them.'

It was, however, the airmen suspected of 'aiding the enemy' who merited the closest attention. In the event, none of these cases was deemed to be serious enough to warrant the death penalty.

'Footprint On the Sands Of Time' - Oliver Clutton Brock'

[David Layne]

In the cold light of day, some 65 years later, can anyone name the collaborater that my father refused to name?



After further research I have reason to believe the individual was Raymond
Davies Hughes.

[von Poop]

Thanks for the update David. A little more on the man here:
BBC - North East Wales Historical - Raymond Hughes

[David Layne]

Originally Posted by von Poop

This chap's book on RAF POW camps seems to have a chapter on collaborators, might be worth an ask? :
Oliver Clutton-Brock : Footprints on the Sands of Time (Grub Street Publishing 2003)
Oliver Clutton-Brock

Found one dodgy American cited for Dulag Luft 'Martin James Monti' as covered in a solid looking manner here on AHF:
Axis History Forum • View topic - U.S. soldiers who defected to Germany (looking for thread)

Quite a bit about Raymond Davies Hughes in "Footprints"

[Harry Ree]

Yes, Hughes was the man.He also broadcast on another German radio station called Radio National.

I am not sure if his broadcasting was continuous and I do recall seeing that he broadcast in October 1943 and again in April 1944.

[ADM199]

W/O R.D. Hughes was Court Martialed on August 23rd 1945 for Aiding the Enemy whilst P.O.W.
F/Sgt. J.Alcock was tried for the same offence as was P/O B.R.M. Freeman.