To my awesome daughter, Sam, who found Hanns and Ann’s letters in the storage unit and who kept me company while I tap, tap, tapped away.
Finally, almost, I would like to thank my darling wife, Debora Harding, who has supported me throughout this project, despite the many journeys away from home, and whose feedback I most appreciate. I love you more.
Most of all, I want to thank my son, whose pride in this story, and his dad, inspired me to complete this book, when all I wanted was to curl up under the covers and think of him. Thank you, Kadian.
INDEX
* * *
1WCIT (No 1 War Crimes Investigation Team): established, 175–6
interrogations, 176–82, 189–92, 307–8
Gaggenau inquiry, 310
Tilling takes over, 204
hunt for Simon, 204–19, 313–15
Nazi hunt intensifies, 228–34
hunt for Glücks and RH, 234–45, 317–19
HA leaves, 247
Abrahams, Karl “Blitz,” 240, 298, 318–19
Abrahams, Stephen, 319
Al-Kut, Iraq, 12–13
Alba, Irene (formerly Höss), 281–5, 281, 302–3
Alexander, Dr. Alfred (HA’s father), 24, 44
character, 21
and HA’s birth, 17
First World War service, 17, 23–4
caught up in social unrest, 17–18, 19
practices from home, 19
social life, 20, 28, 47–8
background and family, 20–1, 289
sets up sanatorium, 24–6, 28
Jewish identity, 26–8
increasing affluence, 28, 44–5
love of detective novels, 293
at sons’ bar mitzvah, 49, 50
decides to hang on in Germany despite moves against Jews, 72–6
awarded Cross of Honor, 76
visits first grandchild in London, 76
altercation with Nazi official, 79–80
becomes refugee in London, 80
greets HA on his arrival in London, 84
trip to Isle of Wight with HA, 86
begins studies to requalify as doctor, 87
treasures Iron Cross, 297
stripped of German nationality, 92–3
mild heart attack, 153
rebuilds medical practice, 185–6
health, 188
death, 276, 280
Alexander, Ann (née Graetz, HA’s wife), 225
meets HA, 89–90
drifts apart from HA, 91
seeks engagement to HA, 152–3
HA has photo in jacket pocket, 170
wartime activities, 187
HA still reluctant to commit to, 187–8
HA writes to about Belsen Trial, 312
chivvies HA about corresponding with her, 219–22
HA proposes, 224–5
grandmother’s fate, 316
marries HA, 248
birth of family, 276
and HA’s death, 1–2, 279
death, 325
Alexander, Annette (HA’s daughter), 1–2, 276, 279
Alexander, Bella (HA’s sister), see Sussmann, Bella
Alexander, Elsie (HA’s sister), see Harding, Elsie
Alexander, Hanns (HA): appearance, 88
character, 2–3, 182–3, 308–9
birth and childhood, 17–28, 44–50
spends last year of First World War at front, 17
caught up in social unrest after war, 17–19
childhood home, 19–20, 20, 230
childhood pranks, 22–3, 46, 289–90, 292
Jewish identity, 26–8
family weekend house, 45–6, 45
learns to waterski, 45
education, 46–7
family social circle, 47–8
smarts, 47
cultural and sporting outings, 48
love of film, 48
love of fancy dress, 293
bar mitzvah, 49–50, 50, 293–4
family troubled by Nazi moves against Jews, 72–6
forced to move school, 75
drops out of school, 76
job in bank, 76–7
increasing discrimination against leads him into Jewish world, 77–8
attends game forbidden to Jews, 79, 295
leaves Germany, 81–4
exit visa, 81, 295
arrives in England, 84–6
family reunited in London, 87
settles in well in London, 88–9
disposes of father’s German uniform, 297
meets Ann, 89–90
drifts apart from her, 91
stripped of German nationality, 92–3
enlists in Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps, 93–4, 117–21
brief spell in France before evacuation, 121–2, 301
changes name to Howard Hervey Alexander, 122–3, 301
service at home, 123–4
officer training, 127
service on Continent, 128–30, 152–4, 305
chosen to be part of British war crimes investigation team, 154
arrives in Brussels, 170–1
visits Belsen, 171–4
reunites mother and child, 174, 306
helps with Belsen interrogations, 175–82
becomes Nazi hunter, 183–6, 309
still reluctant to commit to Ann, 187–8
prepares witness affidavits for Belsen Trial, 188–92
attends Belsen Trial, 192
officially sanctioned as Nazi hunter, 193–5
hunt for Simon, 204–19, 313–15
proposes to Ann, 224–5
returns to Nazi hunting, 229–34
hunt for Glücks and RH, 234–9, 317–18
arrests RH, 240–5, 318–19
demobbed, 247
becomes British citizen, 247
marries Ann, 248
later life, 276–9
ongoing hatred of Germany, 278–9
owns RH memoirs, 326
death and funeral, 1–2, 279–80
family tree, 328
PHOTOS: as child, 18, 22, 44
(1946), 225
(1986), 278
Alexander, Henny (HA’s mother), 44
appearance, background and character, 21
joins husband at front, 17
return to Berlin, 19
social life, 20, 28, 47–8
indulgence with sons, 23, 46
love of entertaining, 28
hires more domestic staff, 44
dressing her sons in fancy dress, 293
at sons’ bar mitzvah, 50
argues in favor of emigration, 75
tries to persuade twins to stay at school, 76
advises husband to stay in London, 80
last family member left in Berlin, 83
sells family clinic and leaves for London, 86
gets furniture and possessions sent from Germany, 87, 297
family meet-ups, 89–90
stripped of German nationality, 92–3
writes to HA and Paul about Cäcilie, 184–5
struggles to rebuild life, 186
husband’s death, 276
death, 280
Alexander, Jackie (HA’s daughter), 1–2, 276, 279
Alexander, John (HA’s nephew), 301, 318
Alexander, Moses, 27, 290
Alexander, Paul (HA’s twin brother), 18, 22, 44
appearance, 88
birth, 17
childhood pranks, 22–3, 46, 289–90, 292
Jewish identity, 28
education, 46–7
social life, 47–8, 293
cultural and sporting outings, 48
bar mitzvah, 49–50, 50
forced to move school, 75
drops out of school, 76
job as cabinet-maker, 77
joins progressive Jewish youth group, 78
attends game forbidden to Jews, 79
goes to Basel, 80
HA visits during fligh
t to England, 83, 84
arrives in London, 87
apprenticed to interior decorator, 88
disposes of father’s German uniform, 297
family meet-ups, 90
stripped of German nationality, 92–3
enlists in Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps, 117–21
brief spell in France before evacuation, 121–2, 301
officer training, 127
service on Continent, 128–30, 152, 305
attitude to Ann’s desire to get engaged to HA, 153
asks sister to help find him a wife, 305
in charge of POW camp, 184, 225, 309–10
celebrates HA’s capture of RH, 243–4
socializes in Hamburg with HA, 246–7
at HA’s wedding, 248
later life, 276, 277, 324
death, 279, 280
Alexander Torah: origins, 27–8, 290
Neue Synagogue refuses to accept loan, 90
used at HA’s bar mitzvah, 49
sent to England, 87
loaned to Belsize Square Synagogue, 92, 277
at HA’s wedding, 248
HA mends, 325
still in use, 287
restoration, 327
Alexandra Palace, 122, 123
Allenby, Sir Edmund, 289
Alsos mission, 304
Amen, Colonel John, 257–9
Amman, First Attack on (Battle of Jordan; 1918), 16, 289
Amtsgruppe D: organization chart, 232
RH becomes chief of D1, 159–62, 165
Himmler orders destruction of archive, 196
members flee, 197–9
fate of members, 204
hunt for members, 228–45, 317–19
Anna (HA’s nanny), 21–2, 83
anti-Semitism, see Jews
Arromanches, 129
Artamanen (Artam) League, 52–3, 55, 57
atomic weapons, 304
Auschwitz: RH builds, 97–101
Höss family life there and villa, 101–5, 110, 139–42, 302
inmates’ memories, 106–8
Himmler inspects, 108–10
euthanasia program, 110–11
children at, 299–300, escape attempts, 111
1942 expansion, 137–8
management of prisoners, 138–9
camp orchestra, 138–9
corruption at, 156–9
RH removed, 158–9
evacuation to Belsen, 167–8
war crimes interrogations, 174–82, 189–90, 307–8
evidence re conditions given at Belsen Trial, 192–3
death stats, 137, 192–3, 258–9, 268, 310–11, 322
prisoners burned alive, 268
RH’s testimony, 268–9
RH executed at, 272–4
author’s visit, 281–6, 281
Auschwitz-Birkenau: plans to build, 109–10
Final Solution at, 112–16, 131–7, 156–8
Crematorium II, 115
selection process, 134, 179–80
camp orchestra, 139
extermination of Hungarian Jews, 163–5, 164
Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps, 118, 121
emblem, 119
Backhouse, Colonel Thomas, 192
Bad Oeynhausen, 203
Baden-Baden, 5–6, 6
Baer, Richard, 165, 165
Bankworth, Major, 310
Baranowski, Hermann, 69–70, 96
Bayeux, 129–30
Bednarskiej, Anieli, 298, 303
Bell, Major P. I., 175
Bellgardt, Otto, 90
Belsen, 171, 173
worsening conditions, 166
Auschwitz prisoners evacuated to, 168
ensuing conditions, 168–9
RH visits, 168–9
liberation, 152
HA visits, 171–4
war crimes interrogations, 174–82, 191–2, 307–8
transformed into displaced persons’ facility, 222
Belsen Trial, 191
plans, 176
preparations, 188–92
proceedings and sentences, 192–3, 310–11
Belsize Square Synagogue, 92, 277
Berlin: HA’s childhood home, 19–20, 20, 230
Neue Synagogue, 26, 27, 49, 90, 230
unrest after First World War, 31
Sportpalast, 48
Potsdamerplatz, 51
night life, 52
Fasanenstrasse Synagogue, 90
8 Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse, 112
Allied bombing, 166
last days, 169
war damage, 230
Berney-Ficklin, Major General Horatio Petrus Mackintosh, 192
Biderman, Lee Abraham, 107
Binder, Sybille, 292
Bing, Cäcilie, 49, 87, 126–7, 126, 184–5, 231, 316
Birkenau, see Auschwitz-Birkenau
Bloom, Sidney, 107
Bodson, Victor, 217, 217, 218, 219
Bohnera, Karola, 303
Bormann, Martin, 36
background, 291
Kadow murder, 37–8
sentenced to one year, 38
visits Dachau, 67
protects RH after corruption investigation, 158
ultimate fate, 249, 319
tried in absentia at Nuremberg, 321
son’s attitude, 324
Brahms, Johannes, 5
Brandenburg Prison, 38–43
Brecht, Bertolt, 48
Breitman, Richard, 300
Bridgeman, Viscount, 304
Britain: reception of German Jews, 91–2
German invasion plans and Blitz, 112
mass internment of refugees, 124–5
attitude to Final Solution, 149
war crimes strategy, 151–2, 304
Brüning, Heinrich, 57
Brussels, 170–1
Bruz, France, 121
Buchenwald, 155–6
Burger (Nazi), 234
Buna oil and rubber factory, 299
Butler, Richard, 318
Cabaret (film), 52
Caesar, Joachim: wife, 102
Camp Tomato, 245, 250–1, 256
Cang, Joel, 322–3
Caola, Major, 229, 231–4
Chamberlain, Neville, 93
Champion, Major S. E., 175
Charell, Erik, 292
Churchill, Winston, 124, 149
Cirencester, 123–4
Clarke, Bernard, 240, 318
Cologne, 172
concentration camps: origins, 59
administrative office coordinating German camps, 70
Himmler’s corruption investigation, 155–9
Concentration Camp Inspectorate and its work, 159–62, 165–7
medical experiments, 160–1
Himmler orders records destroyed, 196
war crimes interrogations, 174–82, 189–92, 307–8
Belsen Trial, 192–3
hunt for Inspectorate officials, 231–45, 317–19
Inspectorate organization chart, 232
see also individual camps by name
war criminals
Congregation Habonim, 324
Cross, Captain William Victor, 236, 240, 317, 318
Cultural Association of German Jews, 74
Cyprian, Tadeusz, 267–8
Dachau, 59, 61–5, 62–3, 66–9, 155
Dietrich, Marlene, 47
Dostoevsky, Fyodor, 5
Draper, Colonel Gerald, 203–4, 245, 324
Dresden, 269
Dreyfus, Edmund, 80
Dubiel, Stanislaw, 303
East Prussian Volunteer Corps, 290
Ebert, Friedrich, 18, 31
Eichengreen, Lucille, 224, 308–9, 315
Eichmann, Adolf: visits Auschwitz, 104
and Final Solution, 104, 113, 162–3, 256
initial absence from list of war criminals, 151
Morgen tries to initiate criminal proceedin
gs against, 306
flight abroad, 227, 307
RH writes character sketch, 263
Eicke, Theodor, 64–5, 64, 70, 196
Eimer, Alfred, 267, 270
Einstein, Albert, 47, 292, 293
Eisfeld, Walter, 96
Eisner, Olga and Bruno, 292
Enabling Act (1933), 72
Excell, Major Sidney, 201
Fauler, Frau, 232–3
Final Solution, see Jews
First World War (1914–18), 10–16
armistice, 29
Foley, Frank, 296
Forsyth, Frederick, 317
Fox, Captain Alfred James, 175, 176, 177–82, 192, 310
Franck, James, 47, 292
Frank, Hans, 104, 249, 260, 321, 323–4
Frank, Leonhard, 292
Frank, Mrs. (“Frankie”), 89
Frank, Niklas, 323–4
Frankfurt Trial, 276
Freikorps: definition, 30–1
RH’s time with, 30–4
relationship with government, 38, 291
Fritzsch, Karl, 114
Gaggenau, 310
Gebhardt, Professor, 235
Genn, Lieutenant Colonel Leo: background and character, 306–7
takes command of Belsen interrogations, 174–6
refuses HA permission to hunt down war criminals, 183, 185
and Gaggenau inquiry, 310
decides preparations for Belsen Trial are complete, 192
gives HA permission to hunt down war criminals, 193–4
returns to England, 204, 313
German Army: enlistment age, 11
Dragoon uniforms, 11–12
Germany: signs First World War armistice, 29
social and political unrest after First World War, 17–19, 31
Weimar Republic founded, 33–4
hyperinflation, 25
Kapp putsch, 291
early days of Nazis, 35–6
golden years of Weimar Republic, 41
coalition after 1928 election, 42
political unrest, 48–9
Nazi rise to power, 56–7
1930 elections, 57, 58
Hitler appointed Chancellor, 59
Nazi consolidation of power, 72
British Field Security Sections, 236
Gilbert, Gustave, 254–6, 260, 320
Gluckman, Mrs. (Jewish émigré), 92
Glücks, Aloise, 235–6
Glücks, Richard, 96
appearance and character, 96–7, 160
ignores RH’s requests for extra men to build Auschwitz, 99
visits Auschwitz, 104, 111
criticizes RH for not delegating enough, 105
authorizes Zyklon B shipment, 147
initial absence from list of war criminals, 151
RH to report to at Sachsenhausen, 159–60
RH’s loathing for, 161
fear of Himmler, 161–2
RH persuades to put Kramer in charge of Belsen, 166
puts RH in charge of escort party to Ravensbrück, 196
flight, 198
taken to hospital, 199