Guest post by Jeremy Ward (History 1974 – 1997)
One of the more bizarre incidents of the Second World War involved OM and former teaching staff member Ian Bailey (1913- 2007). The Nazi Deputy Fuhrer Rudolf Hess made the extraordinary decision to fly solo to Scotland in May 1941 to arrange a meeting with the Duke of Hamilton. He hoped that Hamilton would prevail on Churchill’s government to sign a peace treaty with Germany so the latter could get on with its invasion of Soviet Russia unencumbered by a western front. The plan was carried out without Hitler’s knowledge and with no hope of success as Hamilton had no influence over Churchill.
Nonetheless Hess flew his Mescherschmitt Bf110 to 12 miles short of Glasgow on 7 May 1941 where he crash landed in a field injuring himself in the process. He was apprehended by a local farmer wielding a pitchfork. The home guard were called and they handed him over to the regular army who transported him to Maryhill Barracks in the city where the duty officer Lt Ian Bailey was charged with guarding the German visitor in a cell before he could be fully interrogated. Ian Bailey spent an uncomfortable night with Hitler’s deputy with the latter moaning and groaning with pain from his injured ankle. Outside the cell standing on sentry duty was Corporal Willy Ross later to become Secretary of State for Scotland in Jim Callaghan’s ill-fated Labour government of the 1970s. Hess could hardly have wished for a more distinguished welcoming party!
Hoots from the archive 