THE COVENANTER
the most interesting feature. They were central bank) should be hidden in a disused
what are sometimes called ‘suicide’ potassium mine at Merkers, 200 miles south
bindings. In other words once your boots of Berlin. This was duly done amidst
were strapped into them there was no way extraordinary secrecy and security. It left
out unless the binding broke, or the ski!
still a significant amount for the continuing
Incidentally I can vouch for the quality of
war effort and in April, as the vice tightened
the boots. Having been able to purchase
on Berlin, it was decided that this should be
mine (I think) I was able to use them as a
taken and hidden in Oberbayern (Upper
competitor in the Army Ski Championships
Bavaria). It was loaded onto a convoy of
in Scotland. Later yet I used them on a
trucks under the charge of one Georg
Mountain Leadership course also in the
Netzeband, a highranking Reichsbank
Cairngorms. (This course was the sole
official, and this convoy made for
outcome of my application to go the Jungle
Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Once there they
Warfare School in Malaysia!) Their last
sought out the local military commander
outing was across the 18 desperately
and asked for his help and directions. His
inhospitable miles of Rannoch Moor when
advice was that the Americans were already
they had already passed their 30th birthday.
all too close and he sent them east over the
And a final word on boots: even Sepp, who
small pass and the short distance to the
sported the latest in boot technology, had
Headquarters of the Alpenkorps at
lace-up leather boots. Plastic boots or those
MittenwaId.
with clips were still some time in the future.
One bonus of the afternoons away was
Once there Netzeband reported to the
that when daylight failed and we could
Commandant, Colonel Franz Pfeiffer, and
pack up skiing there was no need to rush
was told, apparently, ‘That’s fine. Just leave
back to the hotel. There was absolutely
whatever you have with us and we’ll look
nothing to do there anyway and the
after it for you.’ One could understand if he
weather precluded any ventures forth
viewed this with some scepticism especially
without full protection. As a result at least
when the Commandant declined to sign a
one of the three-tonners would usually be
receipt! That said, he had few options open
held to allow those who wanted to linger to
to him and the Commandant had also
stay on in the villages a bit longer. There
persuaded him that the latest convoy from
were tea dances in some of the hotels in
Berlin was only part of a larger haul of
Garmisch (though few of us availed
goodies which the Alpenkorps had to hide.
ourselves of that) but Mittenwald and
It is thought that the remnants of the Nazi
Oberammergau were pretty villages with
leadership had some idea of retreating to a
lots of shops selling wooden carvings. And
mountain hideaway to rest and regroup and
did I mention the smoke filled wood lined
of course they would need all of the
bars? We also made excursions to Schloss
resources they could salvage.
Linderhof, one of the mad King Ludwig’s
Mystery surrounds what Netzeband did
palaces, and to the gorgeously baroque
next. He was seen taking a small boat out
chapel at the Monastery of Ettal. They had
onto Walchensee at night and to lower over
a souvenir shop too, selling Benedictine
the side a number of items. For sure it was
liqueurs of various lurid hues. not any part of the treasure. We can only
So why were we not all out hunting for guess at what it was but mine is that he was
the booty? What was all that about? The jettisoning all of the careful records for
answer of course is very straight-forward: which the Germans are famous. No doubt
we knew nothing about it The first I knew they would have given details of the sources
of the whole story was exactly 40 years later. of at least some of the haul and it is almost
On the evening on 31 March 2003 I had certain that he would not want to have that
settled after work for some not too
traced back to him in the event that he were
demanding goofing and decided to watch a
captured and quizzed. The reasons are clear.
programme called Nazi Gold being
Much of the gold, silver and other treasure
broadcast on Channel 4. It was a good
had been taken from the countries overrun
programme well filmed and with a great
by the Nazis. Some had come from the
story line which went something like this.
Jewish communities in Germany and in
In early 1945, as the Allied forces
Eastern Europe.
advanced on Berlin, it was decided that
After some delays while mule trains were
much of the gold and foreign currency
prepared and men briefed an Alpenkorps
reserves of the Reichsbank (the German
party set off for the steeply wooded
51
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