Catalogue

Chart plotting the flight of Rudolf Hess to Great Britain, Saturday, 10 May 1941. Includes an account of the recording of the flight path at the Durham Operations Room of the Royal Observer Corps, n.d.

Part of the fuselage of ME110, flown by Rudolf Hess to Great Britain, Saturday, 10 May 1941

Copy file containing several reports Royal Observer Corps personnel from posts in Embleton (then with its operations room in Durham post office), Jedburgh and others in Scotland regarding spotting an aircraft identified as Messerschmitt Me 110 flying very low across Northumberland in westerly direction towards Scotland at night on 10 May 1941, which later crashed a few miles south east of Glasgow. The pilot parachuted and was subsequently captured shortly afterwards. Report from the following initial interrogation by Major Donald suggests that the pilot was Rudolf Hess despite calling himself Alfred Horn. The file contains copies of the original reports, correspondence between ROC posts and authorities, copy of a map with the flight 42J route, copies of later articles and newspaper cuttings, 10 May 1941 - 29 April 1988 For the original chart with flight 42J, plotted by the Durham Group of the Royal Observer Corps, see D/X 1064/1

Compilation of several articles collected from the Internet and newspapers regarding Rudolf Hess, his flight to Scotland, various theories behind the missing log entries from RAF stations involved in the interception attempts, 1997 - 2001

Letter from Tony Marczan of Rossendale, Lancashire to David Balls, 23 Group ROC Association, Durham with enclosed translation of a Czech article from 'Stihaci pilot' magazine regarding the Hess' flight and him being nearly shot down by a Czech pilot, Polda, stationed in Northern Ireland save a direct order to withdraw when the Me110 was within shooting range, 7 September 1999

Copy article by the Sunderland Echo entitled: 'Durham Key To Hess Mystery?' regarding a TV documentary investigating the suspected involvement of the Royal Family and the British politicians in the coverup of what really happened with Rudolf Hess, 25 April 2001

Durham County Council Chairman's remarks on press articles in the Northern Echo regarding Rudolf Hess' flight across the UK in 1941, involvement of Durham Royal Observer Corps in spotting the aircraft and some conspiracy theories from a documentary by ITV, June 2001

Copy of an article entitled: 'The ROC and Hess' from the Royal Observer Corps Association newsletter of. Devon and Cornwall area, No. 34, July 2001

'Prologue 1, May 10, 1941' fragment of a publication by Derek Wood, Attack Warning Red: History of the Royal Observer Corps, 1976 and a short compilation from the same publication[copy made in early 2000s]

Copy of a publication by Roy Conyers Nesbit, Failed to return. Mysteries of the Air 1939-45, 1988 [photocopy made later, probably in early 2000s]

A story on the Hess' flight compiled from various articles and publications including: 'Attack Warning Red' by Derek Wood, 'Hess the British Conspiracy' by John Harris and M. J. Trow and No. 23 Group Newsletter, n.d. [c. 2001]

Article entitled: 'Hitler and Hess ITV 6/5/01' by unknown author pointing towards a conspiracy theories around the famous 'raid 42J', n.d. [2001]

Short article of unknown author entitled: 'The Rudolf Hess Flight 10th May 1941, n.d. [c. 2001]

Short compilation from unknown sources entitled: 'The Rudolf Hess Flight 10 May 1941', n.d. [c. 2001]

Copy article entitled 'War stories. RAF colluded in Hess flight' published in 'Lobster' magazine No. 37, n.d. [c. 2001]

Copy of a letter by Robert M. Pate published in the 'Glasgow Herald' entitled: 'The Only one who identified Hess', n.d. [c. 2001]

The Rudolf Hess Flight & 23 Group ROC, a short article by John W. Perrin, n.d. [c. 2001]

Cutting from the Northern Echo entitled: 'Wartime secret lay hidden in Durham' relating to original plot chart with the route of 'raid 42J' traced on it, held by Durham County Record Office and various interpretations of it used in a documentary programme, 26 April 2001

Cutting from the Northern Echo entitled: 'I plotted course of Hess's downfall' regarding Madge Sanderson (nee Barras), who was one of the Durham Observer Corps crew that traced the famous 'raid 42J' on 10 May 1941 and her recollections of the events, 28 April [2001]

Cutting from an unknown newspaper entitled 'Question' regarding two mysterious German flights by Junkers 88 bombers that occurred shortly after the 'raid 42J', one ended in a crash near Scampton RAF base, Lincolnshire on 11/12 May 1941 and one successful landing and take off from the same base 10 days later with reports of a 'package' being delivered by the Germans, n.d. [2001]

Cutting from an unknown newspaper entitled: 'The wrong man' regarding a TV documentary on Rudolf Hess's 'visit' to Scotland, involvement of Duke of Kent and Sir Ian Hamilton in the affair, n.d. [2001]

Cutting from an unknown newspaper with a short note of a TV documentary regarding Rudolf Hess and a suspected plot of secret peace deals with the Nazis, n.d. [2001]

Cutting from the Daily Mail entitled: 'Revealed: mystery pilot of the royal crash plane', which provides information obtained from Andrew Jack, who was the only survivor of the fatal flight of a seaplane that crashed in 1942, about the circumstances of the disaster that killed the rest of the crew, Duke of Kent and one extra unknown person on board, 20 November 2003

Cutting from the Daily Mail entitled: 'Hess's flight of fancy' regarding speculations behind the Hess's flight and involvement of the Royal Family, 15 January 2004