| The Battalion was posted to Berlin 1963 to 1965 and
were accommodated in Brooke Barracks, right next to Spandau Prison.
The provision of a guard for the prison was one of the battalion duties
and this was undertaken a few times during the posting. The inmates
at that time were Rudolf Hess, Von Sirach and Albert Speer, no contact
was allowed with them in any way, although they (the inmates) used to
try to get attention and cadge cigarettes. Woe be-tide anyone who did
weaken because the inmates were likely to dob ya in to the guard commander
themselves!!.
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| Spandau Guard
- Guard Commander Lieut Taylor (LI Som Office)
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The Military guard was provided by the four occupying
powers, The U.S.A., Britain, France and the Soviet Union, with military
guards being supplemented by eighteen warders. The military guard was
provided by a platoon strength who manned the six watch towers. Strict
orders were given to the guards regarding fraternization with HESS,
and all sentries were searched prior to taking up their post to prohibit
the use of cigarettes.
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| Cpl Acock taking
a look (LI Som Office)
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Spandau Prison was built as a 19th Century penitentiary.
The buildings are of a pseudo-medieval, red-brick fortress. It was built
in 1876 to hold 500 prisoners as a military detention center. after
World War 2 it held the seven Nazi leaders sentenced from Nuremberg.
But, since 1966, its only prisoner was Rudolph Hess (1894 - 1987) until
his death on 17 August 1987. Just after his death the British Forces
decided to completely destroy it to prevent it from becoming a shrine.
Each of the four powers then in Berlin, British, American, French, and
Soviets rotated the service on guard duty and support at the prison
for a month at a time.
The guard was not the most popular of duties as once you
were mounted in your little tower there was no reprieve for the two
hour stag - you had to STAY there. On more than one occassion people
had to actually shit themselves - there was no other way, you were locked
in.
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| Spandau Prison
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Perimeter
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Perimeter
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| Governor's office on the right
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Watchtower
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Hess in Compound
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