One or two "distinguished" people have sent back their medals to the Queen because they object to being in the same order as mincompoops! and do not wish to encourage hysteria, I would argue that there is much better argument for the Beatles to send back their medals in view of some of the types who have been decorated by the Queen recently. The Beatles have, after all, refused to play in South Africa, and two of them sent a message of support to the Easter March. How then do they feel about being in with such people as those the Queen decorated on her recent visit to West Germany? The latest issue of German Democratic Report gives some details of some of the recipients of strangely feudal-sounding titles Lizzie dished outs
Heinrich Lubke, President of the German Federal Republic. Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath. A Gestapo report of September 24th, 1940, referred to Lubke as a “reliable informant", At that time he was working as building engineer at the nazi secret weapons site at Peenemunde.e. On September 4th,1944, he helped make arrangements for slave labourers from Buchenwald Concentration Camp to be transferred to underground arms factories, where they died like flies.
Hermann Hocherl, West German Minister of the Interior. Knight Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Hocherl was a state prosecutor in the nazi rcourts.
Ludger Westrick, West German Minister for Special Tasks. Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. During the war Westrick was one of Hitler's "War Economy Leaders."" He played a leading part in looting the industries of nazi-occupied South Eastern Europe and integrating them in the nazi war machine.
Gerhard Schroder, West German Foreign Minister. Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George. Member of the Nazi Party, candidate member of the Storm Troops.
Herbert Blankenhorn, West German Ambassador to Britain. Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Blankenhorn served Hitler as a diplomat throughout the entire nazi period, joiningthe Nazi Party in 1938. In 1941 he paid an official visit of inspection to the Warsaw Ghetto.
Hasso von Etzdorf, former West German Ambassador to Britain. Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. Etzdorf served Hitler as a diplomat throughout the nazi era, joiningthe Nazi Party - in 1938. He held the rank of Lieutenant Colonal in the Storm Troops.
General Heinrich Trettner, Inspector General of the West German Army Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. Trettner, a professional soidier, made a lightning career in the Nazi Wehrmacht. Hitler promoted him to the rank of Lieutenant General in April, 1945, one month before the end of the war, when he was only 37. Trettner fought for Franco in the Spanish Civil War; received the "Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross" for his outstand< ing services" in the destruction of Rotterdam, May, 1940; helped plan the invasion of Britain in 1940; and commanded the 4th Parachute Division in "police actions' against Italian partisans in 1944.
However, as is well known, all this mumbo-jumbo of decorations, etc., is part of the political set up, and Lizzie is no more really than an instrument of foreign policy of the Government. So perhaps instead of asking the Beatles whether they are going to send their medals back we should ask Mr. Wilson why the above awards were made.