Today in 1941 Rudolf Hess crash-landed in Scotland after his bizarre solo flight from Nazi Germany.
Hitler's most trusted official and friend, he crash-landed a stolen plane at Eaglesham in an inexplicable effort to negotiate an end to the war. Hitler labelled him insane, and many agreed, but this did not keep him from judgment at Nuremberg for war crimes. He was sentenced to life, eventually becoming the sole prisoner at Spandau. Hess died on 17 August 1987 (aged 93).
Today in 1946 Donovan, Scottish pop and folk singer-songwriter, was born.
Born Donovan Leitch, his hits include "Mellow Yellow", "Sunshine Superman" and "Jennifer Juniper". Upon his emergence during the mid-'60s, Donovan was anointed "Britain's answer to Bob Dylan," a largely unfounded comparison which compromised the Scottish folk-pop troubadour's own unique vision. Where the thrust of Dylan's music remains its bleak introspection and bitter realism, Donovan fully embraced the wide-eyed optimism of the flower-power movement, and his recordings perfectly capture the peace-and-love idealism of their time.
Today in 1949 Norman Baillie-Stewart, Scottish soldier and Nazi collaborator, was arrested. He was known as "the officer in the Tower" - as a lieutenant in the Seaforth Highlighers, he was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1933-37 for passing secrets to Germany. In 1938 he emigrated to Austria and then to Germany. He took part in daily broadcasts from Berlin with William Joyce aka Lord Haw Haw. In May 1945, he was arrested by the Americans in Austria and sentenced to five years imprisonment for aiding the enemy. Baillie-Stewart claimed he had taken German citizenship in 1938, but no record of this could be found.
