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Appendix D3 – The Final Episode
Extract from an After Dinner Speech by Gp Capt H H Eccles, President, No 269 Squadron Old Comrades Association at the 85th and Final Reunion Dinner attended by Frau Antje Rock, Eldest Daughter of the Late Kapt-Leutnant Hans-Joachim Rahmlow, Captain of U-570 “Now for the keynote part of my speech. Some twenty odd years ago we were compiling the squadron history and had got to 27 August 1941, the day of the U-570 action. This was the first time in the war that a U-boat, alone in the middle of the ocean, had been crippled by an aircraft. Previously surface forces had always been present and thus, whenever a U-boat was abandoned, there was always someone to rescue the crew. When the crew of the U-570 arrived at Grizedale Hall prison camp (less the captain who had been sent to a different camp), an unofficial Court of Honour was set up by the other prisoners. In his absence, the captain was found guilty of cowardice. In the post-war years, with the benefit of hindsight and possession of a detailed technical report, the members of No 269 Squadron Old Comrades Association considered that this verdict was unfair. The gallant Kapitänleutnant Hans-Joachim Rahmlow was literally between the devil and the deep blue sea. At the very moment of surrender, he was faced with an aircraft circling round, firing machine guns at the crew who were all on deck with no hiding place, no means of retaliation and unable to re-enter the boat because, as they reasonably assumed, it was full of chlorine gas. The depth charge attack had plunged the boat into darkness and caused an inrush of salt water. Salt water on contact with battery acid produces chlorine. With the aicraft coming round for a second pass, there was little time for decision. A white flag was displayed. “After the war, Kapt Lt Rahmlow was ostracised by all his fellow submariners. Recognising the relentless misery and unhappiness this would have caused him and his family spurred us on to clear his name. We wanted the captain to be our Guest of Honour so we could say so. Correspondence with the Naval Attaché at the German Embassy got us nowhere, as did our other efforts. Then we learned that Captain Rahmlow had died and the trail went cold. Later, when we decided to wind up the Old Comrades Association, a final effort was made to trace his next-of-kin. We now had the internet. A brief note was put on a website and, joy of joys, Axel Sahner responded. He not only knew that Hans-Joachim Rahmlow had a son and two daughters but was in personal contact with one of the daughters. With much persuasion he managed to get Antje, despite being none too well, to accept our invitation. So it is with enormous pleasure that I welcome our friends from Germany. Frau Antje Rock and her daughters Anja and Nicola and the man who made it happen, Axel Sahner and his friend Anne. If Antje will be so good as to stand up, I have a little souvenir for her to take home. “Here is a wall plaque with the badge of No 269 Squadron and, underneath the squadron motto, is inscribed in German “In memory of courageous Kapt-Leutnant Hans-Joachim Rahmlow U570”. “In our view, the record has now been put straight. 1st September, 2007 |
