The Security Service harboured concerns that the Nazis would target the Royal Family as World War Two concluded, newly disclosed documents indicate. MI5 issued a warning suggesting Germany might attempt to assassinate specific individuals.
This warning was issued in December 1944, following Hitler’s launch of an offensive in Belgium’s Ardennes Forest. This action caused alarm among the Allied Forces, and MI5 expressed apprehension about the potential for the Nazis to deploy elite paratroopers into the UK, with a scheme to assassinate senior royals and Prime Minister Winston Churchill. An intelligence assessment prepared on December 20 was provided to senior civil servant Sir Samuel Findlater Stewart. He communicated with Gen Colin Callander, deputy chief of Britain’s Home Defence Forces, stating: “Through the courtesy of MI5, with whom, as you may know, I have certain contacts, I had the opportunity today to read an appreciation, prepared I understand by the Air Ministry, on the subject of the enemy’s ability to mount parachute raids on this country.”
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He informed the general that, according to MI5, a raid could involve as many as 500 paratroopers transported by a dozen Junkers Ju 290 transport aircraft.
Reportedly, the Nazis might have alternatively employed captured American B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator bombers, operated by the Luftwaffe’s distinguished KG200 squadron.
“It is possible,” the report stated, “that they might use these, with the Allied markings, for a special operation by day or night.
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“KG200 [‘Special’ flying unit which is generally employed for dropping agents over Allied territory] is known to handle foreign aircraft of all types, including Fortresses and Liberators.
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“The fewer the number of aircraft employed, the better chance they would have of eluding our defences,” the report continued.
Enhanced security measures were implemented for both the Royal Family and the Prime Minister as a consequence, after Gen Callander conferred with Gen Sir Harold Franklyn, the Commander-in-Chief of Home Defence Forces.
Gen Callander stated: “[Franklyn] feels that it would be very wrong to take any risks over the guarding of the Royal family and the Prime Minister, and London District and others concerned have been told that on no account must they relax their precautions in this respect.
“Apart from this, I do not think that there is anything we can do at the present time except to keep the possibility of some raid constantly in mind so that we shall not be caught on the hop if it does in fact occur.”
A raid by Nazi paratroopers never materialized.