Sir: I refer to Lord Lambton's article on Unity Mitford.
I do not pretend to know the truth, but I have long been worried. For many years I have been engaged upon certain unofficial observations and the accuracy of my efforts is mentioned by Lord Home in his book The Way the Wind Blows and by Mr William Douglas-Home in his book Hall' Tern: Report.
At his express request I worked quite closely with the late Major-General Sir Stewart Menzies, and Mr Chamberlain asked for all my reports to be sent direct to him when he was Prime Minister. Aware of my doings, the late Brigadier-General Basil Buckley urged me to take serious notice of the reports of Mr David Edge. Basil Buckley was a responsible man, having been personal military assistant to Lord Kitchener and later Standard Bearer of The Bodyguard and partner in a very well known Jewish firm of stockbrokers.
As a result I did use Mr Edge's reports. In the course of his travels Edge was caught in Hungary during the war and was repatriated with difficulty. On his return he gave me very voluminous written reports, of which I still have the originals. They were accurate. But he came to see me in person about Miss Mitford. He stated that he had himself discussed her with the Mother Superior of the convent where (said Edge) she was moved on Hitler's orders after the shooting. Edge said that the Gestapo repeatedly warned Hitler that Miss Mitford was a bad influence upon him and that she was in fact a de facto British agent. Their complaint was that she was the opposite of what we are now told.
According to Edge she was shot in Munich by the Gestapo and left for dead. Hitler's personal Munich housekeeper found her and telephoned the news to Hitler. He had her removed to a convent. Certainly her travels home and her reception in England were quite extraordinary. Neither is easily explained.
I do not know the truth, and the late David Edge did not write the above for me. He told it to me in my office at his own desire. Edge attracted considerable publicity shortly before his death about two years ago. I suggest that his executors be asked to search for any written record he may have left. I can only say he made no small impression on me.
Kenneth de Courcy 34 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
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