Ian Sayer
Encyclopedia
Ian K. T. Sayer is an entrepreneur
, noted World War II
historian
, best-selling author
and investigative journalist. His Sayer Transport Group (established in 1967 and sold in 1979) became the foundation stone for the British and European overnight door to door express parcels delivery industry.
He is a noted World War II
historian and one of the world’s leading experts on Third Reich documentation. He is co-author of the international best seller Nazi Gold
, The Story of the World’s Greatest Robbery and remains the only private individual to have been responsible for the location and restitution of looted Nazi gold
. He has also tracked down a number of Nazi war criminals including SS General Wilhelm Mohnke
whose wartime activities were subsequently investigated by the British, Canadian, American and German governments.
He currently acts as curator
to the internationally renowned collection of contemporary World War II documentation known as the ‘Ian Sayer Archive’ which assists in providing new information to institutions, other historians, authors and researchers of the period.
, Norfolk
two months after the end of World War II. His father, Leslie, had found it difficult to find work (as a commercial artist) in the 1930s and moved to West London
to secure employment shortly before the war. Ian and his two older brothers were brought up in Feltham
, Middlesex
. He was educated at Sunbury Grammar School where he obtained General Certificates of Education in English Economic History and English.
During the 1950s he became an avid ‘spotter’ recording the registration marks of everything from steam locomotive
s, warships, buses and finally aeroplanes. It was this last interest which led to the 15 year old Sayer’s first commercial venture – the purchase and sale of old aircraft magazines and books.
Entering the insurance industry in the City of London
as a junior clerk in 1962 he changed jobs several times before deciding to work closer to home. In 1965 he became a junior export clerk in an air freight company at London
’s Heathrow Airport.
The company expanded and then, in December 1969, as a result of a strike at Heathrow began the first daily, door to door, overnight parcels delivery service between London
and Northern Ireland
. This operation, initially competing against air freight services, was to revolutionise road transport
in Britain
and Europe
. In the ensuing decade the company’s activities expanded to encompass overnight services between the whole of mainland Britain and the major offshore islands.
By 1979 the company was one of the most successful transport companies in the United Kingdom
. The overnight door to door concept had already been firmly established in the USA (by FedEx
) and Australia
(by transport conglomerates TNT
and IPEC
).
Sayer had already rejected a number of overtures from Sir Peter Abeles
' TNT Group who wished to acquire his company to spearhead their proposed entry into the British and European markets but Gordon Barton
's IPEC Group were also interested in penetrating this market and, following an approach from deputy chairman Hugh O’Neill (now 3rd Baron Rathcavan
) and his assistant Mark Thatcher
(later seconded as Sayer’s personal assistant), in the spring of 1979, he agreed to act as a consultant. This subsequently led to IPEC’s simultaneous acquisition of the Sayer Transport Group and Gelders-Spetra (a Dutch based European haulage
company) The combined group was renamed IPEC Europe B V which became the first company to establish an overnight door to door intra-European delivery service.
Although Sayer remained on the board of IPEC’s European holding company
until its takeover
by TNT in 1983 he now had more time to pursue his other interests.
and South Africa
.
In 1974 Sayer had become fascinated by an entry in Guinness World Records
(formerly known as The Guinness Book of Records) under the heading ‘World’s Greatest Robbery’. In 1945 the Nazi regime sent its remaining gold and currency reserves to Bavaria
where it was hidden in the mountains. With the war over, the US military and the US occupation authorities began to try and recover this buried loot. However, a considerable amount of the treasure had, in the meantime, simply disappeared, spirited away by a loose consortium of former Nazi and SS
officers with the assistance of serving US military personnel. Despite a series of high level investigations by US military and civilian agencies much of it was never recovered. Following a U.S. ‘Watergate’ style cover up in the late 1940s and a subsequent investigation by the German police the case was never solved.
Sayer became so intrigued with the story that, 30 years later, he decided to launch his own private investigation. From 1975 to 1983 he travelled to many countries, conducted hundreds of interviews and also received a series of threats from individuals who had been implicated in the disappearance of the treasure but wished to retain their privacy. One of these threats manifested itself in Sayer being implicated in the 1980 disappearance of Jeanette May the former wife of Evelyn Robert de Rothschild
in Italy. The bodies of Jeanette May and her friend Gabriella Guerin were subsequently located in 1982 but although Sayer was able to establish that he had no involvement whatsoever in the case he was interviewed by the Italian police and Scotland Yard
on several occasions.
Despite having alerted the United States Department of State
(responsible for the missing bullion) to his findings in 1978 it was to be another five years before they launched an official investigation. It lasted from 1983 to 1996 and culminated in the recovery of 25 kilos of stolen gold bullion still bearing full Nazi assay marks. The results of his investigation were published in the 1984 international best seller Nazi Gold
– the Story of the World’s Greatest Robbery (co-author Douglas Botting
with the London Sunday Times).
In December 1997 he was the sole unofficial British observer at the London Conference on Nazi gold
, an international symposium convened in London by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office
and attended by delegates from 42 countries.
, MP for Perry Barr
to ask a Parliamentary Question on when Britain would be releasing several tonnes of looted Nazi gold still held in the Bank of England
pending the resolution of a 1946 reparations claim against Albania
in respect of the Corfu Channel Incident
. Despite various Parliamentary Questions, an adjournment debate on the issue, and a direct request to the Prime Minister
for clarification the matter was not finally resolved until 1996.
In 1988 Sayer was asked by Jeff Rooker to investigate a claim by one of his constituents that a regimental aid fund, established in World War II
, was not benefitting the former POWs it had been established to care for. Sayers’ subsequent enquiries established that Rooker’s constituent had been a survivor of the Wormhoudt massacre
, the murder of nearly 90 unarmed British troops in 1940 by members of the Infantry Regiment Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, during the retreat to Dunkirk. Rooker’s file contained a picture of the SS officer, allegedly responsible for the crime, who had disappeared at the end of the war. Sayer recognised the officer as SS General Wilhelm Mohnke
who had been responsible for the defence of the underground bunker complex in which Adolf Hitler
committed suicide. Sayer’s subsequent investigation linked Mohnke with other World War II
atrocities including the murder of unarmed Canadian soldiers taken prisoner during the Normandy
invasion and the infamous Malmedy massacre
of unarmed US prisoners of war during the Battle of the Bulge
.
Sayer had come across Wilhelm Mohnke in the late 1970s whilst researching ‘Nazi Gold
’ but had been unaware of his involvement in war crimes. Sayer traced Mohnke to his home town of Barsbüttel near Hamburg
and Rooker was able to highlight Mohnke’s location and his involvement in the Wormhoudt massacre in the House of Commons on the 24th March 1988. This action led to an international media frenzy which had the effect of incarcerating Mohnke in his own home. Although the British, Canadian and US governments all became involved – German legislation dictated that any investigation should be conducted by Mohnke’s local judicial authority. Sayer arranged for Rooker’s constituent to initiate a formal complaint which obliged the reluctant State Prosecutor
in Lubeck to launch an investigation. This lasted for nearly six years with the State Prosecutor finally concluding that there was insufficient evidence to charge Mohnke. Wilhelm Mohnke was not interviewed at any time during the investigation.
‘Personality of the Year’ awards together with Formula 1 motor racing champion Graham Hill
, film star Ben Lyon
and English test cricketer and later Bishop of Liverpool David Sheppard
.
In the late 1970s, whilst researching ‘Nazi Gold’ Sayer developed an interest in collecting historical autographs and manuscripts. Initially his collection was general in nature but over the years he began to specialise in aviation and World War II material. In 1980 he opened Britain’s first Autograph Shop, selling framed items, at Sunningdale
, Berkshire
.
In 1983 he was able to assist the Sunday Times, during their publication of the hoax Hitler Diaries
, by providing information which, although casting increasing doubt over the authenticity of the “Diaries”, allowed them to begin the process of retraction.
Sayer remained active in the express parcels industry during the 1980s and 1990s initially acting in a consultative capacity on behalf of companies such as British Airways
, KLM and DHL Express
. He was DHL’s European Consultant between 1984 and 1985 and played a major role in the establishment of its original Brussels Transport Hub and highly successful Intra European parcels delivery system.
In 1985 he was appointed to the board of British parcels carrier City Link Ltd
playing a leading role in updating and modernising the company’s activities and facilities. In 1988 he was appointed to the board of government owned Belfast International Airport
serving two terms of three years until privatisation in 1994.
On the 27th September 1990 he was one of 100 delegates attending an Anti-Terrorist conference at the Royal Over-Seas League
just off St. James’s Street in London’s West End
, who narrowly escaped death from a bomb which had been placed in the conference room by the Provisional Irish Republican Army
.
In 1988 he founded and published the nationally distributed magazine World War II Investigator which he sold the following year.
, other historians, authors and professional researchers of the period. The archive has most recently made a significant contribution to Andrew Roberts’s latest book, the bestselling The Storm of War: a New History of the Second World War (2009), Allen Lane, ISBN 0-7139-9970-5
‘The Storm of War’ and embedded video taken in the Ian Sayer Archive:
Raider of the Lost Archive : Financial Times
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, noted World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, best-selling author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and investigative journalist. His Sayer Transport Group (established in 1967 and sold in 1979) became the foundation stone for the British and European overnight door to door express parcels delivery industry.
He is a noted World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
historian and one of the world’s leading experts on Third Reich documentation. He is co-author of the international best seller Nazi Gold
Nazi gold
Nazi gold is the gold transferred by Nazi Germany to overseas banks during the Second World War. The regime executed a policy of looting the assets of its victims to finance the war, collecting the looted assets in central depositories. The occasional transfer of gold in return for currency took...
, The Story of the World’s Greatest Robbery and remains the only private individual to have been responsible for the location and restitution of looted Nazi gold
Nazi gold
Nazi gold is the gold transferred by Nazi Germany to overseas banks during the Second World War. The regime executed a policy of looting the assets of its victims to finance the war, collecting the looted assets in central depositories. The occasional transfer of gold in return for currency took...
. He has also tracked down a number of Nazi war criminals including SS General Wilhelm Mohnke
Wilhelm Mohnke
SS-Brigadeführer Wilhelm Mohnke was one of the original 120 members of the SS-Staff Guard "Berlin" formed in March 1933. From those ranks, Mohnke rose to become one of Adolf Hitler's last remaining generals.Mohnke saw action with the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler in France, Poland...
whose wartime activities were subsequently investigated by the British, Canadian, American and German governments.
He currently acts as curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
to the internationally renowned collection of contemporary World War II documentation known as the ‘Ian Sayer Archive’ which assists in providing new information to institutions, other historians, authors and researchers of the period.
Education and early career
Ian Sayer was born in NorwichNorwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
two months after the end of World War II. His father, Leslie, had found it difficult to find work (as a commercial artist) in the 1930s and moved to West London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to secure employment shortly before the war. Ian and his two older brothers were brought up in Feltham
Feltham
Feltham is a town in the London Borough of Hounslow, west London. It is located about west south west of central London at Charing Cross and from Heathrow Airport Central...
, Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
. He was educated at Sunbury Grammar School where he obtained General Certificates of Education in English Economic History and English.
During the 1950s he became an avid ‘spotter’ recording the registration marks of everything from steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s, warships, buses and finally aeroplanes. It was this last interest which led to the 15 year old Sayer’s first commercial venture – the purchase and sale of old aircraft magazines and books.
Entering the insurance industry in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
as a junior clerk in 1962 he changed jobs several times before deciding to work closer to home. In 1965 he became a junior export clerk in an air freight company at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
’s Heathrow Airport.
Transport career
In 1966 he and a partner established a small transport company delivering airfreight to and from Heathrow Airport. The partnership ended in 1967 and the 21 year old Sayer decided to ‘go it alone’ with one van.The company expanded and then, in December 1969, as a result of a strike at Heathrow began the first daily, door to door, overnight parcels delivery service between London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. This operation, initially competing against air freight services, was to revolutionise road transport
Road transport
Road transport or road transportation is transport on roads of passengers or goods. A hybrid of road transport and ship transport is the historic horse-drawn boat.-History:...
in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. In the ensuing decade the company’s activities expanded to encompass overnight services between the whole of mainland Britain and the major offshore islands.
By 1979 the company was one of the most successful transport companies in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The overnight door to door concept had already been firmly established in the USA (by FedEx
FedEx
FedEx Corporation , originally known as FDX Corporation, is a logistics services company, based in the United States with headquarters in Memphis, Tennessee...
) and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(by transport conglomerates TNT
TNT N.V.
TNT N.V., more commonly known as TNT, is an international express and mail delivery services company with headquarters in Hoofddorp, Netherlands. In the Netherlands, TNT operates the national postal service under the name TNT Post. The group also offers postal services in eight other European...
and IPEC
IPEC
IPEC can refer to:* Toll IPEC, an Australian logistics enterprise, subsidiary of Toll Holdings* Indian Point Energy Center* International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour* Institute of Permaculture and Ecovillage of the Cerrado, Brazil...
).
Sayer had already rejected a number of overtures from Sir Peter Abeles
Peter Abeles
Sir Peter Emil Herbert Abeles, AC was an Australian transportation magnate. A refugee from Hungary, he became one of the most powerful businessmen in Australia, and was knighted in 1972.-Life:...
' TNT Group who wished to acquire his company to spearhead their proposed entry into the British and European markets but Gordon Barton
Gordon Barton
Gordon Page Barton was a quixotic Australian businessman and political activist.He was born in Surabaya, Java, Dutch East Indies of a Dutch mother and Australian father...
's IPEC Group were also interested in penetrating this market and, following an approach from deputy chairman Hugh O’Neill (now 3rd Baron Rathcavan
Baron Rathcavan
Baron Rathcavan, of The Braid in the County of Antrim, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1953 for the Unionist politician Sir Hugh O'Neill, 1st Baronet. He had already been created a Baronet, of Cleggan in the County of Antrim, in 1929...
) and his assistant Mark Thatcher
Mark Thatcher
Sir Mark Thatcher, 2nd Baronet is the son of Sir Denis Thatcher and Baroness Thatcher, the former British Prime Minister, and twin brother of Carol Thatcher...
(later seconded as Sayer’s personal assistant), in the spring of 1979, he agreed to act as a consultant. This subsequently led to IPEC’s simultaneous acquisition of the Sayer Transport Group and Gelders-Spetra (a Dutch based European haulage
Haulage
Haulage may refer to:* The business of being a haulier or hauler , also called haulage contractor, common carrier, contract carrier, or private carrier, in other words of transporting goods by road or rail for other companies or one's own company.* The horizontal transport of ore, coal, supplies,...
company) The combined group was renamed IPEC Europe B V which became the first company to establish an overnight door to door intra-European delivery service.
Although Sayer remained on the board of IPEC’s European holding company
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
until its takeover
Takeover
In business, a takeover is the purchase of one company by another . In the UK, the term refers to the acquisition of a public company whose shares are listed on a stock exchange, in contrast to the acquisition of a private company.- Friendly takeovers :Before a bidder makes an offer for another...
by TNT in 1983 he now had more time to pursue his other interests.
Author
During the 1950s Sayer had developed a considerable interest in World War II. He had been brought up in an era where there had been a proliferation of films and books concerning the recent conflict. In addition his awareness of military history had been heightened by the fact that his great grandmother had been awarded a special scroll and £3 (a considerable amount of money in those days) by Queen Victoria to expressly commemorate the fact that his grandmother’s six brothers were, in 1900, simultaneously serving under the colours in places as far afield as IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
In 1974 Sayer had become fascinated by an entry in Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
(formerly known as The Guinness Book of Records) under the heading ‘World’s Greatest Robbery’. In 1945 the Nazi regime sent its remaining gold and currency reserves to Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
where it was hidden in the mountains. With the war over, the US military and the US occupation authorities began to try and recover this buried loot. However, a considerable amount of the treasure had, in the meantime, simply disappeared, spirited away by a loose consortium of former Nazi and SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
officers with the assistance of serving US military personnel. Despite a series of high level investigations by US military and civilian agencies much of it was never recovered. Following a U.S. ‘Watergate’ style cover up in the late 1940s and a subsequent investigation by the German police the case was never solved.
Sayer became so intrigued with the story that, 30 years later, he decided to launch his own private investigation. From 1975 to 1983 he travelled to many countries, conducted hundreds of interviews and also received a series of threats from individuals who had been implicated in the disappearance of the treasure but wished to retain their privacy. One of these threats manifested itself in Sayer being implicated in the 1980 disappearance of Jeanette May the former wife of Evelyn Robert de Rothschild
Evelyn Robert de Rothschild
Sir Evelyn Robert Adrian de Rothschild is a British financier, and a member of the Rothschild family.-Early life:The son of Anthony Gustav de Rothschild and Yvonne Cahen d'Anvers , he was named after his uncle Evelyn Achille de Rothschild who was killed in action in World War I...
in Italy. The bodies of Jeanette May and her friend Gabriella Guerin were subsequently located in 1982 but although Sayer was able to establish that he had no involvement whatsoever in the case he was interviewed by the Italian police and Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard
Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service of London, UK. It derives from the location of the original Metropolitan Police headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place, which had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. The Scotland Yard entrance became...
on several occasions.
Despite having alerted the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
(responsible for the missing bullion) to his findings in 1978 it was to be another five years before they launched an official investigation. It lasted from 1983 to 1996 and culminated in the recovery of 25 kilos of stolen gold bullion still bearing full Nazi assay marks. The results of his investigation were published in the 1984 international best seller Nazi Gold
Nazi gold
Nazi gold is the gold transferred by Nazi Germany to overseas banks during the Second World War. The regime executed a policy of looting the assets of its victims to finance the war, collecting the looted assets in central depositories. The occasional transfer of gold in return for currency took...
– the Story of the World’s Greatest Robbery (co-author Douglas Botting
Douglas Botting
Douglas Botting is an English explorer, author, biographer and TV presenter and producer. He wrote biographies of naturalists Gavin Maxwell and Gerald Durrell . He was the inspiration behind and writer of the BBC comedy show The Black Safari, a role reversal comedy show with Africans touring England...
with the London Sunday Times).
In December 1997 he was the sole unofficial British observer at the London Conference on Nazi gold
Nazi gold
Nazi gold is the gold transferred by Nazi Germany to overseas banks during the Second World War. The regime executed a policy of looting the assets of its victims to finance the war, collecting the looted assets in central depositories. The occasional transfer of gold in return for currency took...
, an international symposium convened in London by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a British government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom overseas, created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.The head of the FCO is the...
and attended by delegates from 42 countries.
Hunting Nazi war criminals
In 1984 Sayer approached Jeff RookerJeff Rooker, Baron Rooker
Jeffrey William Rooker, Baron Rooker, PC is a British politician, who served as the Labour Member of Parliament for Birmingham Perry Barr from 1974 until 2001...
, MP for Perry Barr
Perry Barr
Perry Barr is an inner-city area in north Birmingham, England. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the smaller Perry Barr ward and the wards of Handsworth Wood, Lozells and East Handsworth, and Oscott, which elect three councillors to...
to ask a Parliamentary Question on when Britain would be releasing several tonnes of looted Nazi gold still held in the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
pending the resolution of a 1946 reparations claim against Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
in respect of the Corfu Channel Incident
Corfu Channel Incident
The Corfu Channel Incident refers to three separate events involving Royal Navy ships in the Channel of Corfu which took place in 1946, and it is considered an early episode of the Cold War. During the first incident, Royal Navy ships came under fire from Albanian fortifications...
. Despite various Parliamentary Questions, an adjournment debate on the issue, and a direct request to the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
for clarification the matter was not finally resolved until 1996.
In 1988 Sayer was asked by Jeff Rooker to investigate a claim by one of his constituents that a regimental aid fund, established in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, was not benefitting the former POWs it had been established to care for. Sayers’ subsequent enquiries established that Rooker’s constituent had been a survivor of the Wormhoudt massacre
Wormhoudt massacre
The Wormhoudt massacre was the mass murder of 80 British and French POWs by the Waffen SS during the Battle of France in May 1940.-Fighting:...
, the murder of nearly 90 unarmed British troops in 1940 by members of the Infantry Regiment Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, during the retreat to Dunkirk. Rooker’s file contained a picture of the SS officer, allegedly responsible for the crime, who had disappeared at the end of the war. Sayer recognised the officer as SS General Wilhelm Mohnke
Wilhelm Mohnke
SS-Brigadeführer Wilhelm Mohnke was one of the original 120 members of the SS-Staff Guard "Berlin" formed in March 1933. From those ranks, Mohnke rose to become one of Adolf Hitler's last remaining generals.Mohnke saw action with the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler in France, Poland...
who had been responsible for the defence of the underground bunker complex in which Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
committed suicide. Sayer’s subsequent investigation linked Mohnke with other World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
atrocities including the murder of unarmed Canadian soldiers taken prisoner during the Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
invasion and the infamous Malmedy massacre
Malmedy massacre
The Malmedy massacre was a war crime in which 84 American prisoners of war were murdered by their German captors during World War II. The massacre was committed on December 17, 1944, by members of Kampfgruppe Peiper , a German combat unit, during the Battle of the Bulge.The massacre, as well as...
of unarmed US prisoners of war during the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
.
Sayer had come across Wilhelm Mohnke in the late 1970s whilst researching ‘Nazi Gold
Nazi gold
Nazi gold is the gold transferred by Nazi Germany to overseas banks during the Second World War. The regime executed a policy of looting the assets of its victims to finance the war, collecting the looted assets in central depositories. The occasional transfer of gold in return for currency took...
’ but had been unaware of his involvement in war crimes. Sayer traced Mohnke to his home town of Barsbüttel near Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and Rooker was able to highlight Mohnke’s location and his involvement in the Wormhoudt massacre in the House of Commons on the 24th March 1988. This action led to an international media frenzy which had the effect of incarcerating Mohnke in his own home. Although the British, Canadian and US governments all became involved – German legislation dictated that any investigation should be conducted by Mohnke’s local judicial authority. Sayer arranged for Rooker’s constituent to initiate a formal complaint which obliged the reluctant State Prosecutor
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
in Lubeck to launch an investigation. This lasted for nearly six years with the State Prosecutor finally concluding that there was insufficient evidence to charge Mohnke. Wilhelm Mohnke was not interviewed at any time during the investigation.
Other activities
In December 1969 he was one of 25 finalists in the London Evening NewsLondon Evening News
The London Evening News was a newspaper that was first published on 14 August 1855.Usually when people mention the London Evening News they are actually referring to The Evening News, that was published in London from 1881 to 1980 when it was incorporated into the Evening Standard.A newspaper under...
‘Personality of the Year’ awards together with Formula 1 motor racing champion Graham Hill
Graham Hill
Norman Graham Hill was a British racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion. He is the only driver to win the Triple Crown of Motorsport — the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indianapolis 500 and Formula One World Championship.Graham Hill and his son Damon are the only father and son pair both to...
, film star Ben Lyon
Ben Lyon
Ben Lyon was an American film actor and a 20th Century Fox studio executive.-Life:Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Lyon entered films in 1918 after a successful appearance on Broadway opposite Jeanne Eagels. He attracted attention in the highly successful film Flaming Youth , and steadily developed into...
and English test cricketer and later Bishop of Liverpool David Sheppard
David Sheppard
David Stuart Sheppard, Baron Sheppard of Liverpool was the high-profile Bishop of Liverpool in the Church of England who played cricket for Sussex and England in his youth...
.
In the late 1970s, whilst researching ‘Nazi Gold’ Sayer developed an interest in collecting historical autographs and manuscripts. Initially his collection was general in nature but over the years he began to specialise in aviation and World War II material. In 1980 he opened Britain’s first Autograph Shop, selling framed items, at Sunningdale
Sunningdale
Sunningdale is a large village and civil parish in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England.-Location:Sunningdale is located close to the present border with Surrey, and is not far from Ascot, Sunninghill and Virginia Water. It is situated 24 miles west of London and 7...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
.
In 1983 he was able to assist the Sunday Times, during their publication of the hoax Hitler Diaries
Hitler Diaries
In April 1983, the West German news magazine Stern published excerpts from what purported to be the diaries of Adolf Hitler, known as the Hitler Diaries , which were subsequently revealed to be forgeries...
, by providing information which, although casting increasing doubt over the authenticity of the “Diaries”, allowed them to begin the process of retraction.
Sayer remained active in the express parcels industry during the 1980s and 1990s initially acting in a consultative capacity on behalf of companies such as British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
, KLM and DHL Express
DHL Express
DHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail....
. He was DHL’s European Consultant between 1984 and 1985 and played a major role in the establishment of its original Brussels Transport Hub and highly successful Intra European parcels delivery system.
In 1985 he was appointed to the board of British parcels carrier City Link Ltd
City Link Ltd.
City Link is a British next day courier company based in Coventry, United Kingdom. City Link operates services in the UK including the Isle of Man from its hub in Coventry in the West Midlands although functional offices exist in other areas of the country...
playing a leading role in updating and modernising the company’s activities and facilities. In 1988 he was appointed to the board of government owned Belfast International Airport
Belfast International Airport
Belfast International Airport is a major airport located northwest of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It was formerly known and is still referred to as Aldergrove Airport, after the village of the same name lying immediately to the west of the airport. Belfast International shares its runways with...
serving two terms of three years until privatisation in 1994.
On the 27th September 1990 he was one of 100 delegates attending an Anti-Terrorist conference at the Royal Over-Seas League
Royal Over-Seas League
The Royal Over-Seas League is a non-profit members’ organisation with international headquarters based in its clubhouse in central London, England...
just off St. James’s Street in London’s West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
, who narrowly escaped death from a bomb which had been placed in the conference room by the Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
.
In 1988 he founded and published the nationally distributed magazine World War II Investigator which he sold the following year.
The Ian Sayer Archive
During the 1990s Sayer continued to build, evaluate and catalogue his 25000 volume library and World War II document collection. Generally accepted as one of the world’s leading experts on Third Reich documentation and signature identification he now acts as curator of the Ian Sayer Archive, making its contents available to institutions including the Imperial War MuseumImperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
, other historians, authors and professional researchers of the period. The archive has most recently made a significant contribution to Andrew Roberts’s latest book, the bestselling The Storm of War: a New History of the Second World War (2009), Allen Lane, ISBN 0-7139-9970-5
Current activities
He is currently a consultant to Europe’s leading specialist autograph auction house, International Autograph Auctions Ltd , the British based company he helped to establish, with autograph expert Richard Davie, in 2005.External links
Nazi Gold Website :- http://www.nazi-gold.com/
‘The Storm of War’ and embedded video taken in the Ian Sayer Archive:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EJZL_WwxK4
Raider of the Lost Archive : Financial Times
- http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/b6759648-7d60-11de-b8ee-00144feabdc0.html