Raymond David Hughes
Encyclopedia
Raymond Davies Hughes from Mold, north Wales
, was a Welsh RAF
airman who made propaganda broadcasts in Welsh for the Nazi Party during World War II
.
. Hughes first attended Mold Council School, and then in 1937 Alun School
. After finishing at the age of 15 he worked for a shoe store in Mold. He was promoted to branch manager in Bangor
, but was suddenly dismissed for, as he later claimed, dressing the shop windows while in his shirt sleeves.
in 1941 and was selected for flying duties as an air gunner. He was posted to No. 467 Squadron
of the Royal Australian Air Force, and within five months made such a favourable impression that he was recommended for an officer's commission.
On 17 August 1943, Hughes was flying his 21st mission as a gunner in a Lancaster
bomber, which was participating on a raid on Peenemünde
. The crew bailed out after the aircraft was attacked and set on fire by an enemy fighter, and Hughes was captured and sent to Dulag Luft, a transit camp and interrogation centre for captured aircrew near Frankfurt
.
Using the alias of John Charles Baker, Hughes agreed to broadcast propaganda and went to Berlin where he was allowed a substantial degree of freedom, renting a flat while he was employed as a broadcaster and scriptwriter at Radio Metropole, for which he was paid 600 RM
monthly. Between January and March 1944 he made several broadcasts in the Welsh language
directed at Welsh troops fighting in the Italian campaign
. Evidence gathered by MI9
, which maintained secret links with Allied PoWs, later suggested that Hughes had also been writing anti-Jewish propaganda for broadcast.
Sometime in 1944 Hughes was stripped of his privileges and confined to a POW camp, where he was eventually liberated by the advancing Soviet forces in April 1945. While awaiting transport to Britain he was arrested and charged with voluntarily aiding the enemy while a POW.
held at RAF Uxbridge
in August 1945, where he pleaded not guilty to 11 charges of assisting the enemy, including a charge of giving money to British Free Corps
recruiters, an SS unit composed of British and Allied POWs. He was cleared of six of the charges but found guilty of the remaining five, three of which carried a potential death sentence. However, he was eventually sentenced to five years hard labour
, which was subsequently reduced to two years following an appeal for clemency.
He died in Cheltenham
, having become a successful businessman.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, was a Welsh RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
airman who made propaganda broadcasts in Welsh for the Nazi Party during 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...
.
Early life
Hughes moved to Mold after his mother married John Hughes, a bricklayer at the John Summers steelworks in ShottonShotton
-Places:England* Shotton, Northumberland, a village in the County of Northumberland* Shotton, Peterlee, a village in County Durham* Shotton, Sedgefield, a village in County Durham* Shotton Colliery, a village in County DurhamWales...
. Hughes first attended Mold Council School, and then in 1937 Alun School
Alun School
The Alun School is a large secondary school serving the community of Mold, Flintshire, North Wales, and its surrounding villages. It is part of the Flintshire LEA...
. After finishing at the age of 15 he worked for a shoe store in Mold. He was promoted to branch manager in Bangor
Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
, but was suddenly dismissed for, as he later claimed, dressing the shop windows while in his shirt sleeves.
Wartime service
Hughes joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer ReserveRoyal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve consists of a number of groupings of individual military reservists for the management and operation of the Royal Air Force's Air Training Corps and CCF Air Cadet formations, Volunteer Gliding Squadrons , Air Experience Flights, and also to form the...
in 1941 and was selected for flying duties as an air gunner. He was posted to No. 467 Squadron
No. 467 Squadron RAAF
No. 467 Squadron RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force bomber squadron during World War II, active in the European Theater of Operations as an Article XV Squadron under command of the Royal Air Force.-History:No...
of the Royal Australian Air Force, and within five months made such a favourable impression that he was recommended for an officer's commission.
On 17 August 1943, Hughes was flying his 21st mission as a gunner in a Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
bomber, which was participating on a raid on Peenemünde
Peenemünde
The Peenemünde Army Research Center was founded in 1937 as one of five military proving grounds under the Army Weapons Office ....
. The crew bailed out after the aircraft was attacked and set on fire by an enemy fighter, and Hughes was captured and sent to Dulag Luft, a transit camp and interrogation centre for captured aircrew near Frankfurt
Frankfurt (Oder)
Frankfurt is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, located on the Oder River, on the German-Polish border directly opposite the town of Słubice which was a part of Frankfurt until 1945. At the end of the 1980s it reached a population peak with more than 87,000 inhabitants...
.
Collaboration
Hughes initially agreed to hand out what he had been told were Red Cross forms to his fellow prisoners, believing that the data was to be used to help contact the POWs' families. They were in fact forms designed to elicit more personal data that the "name, rank and serial number" which was all that PoWs (Prisoners of War) were required to reveal, which would later be used in interrogations. Hughes soon became useful to the Germans and remained at Dulag Luft instead of being moved on to a standard PoW camp. His assistance was rewarded by better accommodation and more privileges than other prisoners, including being allowed to wear civilian clothes, and it was even reported that by November 1943 he was wearing German uniform.Using the alias of John Charles Baker, Hughes agreed to broadcast propaganda and went to Berlin where he was allowed a substantial degree of freedom, renting a flat while he was employed as a broadcaster and scriptwriter at Radio Metropole, for which he was paid 600 RM
German reichsmark
The Reichsmark was the currency in Germany from 1924 until June 20, 1948. The Reichsmark was subdivided into 100 Reichspfennig.-History:...
monthly. Between January and March 1944 he made several broadcasts in the Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
directed at Welsh troops fighting in the Italian campaign
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
. Evidence gathered by MI9
MI9
MI9, the British Military Intelligence Section 9, was a department of the British Directorate of Military Intelligence, part of the War Office...
, which maintained secret links with Allied PoWs, later suggested that Hughes had also been writing anti-Jewish propaganda for broadcast.
Sometime in 1944 Hughes was stripped of his privileges and confined to a POW camp, where he was eventually liberated by the advancing Soviet forces in April 1945. While awaiting transport to Britain he was arrested and charged with voluntarily aiding the enemy while a POW.
Court martial
Hughes appeared before a court-martialCourt-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
held at RAF Uxbridge
RAF Uxbridge
RAF Uxbridge was a Royal Air Force station in Uxbridge within the London Borough of Hillingdon. Its grounds covered originally belonging to the Hillingdon House estate, which was purchased by the British Government in 1915, three years before the founding of the RAF...
in August 1945, where he pleaded not guilty to 11 charges of assisting the enemy, including a charge of giving money to British Free Corps
British Free Corps
During World War II, the British Free Corps was a unit of the consisting of British and Dominion prisoners of war who had been recruited by the Nazis. The unit was originally known as The Legion of St...
recruiters, an SS unit composed of British and Allied POWs. He was cleared of six of the charges but found guilty of the remaining five, three of which carried a potential death sentence. However, he was eventually sentenced to five years hard labour
Penal labour
Penal labour is a form of unfree labour in which prisoners perform work, typically manual labour. The work may be light or hard, depending on the context. Forms of sentence which involve penal labour include penal servitude and imprisonment with hard labour...
, which was subsequently reduced to two years following an appeal for clemency.
He died in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, having become a successful businessman.