"Cover-up
suspicion on Nazi scientists"
The backgrounds
of Nazi scientists secretly brought to Australia may have been deliberately
covered up to protect them from the Federal Government's War Crimes Unit,
one of its former senior advisers said yesterday.
"I
am quite certain now that there was deliberately a kind of protection
around these people so the SIU (Special Investigations Unit) didn't get
hold of (them)," said Professor Kwiet, who also acts as a consultant
to the Canadian and American War crimes units. "The SIU didn't get
hold of those people, they were simply protected."
The
Age revealed yesterday that former Nazis, including members of the SS
and Hitler's storm-troopers, were among at least 127 German scientists
and technicians brought to Australia between 1946 and 1951 for use in
a range of fields, including defence and weapons research. More than 40
had been members of the Nazi Party or other Nazi organisations.
...The
Age is not suggesting those on the list were ardent Nazis and some
may have been forced to joing Nazi organistations under duress.
So,
who ended up at the then Post Master General's Research Labs? Not all
the scientists were named by the Age, however at least two very prominent
researchers were named.
Albert
Jacob Seyler. Telecommunications engineer. Member Sturmabeitlung (stormtroopers)
with rank of Scharfurer 1933-38. Nazi Party from 1937, National Socialist
Students' Union 1937-45 and RAD from 1933*. Fliegerhauptingenieur (captain)
in Ingenieurcorps of Luftwaffe 1941-45. Proposed and developed ground
radar-controlled night fighter aircraft guidance system. In 1941-42 built
three jamming stations to cover breakout of German battleships in February
1942. In 1943 worked on countering anti-radar techniques used by RAF bombers.
Arrived 7/4/1948. Employed by Postmaster General's Department, Melbourne.
Appeared in Who's Who in Australia 1971.
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Left
TRL all staff meeting, July 1953?
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Dr
Wilhelm Heinrich Otto. Radio physicist. Member DAF (NSBO)
1938-45, NSV 1938-45*. Employed by Telefunken 1938-45 developing
walki-talkies, radar receivers, aerials and short-wave direction
finders for ships. Make chief of Telefunken research laboratories
in 1943. Awaiting de-Nazification when recruited. Arrived Australia
8/4/48. Employed by Postmaster General's Department, Melbourne.
*RAD
- The German Labor Front
DAF or NSBO - Nationals Socialist Factory Cells Organisation,
used by Hitler to crush free trade unions
NSV - National Socialist Welfare Organisation
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Right
The legacy of TRLs Nazi past was graphically demonstrated when dozens
of these experimental V2 rockets were produced and tested by the NewWave
labs in the summer of 2000. They were all duds. |
![](images/v2_rocket.jpg) |
The author
has poured through the hundreds of Research Lab reports generated by the
two scientists mentioned. Some of the disturbing work undertaken included
the testing and evaluation of canvas versus leather mail bags.
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