蜜芽传媒

A story of Intrigue, Escape and Love
A Rothschild Family鈥檚 Escape from Nazi Germany

This story revolves around my Aunt, Aleece Rothschild, who was suspected of being a German spy, her escape from war-torn Europe, capture on the high seas and a very happy ending.

Aleece, my father Max and Uncle Fred were born in G枚ppingen, a small town near Stuttgart in southern Germany. My grandfather Rudolph had served in the Kaiser鈥檚 War and was decorated with the Iron Cross. Max was born in 1912, Alice (Aleece) in 1915 and Alfred (Fred) in 1922.

Max鈥檚 鈥榚scape鈥� from Germany:

Max graduated as an electrical engineer in 1930 and worked until anti-Jewish Nazi policy drove him to seek work outside Germany. He worked in France but the ideal of settling in Palestine appealed to him. He went there but could not find professional work and spent a year on a Kibbutz. He tired of this and around 1935 returned to see the family in Germany. He found a changed and hostile country. He got into a fight with some Nazi thugs and ended up in jail in Berlin. He was saved however by the family contacting a man who had been a good school friend but was now a member of the 鈥楽S鈥�. Knowing Max was Jewish, this friend did him a last favour: he was able to get Max out of jail on condition that Max left Germany for good. This offer Max did not refuse.

Max then went to London where he spent time with family there. Family legend has it that he had an affair with a married woman whose husband soon found them out. With true 鈥榮tiff upper lip鈥� he did not make a fuss but arranged a one-way ticket and visa for Max to a far-away place. This place turned out to be South Africa and Max again accepted an offer into the unknown. In South Africa, Max held various jobs and by 1939 was the manager the Commodore Hotel in Johannesburg. This post brought Max into contact with Esta Austin, the owner of a local patisserie which supplied the hotel. Esta later became his mother-in-law when in 1941 he married her daughter, Irene.

Aleece鈥檚 First Escape:

Aleece, also felt the hostility of the Nazis. She left Germany in 1936 and sought work in England. She was fortunate to get a job as the governess to the children of Archie Pitt and his ex-wife Gracie Fields, the popular singer. Aleece was soon treated as a member of the family.

In the summer of 1939 the Pitt family took Aleece with them on an early summer holiday on the Italian Riviera. On arriving at the Italian border from France, Aleece was not permitted to enter fascist Italy because her passport was stamped 鈥楯ude鈥� (Jew). Mr Pitt鈥檚 admirable reaction was to turn around and take the entire party to Nice on the French Riviera.

Unfortunately during this holiday, Aleece contracted rheumatic fever which led to months of hospitalization. At the end of their holiday, the Pitts returned to England telling her to follow them back and to her job when she had recovered.

Enter Abe Garsh:

At about this time in Johannesburg, Max had become friendly with Abe Garsh, a friend of Irene鈥檚. Abe had decided to tour Europe and heard about Aleece from Max who asked him, if possible, to visit his sister recuperating in France.

After travelling through England, Italy, Switzerland and France Abe traced Aleece through an Aunt and Uncle and was told that she was now in hospital in Mont Beron just outside Nice.

Aleece鈥檚 rheumatic condition had affected her hips and she was confined to bed with one leg raised in an elevated splint. She had no idea that a visitor from South Africa was on his way to see her so it was a great surprise when a nurse opened the door to usher Abe into her room. Abe could only see Aleece鈥檚 face and was immediately taken with her appearance and gentle demeanour. Abe presented Aleece flowers and chocolates, and they spent the afternoon talking about Max and each other鈥檚 lives. The afternoon flew by and both were disappointed when the nurse asked Abe to leave. He promised to return the following day and he visited her every day that week, always bringing presents. Of course Abe had to return to South Africa and did not know how long Aleece would need to remain in hospital. Therefore it was a great surprise to Aleece, especially since Abe had never seen her out of a hospital bed and standing, that he decided she was the woman of his life. He proposed to her and wanted to arrange for a Rabbi to come to the hospital to marry them!

Aleece was pleasantly surprised and flattered, and acknowledged that she had developed an affection for Abe. However, she declined saying that she really did not know him well enough to make such an important decision at short notice. More importantly she was not certain about her health and whether she would ever walk normally again. Up to this time she planned that she would return to the Pitt family in England.

Certain of his feelings but little else, Abe returned to Johannesburg. He persisted in many letters to Aleece and via Max, to press his suit. He pleaded with her to come to South Africa when she left the hospital. Max assured Aleece that Abe was of impeccable character and was well respected and that she could not make a better choice.

Aleece鈥檚 Escape from France:

Then the great tide of events that was to sweep Europe began - the Allies and Germany were at war. The French populace felt safe behind its great army. In April 1940 Aleece went to recuperate in Nancy in north-eastern France, to the place of many summer vacations, the home of her beloved Aunt Hedwig and Uncle Albert Simon. Having no children of their own, they regarded Aleece as their daughter.

In May 1940, Germany invaded France and the French Army collapsed. Albert and Hedwig encouraged Aleece to leave Europe. It was impossible to travel to England but they secured a ticket on a Portuguese steamer which was to leave Lisbon for Southern Africa. Abe arranged a visa for South Africa. With all the papers in order, Albert and Hedwig drove Aleece to the Spanish border at Hendaye for the train to Lisbon. There they bid their adored niece a sad and anxious farewell.

At the Spanish and Portuguese borders all her papers were checked with care, but Aleece was not allowed to enter Portugal. Aleece had her medical records and x-rays with her but the authorities did not believe that the x-rays were of her hips. She was made to remain at the border town overnight where she stayed with an officer and his wife who took pity on her. The 鈥榥eutral鈥� Portuguese authorities kept her medical records and x-rays. After a sleepless night, Aleece was then given permission to enter Portugal - by which time she had missed her train.

Fortunately, she reached the ship just prior to its departure. This vessel the 鈥楺uanza鈥� served the route between Lisbon and the Portuguese colonies in Africa (Angola and Mozambique) and South Africa. Aleece shared a cabin and made a few friends en-route. The trip was uneventful until they reached South African Waters.

Aleece鈥檚 鈥榗apture鈥� Part 1:

Aleece was startled out of her sleep in the middle of the night by the sudden stopping of the sound of the engines. The silence also allowed her to hear howling wind outside. She had a bad feeling. Shortly thereafter, there was a knock on her door and she was summoned to the captain鈥檚 cabin. There she found Royal Navy officers, who said: "In the name of the King of England we are arresting you as a German spy."! Aleece was dumbfounded.

She was ordered fetch her belongings and to accompany them to the large British warship nearby. The stormy conditions made the trip to the warship hazardous. As she passed on her way to the rails of the Quanza, some passengers filled her pockets with sweets and biscuits. Others looked on in horror, amazement and disbelief. Aleece was lowered with her luggage into a whaler which made its way with great difficulty to the British ship. The small boat was tossed around like a cork and Aleece became sea sick. As they approached the warship, one of the oars broke, so the seaman paddled the remaining distance with his hands.

Aboard the warship, the Captain confirmed that he had orders from England to arrest her as a Nazi spy. She was interrogated intensively but treated very courteously. She was incredulous, telling the captain that she was Jewish, a member of the well known and respected Rothschild family, she had been in hospital for the last few months and thus would be a most unlikely spy. She was given an officer鈥檚 cabin with an armed guard outside the door. The explanation for this was that the ship had about 500 men aboard and that it was she who must be protected. In questioning Aleece gave the names of people who could vouch for her which the captain communicated to England. He soon became convinced that a mistake had been made and thereafter she was treated her as a guest but they had no idea what do with her. After several weeks in this limbo, the ship docked in Madagascar for the sole purpose of disembarking Aleece.

Meanwhile earlier Abe had met the Quanza when it docked in Durban and was told by passengers the story of Aleece鈥檚 arrest by the Royal Navy and her transfer to one of their ships. It was war time and no information was available. Back in Johannesburg, Abe and Max made frantic attempts to trace Aleece. Abe even made contact with an attorney friend who knew Jan Smuts, the South African Prime Minister. After weeks of investigation it was confirmed that Aleece had been removed by the Navy. This was the only information that they were given.

Aleece鈥檚 鈥榗apture鈥� Part 2:

Aleece eventually was allowed to board a British ship bound from Madagascar to Durban. However many weeks had elapsed since she was due to enter South Africa, so that when the ship docked in Durban, she was denied entry 鈥� her visa had expired! However she was allowed to make one telephone call: she contacted brother Max who was enormously relieved because he had no idea where she was, or indeed if she was still alive.

Because Aleece then effectively had no visa, she was required to return to the territory from which she came 鈥� Portuguese territory: so she was put onto another ship bound for Lourenco Marques. This ship was sailing via East London in South Africa. Max then frantically drove to East London to meet this ship in the hope of meeting her. He arrived, only to find the ship departing the harbour.

Upon arriving in Lourenco Marques, which was in neutral Portuguese territory, Aleece was of course without a visa for Portugal and was told that she would not be admitted and would probably be sent back to Europe as neither South Africa nor Mozambique/Portugal would allow her in. She implored them not to send her back: she told the immigration officers of the past weeks aboard the warship and that if she was to be sent back to Europe, she would throw herself into the ocean. The officers relented and allowed her to disembark and be put up at the fine Polana hotel, until a visa for South Africa was made available to her. She was enormously relieved and grateful.

Another lesser problem faced Aleece in Lourenco Marques: she was an attractive woman 鈥� attractive and alone 鈥� this meant that the local men regarded her as legitimate prey! Even in the hotel dining room her table had to be behind a partition. In order to help her, Max鈥檚 future mother-in-law, Esta Austin made the overnight train trip from Johannesburg to chaperone Aleece. Esta was a fierce old Cockney lady who could keep men at bay with ease!

Aleece鈥檚 鈥榚scape鈥� Part 3:

Despite Abe invoking 鈥榝riends who knew friends who knew cabinet ministers鈥� it became apparent that the immigration authorities in South Africa would continue to refuse entry to Aleece. It seemed that suspicions remained - 鈥榯here is a war on鈥� - so she was blacklisted.

A plan was needed: Max and Abe decided on desperate measures in order to get Aleece to safety. They would simply smuggle Aleece across the borders! They planned the move to be on a Sunday when border controls were rumoured to be more relaxed. They saved, begged and borrowed petrol rations. They planned a route 鈥� since there was no real surveillance of Aleece in Lourenco Marques, they would drive out of Mozambique and into South Africa via Swaziland which was a British Protectorate. This last move was to be the clincher: Abe arranged with a Justice of the Peace who lived in Mbabane, Swaziland, to marry Abe and Aleece on the Sunday morning. Aleece would legally be Abe鈥檚 wife. Brother and prospective husband discussed the plan with Aleece, and she in desperation, agreed.

The plan was fraught with many dangers. They had to travel for 500 miles from Johannesburg to Lourenco Marques and back over bad dirt roads - would the car make it? Did they have enough petrol? Max was also technically still an 鈥榚nemy alien鈥�. The consequences of failure would probably be imprisonment for all and deportation for Aleece and Max.

After a long journey, Abe and Max arrived in Lourenco Marques on Saturday the 9th September 1940 and with great excitement Abe, Aleece and Max were reunited. Early the following morning they drove to the border post between Mozambique and Swaziland. They hid Aleece under a blanket in the rear and they held their breaths when they reached the border. Their papers were examined and they heaved a sigh of relief, as a young border guard casually waved them through.

However complications persisted: when they arrived at the Registry Office in Mbabane they found it locked! They beat on the door but no one answered. They frantically queried locals to find the Justice of the Peace. They eventually found his home; to be told that he was playing his usual Sunday round of golf - he had completely forgotten the arrangement! Somewhat grumpily he was dragged away from the golf course to perform the marriage ceremony with a passer-by as witness. Aleece was now legally the wife of Abe Garsh 鈥� South African citizen. Abe鈥檚 passport was amended to include his new wife's name, this being the only document that would hopefully allow Aleece admission to South Africa. At the South African border Aleece Garsh was admitted without problem. It was the 10th of September 1940. The great ordeal was over.

Ironically, considering all the official suspicions about Aleece, there was never any query by any authority regarding the whereabouts of this supposed 鈥榮py鈥�. Aleece and Abe led a wonderfully full life, had two children and remained happily married until Abe鈥檚 death in 1993. Aleece still lives in Johannesburg (Jan. 2006).

Fred and his Parents:

Fred and his parents emigrated to the US in 1938 by virtue of their extended family there. My grandfather was one of those many Jews who felt that they were good Germans and some upstart politician was no danger (鈥淚 won the Iron Cross for the Fatherland鈥�); so he was staying put. This was until the man who had been his best friend in that WW1 army and who was then the local police chief (and had to join the Nazi party to keep his job) met my grandmother in the street one day. He told her that he would visit them that night 鈥� late! He appeared with great secrecy around midnight and told them that from the information he was getting, they had to leave immediately. No questions 鈥� just go - now. They did. They packed up, sold a good business for very little and sailed to New York and to safety.

Postscripts:

Max, Abe and Fred served in the armed forces of their respective countries during the war.
Fred later served with the US Justice Department in Germany as a de-Nazification officer.
Hedwig and Albert survived the war hiding in Vichy France.
Max and Irene married in 1941 and were happily married until her death in 1959.

The writer has attempted to find out more of this incident at the National Archives at Kew but there is no record of Aleece Rothschild. There is, however, a record of the ship, the Quanza, having been stopped by the Royal Navy on another voyage and German men who were attempting to return to the Fatherland, were removed from it. So there were informers about!

The rules governing the treatment of enemy civilians aboard neutral ships were complex but basically stated that the Navy may board neutral ships on the high seas and remove enemy agents, persons who might be of value to the enemy war effort and men of military age. Women and children however were not considered a threat and should NOT normally be removed!

In the case of Aleece, it seems that information was passed to Britain that here was a possible enemy agent of such importance that a Royal Navy warship was diverted from its patrol to pick her up. Why and how this came to be, remains a mystery. Aleece never found out.

David Rothschild
London
January 2006

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