The first thing Hitler did when he left his bedroom at the Berghof in the morning was to go straight to the magnificent terrace on the ground floor. There, at a particular time, he usually saw a wonderful and inspiring sight – two gigantic eagles sweeping in high circles through the sky; through field glasses he would eagerly watch the majestic flight of these rare but handsome birds. Then, one day, to his consternation, he saw but one eagle; what, he wondered anxiously, had happened to the other?

For days the subject was anxiously discussed among us, for we all saw how worried Hitler was at the disappearance of the second eagle.

A little later we decided to go again to Obersalzberg for his birthday, and a few days before the event our column set out from Munich. About thirty miles outside Munich we saw a fast-moving car approaching from the opposite direction, and in spite of the speed at which it passed us, Hitler noticed that some great bird with outspread wings was lying on the back seat. Immediately he halted the column. ‘I do believe,’ he said, ‘that was my eagle!’ and he forthwith ordered the Commando escort … to drive back and overtake the car.

‘If I am fit, I promise you, gentlemen, that I shall mete out an exemplary punishment to those scoundrels! And not to them alone, but also to the recipient!’ he said, and the black look on his face boded no good for the unfortunates who had roused his wrath.

About an hour later we saw the Commando car returning at full speed. We halted and Rattenhuber came running up.

‘You were quite right, mein Führer,’ he reported. ‘It is the eagle from the mountains.’

‘And the recipient?’ asked Hitler in menacing tones.

Hesitatingly Rattenhuber continued. ‘The eagle was delivered to your Munich residence … It is mounted on a marble plinth, which bears the inscription:

TO OUR BELOVED FÜHRER

FROM HIS MOUNTAINS

April 20th

From the Local Party Group

NSDAP Berchtesgaden.

HEINRICH HOFFMANN, 1955¹