Had World War II finished with a victory for Hitler landmark buildings around London and Great Britain were certainly on his shopping list for use by him personally or for his cronies and administrators.
Two of those in London were of an art deco nature however of rather different styles, if somewhat contrasting in their appearances perhaps giving an insight into his extreme and changeable psychiatric nature.
The more brutal one was that of Senate House the building now used by the University of London. The massive Portland Stone edifice was to house the Nazi headquarters and administration for the UK built in the Neo Classical Art deco style in the early 1930’s.
One of his other rumoured choices and thought to be his very own offices were that of Ibex House at The Minories near to Tower Hill. This much more delicate glass and curvaceous style with tan glazed tiles and black detail almost mirroring the colour of the military tunic he often wore!
This streamlined construction of 9 floors now in the finance and insurance industry area of the City Of London and is a world away from Senate House in design.
This much more pure idea of an art deco building with its contrasting straight-line detail and huge areas of delicate windows with them curving around at each corner of the building.
The streamline ‘moderne style’ office block was designed by architects Fuller, Hall and Foulsham and was opened in 1937.
Many other buildings castles and stately homes both in London and around the whole of the UK were certainly on his and his henchmen’s lists too!
Even the town of Blackpool was earmarked as a potential soldiers play park for the Nazi regime. A place for rest and re-cooperation, where more than towels would have been placed on the beach to protect it for Nazi party use only!
I guess to make it clear it was possibly for exclusive Nazi top brass and military use only. Goose-stepping although by the time of his proposes invasion had gone out of style but never the less the seaside resort could have seen the swastika flying from its famous tower accompanied with marching troops along its several mile long seafront.
Centrally located in England is the stately home of Apley Hall near to Norton in the Midlands and this too was to be an HQ or nerve centre for the decision makers had operation ‘Seal Lion’ succeeded.
Near by is the charming small market town of Bridgnorth and Ludlow records in former Nazi archives from 1940 found in a bunker in Belgium more recently clearly showed that there was great interest in the area with plans illustrating possible road and rail links and other strategic details that could have been made use of to make the hall into a potential HQ.
Eton College for instance was earmarked as school for where top leaders and officers could send their children to be educated.
An almost shopping list of the country’s stately homes, castles and manor houses was prepared in order that high ranking generals leaders and party officials could select places where they could live once the UK had been subjugated.
Text And Pictures by: Geoff Moore http://www.thetraveltrunk.net