Nazi troops were captured on camera parading through the London in 1936

This photo is in one of my albums which belonged to a German sailor who served on the Konigsberg taken a couple of years before outbreak of the war .
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jim www.throughtheireyes2.co.uk

 

interesting photograph..thanks for sharing

 

The picture which prompted all this was published in The Times as part of its coverage of the event. The report makes clear that the four men giving the Nazi salute as the coffin passed on a gun carriage were German Embassy officials, led by Dr Dieckhoff of the German Foreign Office: the others are probably the Naval, Air and Military Attachés. Mourners included Embassy staff, members of the German community in London and a group of German students. These are presumably the people on the balcony. The large crowd which lined the route were silent and "men without exception removed their hats .... when the coffin came in view."

Another picture in The Times shows the arrival of the coffin at Victoria Station. The report says that four Embassy officials gave the Nazi salute there, but that the British and diplomatic representatives formed a silent group. The German Naval, Air and Military Attachés were all reported to have saluted the colours of the 2nd Batt Coldstream Guards, who had formed the guard of honour: Dieckhoff and other Embassy staff did the same. In the picture, officers in German uniform can be seen saluting - but in the traditional manner, not the Nazi salute (but that wouldn't make a good story for the Daily Mail would it? )

At Dover, the coffin was transferred to HMS Scout with a Royal Navy honour guard: Dieckhoff and the Naval Attaché accompanied it on board and as the ship sailed - flying the German flag at half mast - they were seen to be giving the Nazi salute from the deck.

 

What some might not know is that the Hitler Gruss (Hitler Salute) was the official state salute which had to be forwarded by state officials such as the Attachés or Embassy staff.

So forwarding that salute due to the ceremony of a state representative as the German ambassador to the UK would be nothing uncommon.

I think the article only ment to "arouse" feelings, in regards to maybe British participating in the salute.

Regards
Kruska

 

Indeed.
In fact, without this angle the story, while interesting to history fans like us, would not be newsworthy to the rest of the general public.