Opening Moves

“I know you have been given certain assurances by Colonel Lavalle, Herr Knocke. These assurances I confirm here and now, and on the basis of this previous agreement, you have come here, and brought your comrades with you. Colonel Frisson informs me that you have not confided in these gentlemen any part of this. He also informs me that you resisted his attempts to find out what exactly was behind the removal of German officers from his camp.”

De Walle could not bring himself to criticise a French officer in front of Germans but he considered Frisson a fool and an ex-Vichy fool at that. That the Colonel was always watched went without saying.

“From what I have heard this morning, these men are keen to discover what exactly it is that they have followed you so blindly into.” Knocke made to comment but De Walle continued quickly, moving back to his place, but not sitting.

“Please Herr Knocke; understand that these men have followed you here on trust and respect for you as an officer and man. That is to be admired and I salute all of you.” A simple nod of the head to the group gave sufficient pause for De Walle to sip his coffee before continuing.

“There will be no written contract between us and officially this group will never exist. The commandos stationed here are to provide complete security for this site as well as to ensure that all of you remain here to fulfil the terms of this agreement. Once the symposium is complete, each of you will be returned to any part of Germany or Austria, or actually anywhere you choose within reason, and given every assistance to start a new life away from any stigma or investigation. That is our promise to you, and your presence here is taken as agreement to all that will now come to pass. Your faith in Herr Knocke’s judgement is not faulty I can assure you gentlemen. I must stress that we continue on the strict understanding that this symposium is never spoken of outside this facility and remains a state secret.”

Looks were exchanged by all except Knocke, who remained firmly focussed mentally on De Walle’s words, understanding precisely what lay behind them.

“Your purpose is to employ the expertise you have acquired in battle against the Red Army, and devolve that to allied officers who will visit here. Once the other two gentlemen that have been asked for arrive here, this symposium will consist of nine former German officers,” to Knocke, the ‘former’ stung badly, “Who have expertise in every field of combat, most of it hard won on the Eastern Front.

A click of his fingers and an orderly appeared with nine blue-card folders, each named for one of the men present. Knocke looked at the two folders that lay unallocated in front of De Walle’s seat. The names of Kuno Von Hardegen, until recently Oberstleutnant of the Panzertruppen and Christian Menzel, former artillery regiment Oberst and cousin to Knocke’s wife were plain to see. Schmidt processed the names immediately and nodded lightly in acknowledgement to Knocke, even though his precise mind had already seen the names on two Colibri lighters waiting for the new arrivals.

“Please read the outline carefully. You will obviously wish to decide whether you intend to become part of this enterprise in the first instance. If you wish to return to your former surroundings, we will do that immediately. If you wish to remain then please look at how you feel this group can address the stated requirements and, on my return, we can discuss how best to undertake this exercise. I will leave you alone for now as I have business elsewhere. I hope that your two absent comrades will be here by the time I get back. Unless there are any immediate questions gentlemen?”

A silent chorus of shaken heads was sufficient to excuse De Walle from the room, as each man immersed himself in the document that outlined the remit of Colloque Biarritz. Again, lighters summoned forth flame and the dining room became a fug of blue smoke.

Even though he was aware of its content previously, Ernst was still the last to finish reading and he looked up a number of expectant faces, with the exception of Von Arnesen whose doctorate in history drove him to examine the Hohenzollern and Hapsburg standards hanging on each stone column. The fact that the Château had once been known as ‘Staufenberg’ he felt he would keep to himself for the moment. It did not seem appropriate given what was about to be proposed.

As they had waited for Knocke to finish the others relaxed and took in the surroundings, the ornate wood panelling and painted walls and ceilings, each eye eventually being drawn to the ceiling and its central feature, an Imperial Eagle.

The sharper eyes were able to make out the inscription ‘Gott mit uns’ in the aureole surrounding the eagle’s head.

A polite cough brought all back from their reveries and to the business in hand.