X marks the spot.
Posted on 06/28/2007 7:58:15 AM PDT by BGHater
The scriptwriter of Oxfordshire- based Midsomer Murders has been stunned by a German TV company's audacious bid to recapture Rommel's Gold.
Terry Hodgkinson has been planning a documentary which will focus on a search for the £10m haul of gold and diamonds.
But he was shocked when he discovered that German TV station ZDF stole a march on him by making their own film, which was screened earlier this month.
ZDF carried out covert research missions last year and then sailed to the east coast of the French Mediterranean island of Corsica in February to search for the missing gold.
The treasure was supposedly dumped by the Germans in 1943 after Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps was driven out of North Africa. The hoard is reputed to have been hidden by SS men, who planned to recover it after the war.
Mr Hodgkinson said: "It was a shock when I found out about the German documentary.
"But the important thing is that they did not succeed in finding the treasure, so their attempt will not harm our efforts whatsoever.
"Their expedition did not have permission from the French maritime authorities, who told them to leave the area after they used divers there.
"Once the Germans declared they were looking for Rommel's Treasure they were told they risked losing their equipment if they returned.
"We will have the advantage of having permission for our expedition from the French maritime archaeological department in Marseilles - we will be mounting the official search."
Mr Hodgkinson, whose wife is French, has a home in Corsica and plans to travel there in the near future to continue negotiations with the French authorities. He is also in talks with a number of TV companies regarding a film about the treasure hunt.
In 1963, Lord Kilbracken, who died last year, led an expedition on the ship Sea Diver to find the gold. Dan Eden, from Oxford, was the expedition's chief engineer.
As part of the proposed documentary, Lord Kilbracken's widow, Sue, is expected to visit Corsica to take part in the search.
No date has yet been set for filming the documentary Mr Hodgkinson wants to help make.
Anja Greulich, editor for documentaries at ZDF, said: "Research was done in 2006 and our expedition was in February of this year.
"Divers used sonar equipment and we shot underwater footage.
"But unfortunately they did not find the treasure."
This sounds bogus to me. There is no reason why Rommel would have had that kind of gold in Africa in the first place.
Oddball, Crapgame, meet me in Tobruk. We got another job.
Uh, I know a LOT about Rommel and cannot see any reason as to why he would have that kind of bullion with him in North Africa. This is a scam!
Hey Big Joe, don’t call me Barbara.
Could it have been loot from occupied areas that Rommel was moving FROM North Africa to Europe? Might have belonged to the French or even the locals before the Nazis looted it.
I am going to assume they were the spoils of plunder as Rommel held North Africa.
OTOH if Rommel had this loot as it were, why would he stash it in Corsica as opposed to returning it to Germany where he could keep a closer eye on it.
This whole thing is simply hogwash, same as the alleged Nazi treasure that was dumped in a Swiss lake. Nobody who knew where any of this was or if it ever existed...survived the war, or the Nuremberg Trials.
X never, ever marks the spot.
That's just it.. I don't think there was any. First of all, we are talking Africa. It's not like there was a whole bunch of gold lying around. 2nd, any sort of government money held by any of the African nations had time to get away. 3rd, Rommel wasn't a Nazi, and didn't spend his time killing and plundering.
There is really just no valid explanation.
The article doesn’t say it was Rommel’s loot, but loot secreted by some SS men under his Africa command.
While one can never discount the avariciousness of the SS or ardent Nazis, it seems silly to think they wouldn’t have gone back for it after the war.
And if they were all killed, then how and where did anyone find out about it—a treasure map perhaps? Bah!
lost what?
Rommel was forced to withdraw the remnants of his army to Tunisia, where it sustained a bridgehead until May 1943, enabling Rauff's SS to conduct a well-organised persecution campaign against the country's Jews. More than 2,500 Tunisian Jews died in a network of SS slave labour camps before the Germans withdrew. Rauff's men also stole silver, jewels and religious artefacts from the Tunisian Jews. Forty-three kilograms of gold were taken from the Jewish community on the island of Djerba alone.The gold and jewels were taken by the Germans as they withdrew and were later thrown into the sea off Corsica. Divers are still searching for " Rommel's Treasure".
Maybe they’ll find the Amnesty Bill down there.
Interesting, thanks. I had not known that to be the case.
Can anyone help me, I am looking for Terry Hodgkinson’s E-Mail Address, I saw the story about his search in Corsica, I can’t find anything else on it so I expect that they never did find ‘Rommels Gold’ which knowing what I know I sincerely doubt they would have as I have information that may well pinpoint the location of the Gold, which is in APC’s with their Cupolas welded shut. Terry if you read this can you please E-Mail me... I have the location but I do not have the means of recovery, I have contacted a couple of Treasure Hunting recovery Companies but they probably didn’t take me seriously. Incidentally my information is nowhere near Corsica!
Thank You...
"Rommel, you magnificent bastard! I read your book!"
Don’t hit me with them negative waves so early in the morning.
Has anyone verified Ft. Knox still has its bullion safe and secure?
lost what? Haven't I suffered... 
enough?
I feel... 
your pain, Adolf. I was married to Bill.
All that wealth... 
must be spread around to my followers!
Korrekt, Herr Oberste SA-Führer! You are preaching... 
to zhe choir! And I know nothzing! Nothzing! But my mortgage payment is zo large!
Hey, give me some pity, too. I was married... 
to Hauptbefehlsleiter Hill!
And you both... 
got just what you deserved!
There is certainly no doubt, all the fruits & nuts... 
visit my pad?
The pickings are just so good at your place... 
and, Bender, for the last time, stop calling me 'Shirley!'
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