So let's let that be a lesson to us all, I guess.
Ahh, okay. For a minute there I thought it was going to be something about that particularly nasty business with Otto Rahn.
Ok Lady, Hand Over the Nazi Cup, or the Pooch Gets It Friday, June 22, 2001 - UK
NORTHUMBRIA — "Ok lady, hand over the Nazi cup, or the pooch gets it." It's not exactly a phrase you hear in polite society these days, is it? Come to think of it, it's not exactly a phrase you hear. But unless we somehow got our newswire crossed with the WWII History Channel and the Home Shopping Network, here's the story:
News broke this morning of a bizarre dog-napping that has its roots in the sordid history of the Third Reich at the end of WWII. A metal chalice once belonging to Nazi leader Hermann Goering is being demanded as ransom in exchange for a woman's beloved Boxer pooch.
When the Allies raided the Nazi lair in 1945, the chalice was allegedly wrapped in curtains and smuggled into England by a Sunderland soldier George Armstrong. Later fearing the stigma of owning such a controversial piece, the soldier decided to hide it in the attic where it stayed until his death, reported the Sunderland Echo in 1999 when the chalice resurfaced.
The item next passed on to family friend Derick Smith and eventually on to the woman (whose identity has not yet been released).
The woman's dog was stolen late this week from her residence while she was on a hospital visit.
Although this crook's scheme is not exactly worthy of a James Bond plot (Austin Powers, maybe), such a relic could perhaps fetch a pretty penny if a buyer were to be found. But apparently, that's a big "if". A spokesperson for a major metropolitan museum told Scoop reporters, "With the recent publicity surrounding this piece—the distinctive markings and singularity—a thief may be lucky to fetch a few hundred bucks from some sucker on EBay."
With any luck it won't come to that. The Northumbria Police have already made one arrest and are questioning the suspect with regard to the dog-napping. The chalice remains for the time being in police custody.
Source: http://www.dogsinthenews.com/issues/0106/articles/010622b.htm
When the Nazis came to power, Goering was made Minister of the Interior for Prussia, the largest German "State". This office controlled most of the police forces in Germany, and of the Geheime Staats Polizei (GESTAPO), in particular. In 1934, Goering gave control of the Gestapo to Himmler, as a payment for his assistance in the Night of the Long Knives coup that eliminated Ernst Roehm, leader of the SA and Goering's arch rival in the Nazi Party. Himmler combined the Gestapo with the Bavarian Political Police, (Germany's other secret police, which he already controlled) and with his SS, thus becoming an even bigger rival to Goering, but that is another story... .
In 1933, Goering also became the head of the Air Force, or Luftwaffe, the role for which he is most often remembered. He supervised its tremendous expansion, from a handful of prototype and trainers to the most powerful and modern air force in the world. He also supervised the reorganization of the German economy, which both prepared it for war and created the prosperity that the Nazis needed to satisfy most of the German public. Recognizing these achievements Hitler named Goering to be his successor (1939) and appointed him Reichsmarschall (Marshal of the Empire), in 1940.
Source: http://www.euronet.nl/users/wilfried/ww2/goering.htm
II. Hail Für!
NEWCASTLE, UK — Derek Smith from Sunderland recently pleaded guilty to blackmail at Newcastle Crown Court in response to charges that he had stolen a woman's dog and was holding it in an attempt to retrieve a silver chalice that once belonged to World War II Nazi leader Hermann Goering (read The Scoop, June 22, 2001: "Ok Lady, Hand Over the Nazi Cup or the Pooch Gets It").
According to BBC News, 51-year-old Smith told the court that he had given the foot-high chalice to a woman as payment for a £30,000 debt he owed her. Only later did he realize that the relic was valued at about £2 million (although many auctioneers noted that they would be reluctant to handle the sale of the object).
Detective Sergeant Chris Sybenga described how the Northumbria Police solved the case: "We recovered the dog safe and well. When he came for the exchange, the police swooped."
Derek Smith was granted conditional bail and will be sentenced tomorrow, Mar. 15, at Newcastle Crown Court. (Photo: BBC News)
Source: http://www.dogsinthenews.com/issues/0203/articles/020315a.htm
Tuesday, 12 February, 2002, 16:23 GMT Dog kidnapped over Nazi chalice
Derek Smith owed his victim £30,000
A man admitted holding a dog ransom in an attempt to reclaim a chalice valued at £2m.
Experts believe the silver vessel may have once belonged to World War II Nazi leader Hermann Goering.
Derek Smith, from Sunderland, had given the foot-high chalice to a woman to cover a £30,000 debt he owed her.
However he did not realise the artefact's true value and captured the victim's beloved pet in an attempt to get it back.
 The chalice once belonged to Hermann Goering
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Smith, 51, said he had come into possession of the treasure after it was taken from the ruins of the Gestapo and brought back to the UK by a relative of a close friend. After Smith pleaded guilty to blackmail at Newcastle Crown Court, Detective Sergeant Chris Sybenga said he was pleased the victim was spared the ordeal of having to give evidence.
He said outside the court: "There was never any suggestion that he physically asked for the chalice back - he had given her the chalice because of the debt he owed her.
Secret location
"He took the dog obviously to persuade her and that is the essence of the blackmail.
"We recovered the dog safe and well. When he came for the exchange, the police swooped."
Northumbria Police now have the chalice in a secret and secure location.
Smith will be sentenced on March 15 at Newcastle Crown Court and was granted conditional bail.
The chalice bears an inscription saying "In memory of the great time 7.3.36" - believed to have been made for Goering to mark the German invasion of the Rhineland in 1936.
Ownership wrangle
Mr Sybenga said many auctioneers were reluctant to handle the sale of the object because of the fear of offending Jewish investors.
Further legal action is expected to decide the future of the chalice.
Mr Sybenga added: "There's certainly going to be some form of civil proceedings to decide the ownership of the chalice.
"There could be a number of people claiming entitlement to it if it is authenticated, the German government or even relatives of Hermann Goering."
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/england/newsid_1816000/1816865.stm