Kathleen Reed: How I Saw Hitler on My Summer Vacation

The setting is Europe, and the year is 1938, soon after Hitler annexed Austria, and weeks before he demanded and received an important section of Czechoslovakia!

This is a true story, taken from the pages of Helen McPhail’s two leather bound trip diaries. The narrative includes sailing aboard the SS Normandie and the RMS Queen Mary, and traveling by rail through nine European countries. Every evening of her two month journey, Helen meticulously logged the adventures of the day into her journals. She passed down these diaries to me along with photos, and ephemera. This is no ordinary travelogue/memoir! It reads like an exciting novel, and is a real “page-turner” in places.

Helen was a single lady of thirty years, with a Masters Degree in mathematics. She worked for the US Government Department of Agriculture, in Washington D.C. The trip was prepaid so she traveled with coupons, tickets, and vouchers, for the hotels, trains and tours, plus a tight budget for souvenirs. Upon arrival at each train station, she was to be met by a representative of her hotel. That did not always happen, creating events both fascinating and chaotic. She traveled with a friend but at midpoint of the trip, they went in separate directions, as planned. Upon her arrival at Nuremberg on the eve of the annual Nazi Party Rally, the twists and turns commenced.

Helen toured 1938 Europe "unawares,” with the typical mindset of Americans, Europeans — and for that matter, world leaders — when it came to the aftermath of Hitler‘s annexation of Austria earlier that year. The prevailing sentiment was that another war was to be avoided at almost any cost. It was assumed (or leaders wanted to believe) that Hitler would be satisfied with his acquisitions of Austria and the Sudetenland portion of Czechoslovakia. 1938 has been called the prelude to World War II.

Helen noticed evidence of military occupation of homes, forts and businesses, plus propaganda, but tourism seemed to proceed as a matter of course. She was not threatened with physical harm but did encounter several disturbing experiences during her travels.

Helen was optimistic by nature, and she embraced the philosophy that every time something unexpected happened, new and exciting experiences would follow. Possessing an outgoing nature, she was motivated to learn about people she encountered, regardless of their native language. She communicated fairly well due to her college courses in German and French, resorting if necessary, to using sketches and sign language.

Be sure to read the epilogue which includes copies of letters from soldiers she met in Europe. You will see photos of, and read encounters with, several Austrian and German soldiers. It is never my intent to present these men in a positive or negative light, but just to relay what was in the diary and her scrapbook. Helen was as unaware as most people, when it came to the inhumanities that were already taking place. Most German citizens were kept in the dark by control of the media.

I have attempted to research every detail of this trip, with respect to the accuracy of dates, names, places, spelling, and grammar. The various-sized photos were taken from her scrapbook. I made them as crisp as possible.

Date: August 2, 1938

Place: Washington DC to NYC

Weather: Everything was perfect.

What an exciting day, from beginning to end! After a mad scramble, Margy and I arrived at the train station toting our beautifully labeled luggage! We had asked the taxi driver to stop at places all over Washington D.C., so we could pick up some last minute things. I was so crazy happy when we arrived at the train station that I almost forgot to pay the cab driver — even with the money clutched in my hand! Our friends Elsie, Edwina and Stella, were at the station when we arrived. They gave us a big send-off which included a stunning bouquet of roses, icy cold fruit, and many good wishes. The train ride seemed quite short because Margy and I talked continually. Upon leaving the train, we boarded a gorgeous private bus that took us to the Victoria Hotel. During the ride, we caught our first glimpse of the SS Normandie ship. So stunning was the sight of this enormous ocean liner, that for once, we were speechless!

After settling into our room, we took a taxicab to 52nd Street, in New York City. We strolled past the little foreign dives and dined at the Chalet Suisse, which was a delightful place. I ordered slowly smoked Westphelian ham, after the waiter said it was imported from Germany. Before too long, we will be in Germany, enjoying the unique food and wine. After dinner, we proceeded to The Radio City Music Hall, where the magnificent decor far exceeded my expectations. The opulent splendor of the place left us breathless! On my next visit to New York, I would love to see a musical or stage show, but tonight we viewed the movie, “Algiers,” which starred Charles Boyer and Hedy Lamarr. It is difficult to wind down to anything as plebian as sleep, after such an exciting day.

Date: August 3, 1938

Place: Aboard the SS Normandie

Weather: HOT! No doubt!

Today has been a dream and more. We departed our hotel for the Normandie at 9:30 a.m. There it was, waiting for passengers and appearing even larger than it had yesterday. After passing through ticket and passport examination, Margy and I walked up the long gangplank, passing by rows of red-capped bellhops who were standing at attention, until we were finally on board! The ship was so vast that one moment we wandered around happily, and the next we were hopelessly lost. We just giggled, twirled around, and darted off in another direction. The temperature in New York today was heading for 96 degrees, and we nearly perished! We were not dressed for such hot weather because our destination is Europe, where it will be cooler. Friends and relatives, who came to see us off, were allowed to visit us on the ship. We had been dashing around so much that they had a hard time finding us! It was such fun chatting with them while taking in the wonders of our surroundings. A few passengers were whispering that movie actress Simone Simon was on board, as well as Kitty Carlisle and financier Bernard Baruch.

Before too long, it was necessary for our guests to leave the ship. The S.S. Normandie dramatically pulled away with all the flurry of a moving-picture-type departure! Gigantic whistles were blowing and screeching, accompanied by wild hand-wavings between ship and shore. We about fainted from the heat, while standing at the ship railing in the sunshine.