A JEW who escaped from Nazi Germany in 1939 told a packed house how he listened to German prisoners for the Allies at Latimer Palace in Chesham.

Fritz Lustig is the last surviving member of the Secret Listening team from World War Two and spoke at a Scannappeal event at Latimer on Sunday.

He was interned initially on the Isle of Man when he escaped, before being allocated to the Pioneer Corps, where eventually he was singled out for special duties due to his excellent command of the English language.

Mr Lustig, who will be 95 this month, spoke of his experiences hidden above the cells of the German prisoners, listening to their conversations on concealed microphones.

He, with the rest of his team, overheard a great deal, which was vital to our war effort, including talk of Hitler’s secret weapon, which became better known as the V1 and V2.

Author and historian, Helen Fry, said a total of 10,000 prisoners had passed through Latimer Place between 1939 and 1945.

It was part of the Scannappeal Latimer Place series of talks, and was particularly apt as it raised more than £1,200 for the Sound Appeal at Amersham Hospital.

The next in the series is Crossword Crackers in April. For further details visit www.scannappeal.org.uk/events