The last written words of Adolf Hitler's henchman Heinrich Himmler - and his silk toiletry bag - have sold at auction for £4,000.
The items belonged to the family of a British soldier, who had taken them as war trophies when he spotted Himmler attempting to flee Germany at the end of World War Two.
Himmler, who was head of the Nazis' murderous SS force, posed as an ordinary soldier and used fake documents in a bid to flee the Allies on May 22, 1945.
He was disguised in a shabby military uniform when he was stopped by an army patrol who ordered him to show his ID papers.
But his escape plan was thwarted when eagle-eyed British Sergeant Grenville Grayer spotted a stamp used by SS soldiers on his documents.
He ordered the soldier to write dozens of lines on a piece of paper to check his handwriting against signatures on the documents.
Heinrich Himmler posed as an ordinary soldier and used fake documents in a bid to flee the Allies on May 22, 1945.
The lines Himmler was forced to write after being stopped by a British soldier, along with his wash bag, which sold at auction for £4,200 as part of a collection
Himmler was ordered the soldier to write dozens of lines on a piece of paper (pictured) to check his handwriting against signatures on SS documents
Himmler's escape plan was thwarted when eagle-eyed British Sergeant Grenville Grayer (pictured) spotted a stamp used by SS soldiers on his documents
A collection of medals, and war trophies, including Himmler's wash bag and last written words, which sold for almost £7,000 at auction on Thursday. Other paperwork includes a photocopy of Himmler's arrest report and an original photo of Sgt Grayer while working with 45 FSS Intel Corps
Himmler penned the line: 'Ich soll das Reinigungsgerät mitnehmen', 34 times which roughly translates as: 'I must bring my rifle cleaning kit.'
The test showed discrepancies in his writing style and Himmler admitted to his captors his real identity as the feared head of the SS.
But Himmler cheated justice after he bit on a cyanide capsule - nicknamed a 'SS cough drop' - hidden in his tooth and he dropped down dead.
After his death Sgt Grayer, who worked for British Intelligence Corps, took the written lines along with Himmler's silk toiletry bag as souvenirs.
The lines and washbag were among a collection of items sold at
