German Escape, How?

[Arrawin]

It seems if you look just a bit you can find German ex-military showing up pretty much all over the world just a few years after the war ended. How did they do that? The country was devastated, you couldn't just go to the airport and catch a plane to Brazil, I even read recently of an ex-Luftwaffe pilot turning up in Australia as early as 1947. Who was orchestrating this travel and resettlement?

 

[fubar57]

Its Wiki so take it for what its worth...Ratlines (World War II aftermath) - Wikipedia ...I usually scroll down and use the references, etc

....or this...The Nazi Ratlines: The system of escape routes for Nazis fleeing Europe at the end of WWII

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

The ratlines are well documented...

It's no secret how they got out. Many through Spain and Italy with help from the Vatican.

 

[swampyankee]

It seems if you look just a bit you can find German ex-military showing up pretty much all over the world just a few years after the war ended. How did they do that? The country was devastated, you couldn't just go to the airport and catch a plane to Brazil, I even read recently of an ex-Luftwaffe pilot turning up in Australia as early as 1947. Who was orchestrating this travel and resettlement?

There were webs of sympathizers and collaborators throughout Europe. There were also official programs, like Operation Paperclip.

 

[redcoat]

There were no official restrictions on any German not accused of war crimes, so Germans with skills, like a pilot, could find work outside Germany if they were enterprising enough.

 

[The Basket]

In Australia they did have German POWs so probably included pilots who may have stayed on.
Most of the famous escape routes were for high bigwig SS or engineers.
The UK had a high number of German and Italian POWs and not all went home. Bert Trautmann is a noticeable example.