Historians call for an end to ‘censorship culture’ in Britain – after the Daily Mail unearthed Unity Mitford’s secret diaries

The unearthing of Unity Mitford’s secret diaries by the Daily Mail has led to eminent historians to call for an end to ‘censorship culture’ in Britain.

The long-lost trove, which laid undiscovered for more than 80 years, is being celebrated by experts as an ‘important contribution to history’.

It is packed with revelations about Hitler and the British socialite, a fervent Nazi sympathiser who became his confidante.

The precious record kept during Unity’s time in Germany from 1935 to 1939 meticulously recounts 139 occasions when she met Hitler providing a rare insight into the dictator.

Historians says the Mail’s world exclusive should be seen as proof that Britain’s official archives should end its secretive approach to historical documents.

It has also led to calls for the government to reveal what intelligence agencies knew about Unity’s activities.

The diary was previously kept in a water-tight container and secured in a safety deposit box in a bank strongroom. For most of the last 40 years it has been held by two generations of the same family, who have asked to remain anonymous.

‘If this hadn’t been found, an important contribution to history would have been lost…It should be a rallying call for historians to fight for stuff being released,’ historian and biographer Andrew Lownie said.

‘We have a Public Records Act going back to the 1830s which isn’t really being obeyed. Stuff isn’t being put into the archives after 20 years.

‘If this hadn’t been found, an important contribution to history would have been lost…It should be a rallying call for historians to fight for stuff being released,’ historian and biographer Andrew Lownie (pictured) said

The unearthing of Unity Mitford¿s secret diaries by the Daily Mail has led to eminent historians to call for an end to ¿censorship culture¿ in Britain

The unearthing of Unity Mitford’s secret diaries by the Daily Mail has led to eminent historians to call for an end to ‘censorship culture’ in Britain

The precious record kept during Unity¿s time in Germany from 1935 to 1939 meticulously recounts 139 occasions when she met Hitler providing a rare insight into the dictator

The precious record kept during Unity’s time in Germany from 1935 to 1939 meticulously recounts 139 occasions when she met Hitler providing a rare insight into the dictator

The precious record kept during Unity¿s time in Germany from 1935 to 1939 meticulously recounts 139 occasions when she met Hitler providing a rare insight into the dictator

The precious record kept during Unity’s time in Germany from 1935 to 1939 meticulously recounts 139 occasions when she met Hitler providing a rare insight into the dictator

‘They’re using all sorts of exemptions which don’t really apply. But everyone from that period is dead. This is history, and we need to know our history,’ he told the Observer.

‘The irony is that often the breakthroughs in historical knowledge come from private papers rather than public papers, and that’s because they’re being suppressed.

‘Who knows what is lurking in bank vaults all over the world?,’ he added.

Experts have also called on the government to disclose its intelligence files on Unity who ingratiated herself with Hitler’s inner circle.

Richard Norton-Taylor, a leading writer on defence and security issues and author of The State of Secrecy, added: ‘The government must now reveal what its officials, intelligence and security agencies really knew about the activities of Unity Mitford.

‘Judging by the number of files they amassed on private individuals in the lead-up to the second world war it would be extremely surprising if official files on her and her relationships do not exist.’

Experts have said that gatekeeping of documents has shrouded important historical episodes in secrecy including attempts by British fascists to overthrow Winston Churchill in 1940.

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