Celebrated Austrian Nazi deserter dies aged 97

An Austrian who deserted Nazi Germany's armies and switched to the Allied side in World War Two has died aged 97.

Richard Wadani was drafted into the German army but escaped on his second attempt in 1944, going on to serve in a British-led unit.

After the end of the conflict he campaigned for justice for all those who refused to fight for the Nazis.

"Through his death our country loses a great Austrian," President Alexander Van der Bellen said.

"Richard Wadani stood for bravery, moral courage and an unshakable sense of justice," the statement read.




Nazi Germany annexed Austria in 1938 - the birth place of the regime's leader, Adolf Hitler. Hundreds of thousands of Austrian men served in German forces during the war.