Did you know that Hitler's nephew lived on Long Island, New York? Did you know that Hitler's sister lived in Liverpool, England?
Alright, let me spin you the tale of William Patrick Stuart-Houston, better known as William Hitler, Adolf’s half-nephew who ended up being a real thorn in the side of the Nazi bigwig. Picture this: it’s the early 1900s, and Alois Hitler Jr., Adolf’s half-brother, falls for Bridget Dowling, a fiery Irish gal, while he’s in Dublin. They hit it off, elope to London, and tie the knot in 1910. A year later, on March 12, 1911, little William pops into the world in Liverpool, England. Life’s not all rosy, though—Alois bails on the family in 1914, leaving Bridget to raise William solo in a modest house on Upper Stanhope Street. That house, by the way, gets obliterated in a German air raid years later during WWII. Talk about irony.
Fast forward to 1929. William’s 18, curious, and heads to Germany to reconnect with his deadbeat dad. While there, he catches a Nazi rally and sees his uncle Adolf, already a rising star in the political scene. By 1933, with Adolf now Chancellor, William figures, “Why not ride the family coattails?” and moves to Germany. Adolf hooks him up with gigs—a bank job, a stint at an Opel factory, even selling cars—but William’s not impressed. He’s got big dreams and keeps pestering his uncle for better spots. Things get messy when William starts dropping hints about spilling family secrets, like a wild rumor about Jewish ancestry (which wasn’t true). Adolf’s not amused, calling him his “loathsome nephew” behind closed doors. At one point, Adolf dangles a cushy job but only if William ditches his British citizenship. William smells a rat and says, “No way.”
By 1938, things hit a boiling point. William and Adolf have a blowout, and William hightails it back to England, scared for his life. He’s done with the Nazis and pens a scathing article for Look magazine called “Why I Hate My Uncle,” laying into Adolf for all to read. Bold move.
In 1939, William and his mom decide to ditch Europe altogether and sail to the U.S., where they start a new chapter. William’s no fan of his uncle’s regime, so during WWII, he joins the U.S. Navy, serving as a pharmacist’s mate. Imagine that—Hitler’s nephew fighting against the Nazis! After the war, he wants nothing to do with the Hitler name. He changes it to Stuart-Houston, settles in Long Island, New York, marries a gal named Phyllis, and raises four boys. He lives a quiet life, running a blood analysis lab, far from the chaos of his past. William passes away in 1987, leaving behind a legacy as the guy who flipped the bird to his infamous uncle and carved out his own path.
That’s the story of William, the nephew who went from Nazi Germany to American suburbia, sticking it to Adolf every step of the way.
