Yahoo News Lord Bramall described allegations he was paedophile as 'monstrous' in police interview days after wife died
Scotland Yard detectives subjected the former head of the British Army to a humiliating interrogation, accusing him of raping a child, just days after his wife of 64-years had died, it has emerged.
Field Marshal Lord Bramall, who was 91 at the time, but is now 95, was questioned twice by police in connection with allegations that he was part of a VIP paedophile ring that had abused, tortured and even murdered boys in the 1970s and 1980s.
The claims were made by Carl Beech, who had the pseudonym, Nick, and who is now facing 12 charges of perverting the course of justice and one of fraud.
The second interview, during which he was accused of appalling abuse, took place on 31 July 2015, just nine days after his wife, Dorothy, had died following a long battle with dementia.
During the exchange, Lord Bramall, who is now 95, pleaded with the police to clear his name swiftly in order to stop the damage that was being done to his reputation.
He told them: "It is really awful for someone in my position to have had this damage done by what has gone to press and the web net.
"Please report to your superiors and say there is no evidence, there is no case to answer. Make it clear I am no longer a suspect, no longer under investigation.
"Otherwise my reputation is still being damaged on Google and that is not fair after my record and at my time of life.
"I ask you to clear this matter up and take me out of this investigation as soon as you possibly can.
"It is a very painful experience to have to go through at my age of 91 and having now just lost my wife."
During his police interview, Lord Bramall asked detectives what corroboration there had been of Mr Beech's claims to justify the raid.
He complained that officers had "thought it was sufficient to get a warrant with uncorroborated evidence."
During his first interview with police he was taken through Mr Beech's evidence in detail and at one stage was accused of the then eight-year-old before forcing him to eat his own vomit.
He told the officers: "This thing is so preposterous, it is so very difficult to understand how it could possibly have been made up other then by someone who specialises in sci-fi fictions."
Lord Bramall also became frustrated that Beech had been unable to give specific times and places for when and where he claimed the abuse had happened.
The officer said they had to "make allowances" for that as Beech had been a young boy.
Lord Bramall slapped his hand on the table as he replied: "I make no allowances, I will not make any allowance for it, I think it is absolutely monstrous."
Among the claims was a suggestion that Lord Bramall, Field Marshall Roland Gibbs and General Sir Hugh Beach had invited Jimmy Savile to join in the abuse of boys as their "special guest."
Responding to the allegation, he replied: "Jimmy Savile? I have seen him on the television and always thought he was a dreadful man but I have never met him."
He later described Savile as "the most odious man I have ever seen."
He told the officer: "My problem is obviously that on the surface of it you believe every word that he (Beech) says. I am trying to do my best to see how I can get you to believe me."
At one point he was asked whether he could swim following claims that he had abused youngsters at pool parties.
He replied: "Can I swim? Yes I can swim. I had to swim. I landed at Normandy and I jolly nearly had to swim."
The officer said he would be asking for a CV of Lord Bramall's career. he replied: "I'd have thought you'd have that already. It's in Who's Who and every sort of place you can imagine."
Beech accused Lord Bramall of stripping and raping him in his office, at pool parties and at Remembrance Day parties where boys had poppies pinned to their bare chests.
He also claimed that boys were passed around like presents at Christmas parties where they were dressed only in party hats.
Lord Bramall said: "I am absolutely astonished, amazed and aghast. Not only do I absolutely deny all of these things but I find it quite incredible that anyone would believe someone of my career, standing and integrity would be capable of these things, including torture of children. It is unbelievable."
Field Marshal Edwin Noel Westby Bramall was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the King's Royal Rifle Corps on 22 May 1943 during the Second World War and took part in the Normandy landings in June 1944.
He went on to become Commander-in-Chief of British forces in Hong Kong, then Commander-in-Chief of UK Land Forces and retired as Chief of Defence Staff, a role he was appointed to in 1982.
The father-of-two married his wife in 1949 and they lived at Bulford Manor in Wiltshire during his time as head of the army.
The trial has heard that Beech told both Wiltshire and the Metropolitan Police about the abuse he claimed to have suffered at Erskine barracks in Wiltshire, the HQ of UK land Forces in the mid 70s.
But a succession of retired senior military figures have given evidence at the trial to say they could never recall seeing a child being brought into the offices.
Previously the trial has been told Mr Beech, a former nurse, falsely claimed he had been raped by a group of high profile figures including Sir Edward Heath, the former Prime Minister, Lord
Brittan, the former Home Secretary and former MP Harvey Proctor.
Mr Beech also said former MI5 and MI6 heads tortured him by tipping spiders over him, gave him electric shocks and threw darts at him.
His allegations led to Scotland Yard launching Operation Midland, which cost £2 million but was dropped after 16 months without anyone being charged.
He denies 12 charges of perverting justice and one of fraud by falsely claiming £22,000 criminal injuries compensation.
The trial continues.
