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 A painting stolen from Adolf Hitler ’s famous Eagle’s Nest retreat by an Allied soldier has come to light 71 years later. 
 
 One of the dictator’s favourite artworks was taken as “war booty” by Sergeant Herson Whitley after the last Nazis had fled the retreat in May 1945. 
 
 The Eagle’s Nest in Berchtesgaden was a prized scalp for the Allies as they advanced across Germany towards the end of the Second World War. 
 
 There was said to have been a race between army regiments to reach the magnificent mountain-top mansion first. When they got there the troops helped themselves to Nazi souvenirs. 
 
 Sgt Whitley had the painting shipped back to his home in America and kept it for the rest of his life. 
 
 (Photo: BNPS) 
 
 The 18ins by 13ins oil painting is of Wawel Cathedral and castle in Krakow, Poland, which was close to Auschwitz. 
 
 The occupied city was the capital of the colonial German government and the castle was the wartime home of Hitler’s friend and lawyer, 
 
 Hans Frank. 
 
 The painting is now being sold by auctioneers along with a letter of provenance from the late war veteran’s daughter, photos of him and his war medals. 
 
 The oil painting was produced by German artist Ernst Friedrich. 
 
 Without the link to Hitler, the painting would be worth about £200 but it has a pre-sale estimate of £8,000. 
 
 (Photo: BNPS) 
 
 Andrew Aldridge, of auctioneers Henry Aldridge and Son of Devizes, 
 
 Wilts., said: “A detailed letter of provenance accompanies the painting which states that Sgt. Whitley removed the painting from a wall in his property at Berchtesgaden during his time there. 
 
 “He obtained it by taking it off a wall in Hitler’s retreat in Berchtesgaden at the end of the war. It is war booty taken from a decorated war hero who had fought through Europe. 
 
 “To now be offering a piece of World War Two history of this calibre that hung in the residence of Adolf Hitler that was recovered by such a hero with such superb provenance represents a rare opportunity for a collector.” 
 
 It is being sold on August 20. 

 This story has been updated with additional information on the items up for auction. 
 
 A painting taken from the wall of Adolf Hitler’s headquarters in the Bavarian Alps by a U.S. soldier is up for auction in the U.K. later this month. 
 
 
 
 The oil painting by Ernst Friedrich was recovered from Hitler’s Berghof residence in May 1945 by Sgt. Herson Whitley of the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division. “He obtained it by taking it off a wall in Hitlers [sic] retreat in Berchtesgaden at the end of the war,” explained Whitley’s daughter, in a letter that accompanies the painting. “Note there is a crack along the upper corner which my father said occurred during shipping it home from Europe.” 
 
 Measuring 18 inches by 13 inches, the artwork depicts Wawel castle and cathedral in Krakow, Poland. The painting, which has a pre-sale estimate of $7,777 to $12,962, will be auctioned by Henry Aldridge & Son in Devizes, U.K., on Aug. 20. 
 
 Related Image Expand / Contract Photo of Sgt. Herson Whitley (Henry Aldridge and Son). 
 
 Whitley was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor and the French Croix de Guerre for his wartime service. 
 
 In addition to the letter from Whitley’s daughter, the “provenance package” accompanying the picture includes the soldier’s medals, Dog Tags, patches and letters from his time serving in Europe. 
 
 The painting and other artifacts in the lot are being sold by a collector who purchased them from Whitley's family. 
 
 
 
 “To be offering a piece of World War Two history of this calibre that hung in the residence of Adolf Hitler that was recovered by a decorated war hero with such superb provenance represents a rare opportunity for a collector,” auctioneer Andrew Aldridge of Henry Aldridge and Son, told FoxNews.com. 
 
 It is not clear how the painting came into Hitler's possession. 
 
 The auction house notes that Krakow was the administrative center of Nazi-occupied Poland. Hans Frank, Hitler’s lawyer and friend, was Governor General of Occupied Poland and lived at the Wawel castle. Frank was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg Trials and executed. 
 
 Other artworks recovered from the Nazis during World War II have sparked controversy recently. Earlier this year research alleged that when artworks rescued by the famous Monuments Men were returned to the Bavarian state after the war, they were sold, including to some Nazi families, instead of being returned to the original Jewish owners. 
 
 Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
– At the end of World War II, American Sgt. Herson Whitley reached Adolf Hitler's headquarters in the Bavarian Alps and swiped an oil painting off the wall, Fox News reports. According to the Mirror, Whitley was part of a race by Allied troops to reach Hitler's Eagle's Nest first and claim some of the booty. Seventy-one years later, the painting stolen by Whitley is being put up for auction. The artwork is an oil painting of Wawel castle and cathedral in Poland by Ernst Friedrich. It's unclear how Hitler obtained the painting, but the fact that he did is said to have made it 40 times more valuable. The painting is being sold by a collector who bought it off Whitley's family. The auction package includes Whitley's letters, medals, and dog tags from the war. “To be offering a piece of World War II history of this caliber that hung in the residence of Adolf Hitler that was recovered by a decorated war hero with such superb provenance represents a rare opportunity for a collector," an auctioneer tells Fox News. The painting is scheduled to be auctioned off Aug. 20 in the UK.