In September 1943 the Germans rescued Mussolini (who had been hiding in the mountains east of Rome) and "restored him" as dictator of the Italian Social Republic, which covered the central and northern parts of Italy still controlled by the Germans. On 19 October 1943 Ciano was flown back to Italy where he faced a treason trial and probable execution. The transfer back to Italy was arranged by two of Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop's men. Hitler knew about it but the intelligence services received no advanced notification. Ciano's children, whom Hitler believed were important for the future of Italy, stayed in Germany. On the flight south Ciano was accompanied by SS bodyguards, Edda Ciano and Wilhelm Höttl's "Roman secretary, Hildegard Beetz, smuggled in as a woman intepreter". When the plane landed at Verona Ciano was promptly arrested "by both German and Italian police". Mussolini was now back in control and Ciano, along with others who had voted against him in the Grand Council vote of 24 July 1943, was transferred to a Verona prison cell during the first part of November 1943. Benito Mussolini had personally given orders that his daughter should not be permitted access to her husband in his prison cell. Uniquely, Hildegard Beetz enjoyed virtually unrestricted access, however. Beetz had her instructions from Höttl. She was to "make contact with Ciano in prison and find out from him where he had hidden the papers". Ciano understood her role perfectly well: "She is a spy, but she is mine". Beetz was able to smuggle letters and messages between Edda and Ciano in his cell. There is every indication that she became increasingly determined to do what she could to save her "target's" life.