Came across this advert on page 56 of the September/October 2011 edition of The Royal British Legion Magazine (just out now!) and thought this might be of interest here? Obviously this event won't take place in the original carriages as they are now in a UK Museum, also reported here at http://1sttheroyaldragoons.multiply.com/photos/album/594 However, for those who served in Berlin, I'm sure this trip will bring back many, many memories.
Ahhhhhhhhhh, Wesendorf to Braunschweig, I remember it well. The only street where women sit in the windows. Not so sure as a train stop would long enought for me today though!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting - might just be on that trip.By the way on our way back from the Baltic we passed by the old Wesendorf camp,it was miles from anywhere when we were stationed there,but the Regiment was in fine fettle then,and we could go out on training whenever it pleased us.And the only one with a car was Skip - the RSM,had many a trip home after Mess Night with him,usually on the pavement!Ah - happy days!
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Don
Apparently, the band went on this train to the 1965/66 Berlin Tattoo. They had to go in uniform and were not allowed to open the curtains on the windows. There were armed guards even back then but mostly to prevent East Germans from getting on the train. Jim Meikle went sightseeing one day on the underground railway and got off near the Brandenburg gate. However, he thought he had gone into East Berlin by mistake so went and hid in some bushes, it took the rest of the band ages to persuade him that he was still in the West!
ReplyDeleteSo will this be on a Steam Train? And are there any steam trains still left in Germany? No doubt you'll be going as an Armed Guard then Don.
There are still a few old steam trains that are running,but not on routine journeys.On my last trip back from Berlin our puffer train was doing at times 300kmh!!!!!I'm gonna do my best to get on that train - its the day after my birthday,but it may clash with a planned river cruise!
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Don
There as a steam train holiday advertised in the Press recently to the Harz Mountains area, unfortunately I don't remember where I saw it.
ReplyDeleteIt included Wernigerode, Hahnenklee,(where I had a few days leave) Goslar, and other places. One was the Brocken, which we couldn't visit as it was then in the Russian Zone.
4 years ago my old friend (cpl coan 5 troop A sqn0 AND i ALONG WITH OUR WIVES had a week down memory lane and flew to Hanover and then toured whole area visiting Wesendorf which is now a big industrial estate but the regimental square is still there surrounded by the old barrack blocks(still in remarkable good order) and the hangars are still there.We then went to Herford and the barracks are still in use , vehicles in hangars, but the old A SQN BLOCK IS NOW USED AS LIVING QTRS for single NCOs from all the barracks in Herford. Swimming pool still there just inside entrance to the left but not in use.Also visited Celle Hameln Bad Hartzburg Soltau where there is quite an impressive tank museum. all in all a very enjoyable week.
ReplyDeleteJohn Kelly
Thats right,the old steam engine still puffs up from Wernigerobe to the Brocken,we had hoped for a trip on it last year,but the puffings were postponed because there was a force 10 blowing on the top°!We also tried to find the old leave centre Hotels in Harzburg,but its so built up so we gave up!
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Don
I got caught for train guard commander just after the airlift finishedand tha O/C train was a nervous RAF officer and every time the train slowed he had us manning the platforms betwwen the carriages and although we had a sleeper we hardly got any sleep.
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On my first leave I got nobbled for guard duty on the train, boy - was it fun guarding those murderers and rapists,and very uncomfortable in the anchor chair room of the leave ship.We were briefed on the crimes of those we were guarding,and left in no doubt as to our fate should they get out of their chains!!!!!But I enjoyed my 4 weeks leave - with the princely sum of pay and credits totalling 12 Pounds in my pocket.
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Don
Back in the 1980's we use to exhibit at the Frankfurt Messe (world's largest trade fair) Took the wife with me one year with a flight to Düsseldorf then train down to Frankfurt (wife wanted to go shopping in Düsseldorf. Well this stopover did seem like a good idea at the time) It was a brilliant warm sunny day when we entered this huge multi-story department store and after what seemed to be about 4 hours decided to leave. So there I was up to my armpits in carrier bags when all of a sudden we were confronted with this Siberian wind with about 3 feet of snow outside. The snow blizzard was absolutely unbelievable; consequently we missed our train and almost froze to death as there was no heating in the station waiting room. I should have known better, after spending 4 years in Germany I should have known better! We laugh about it now but it wasn’t funny at the time. And it was a repeat performance to get our flight home too!
ReplyDeletePS. I normally go by car or with a Colleague but thought flying would be less hassle!
Yes - the weather can be surprising - it took me once half an hour to get from my MQ in Christaweg,Detmold,to the Mess for the New Years Ball(by foot,the car could'nt have been got out of the garage!)
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Don