Post by billywizz on May 17, 2008 13:32:43 GMT
I have just posted this on the oooooohhhhhhaaaaarrrr site. It occurred to me that some of the Fearnaught readers might be interested too. Geordieyoung for example being C Squadron may recall the time when Aligator and his merry men were sent to the river Elbe to give a show of strength ---------- Any way read on.
Border Patrols
Browsing through some old magazines that I had found stashed away along with other ageing pieces of literature and memorabilia that had lain undisturbed in the attic since goodness knows when I came across a copy of TRIANGLE a magazine of 1st Division dated September 1961. Whether this magazine is still published or not I do not know, perhaps VTT can tell us? Any way curiosity caused me to flip through the yellowing pages in order to find out why I had kept this particular magazine. Upon reading the pages it was not long before I found reference to the cold war and recce troop 3RTR’s involvement in border patrols.
I believe these border patrols came to an end around 1989. Looking back and remembering my own involvement in 1961 which is the year I believe the border patrols started, (it was also the year that the Berlin wall went up) then clearly they went on for a very long time, 28 years according to my calculations. There must be quite a few readers of these pages who at some time or other would have been involved in these patrols?
There have been many stories and publications of one sort or another over those years one I recall and which also happened in 1961 must have been one of the first border incidents. It concerned a West German reporter who had been killed while reporting along the border. The dead man was used for political purposes and also referred to in the briefings we were given prior to doing our patrols. I also remember a troop of C Squadron 3 RTR tanks being sent to do a bit of saber rattling on the banks of the river Elbe where a barge had run aground in disputed waters. Gun barrels were pointed over the river but in the end amounted to nothing more than a dry run. Never did learn who eventually laid claim to the barge.
The pictures below are some I remember taking at the time.
Border Patrols
Browsing through some old magazines that I had found stashed away along with other ageing pieces of literature and memorabilia that had lain undisturbed in the attic since goodness knows when I came across a copy of TRIANGLE a magazine of 1st Division dated September 1961. Whether this magazine is still published or not I do not know, perhaps VTT can tell us? Any way curiosity caused me to flip through the yellowing pages in order to find out why I had kept this particular magazine. Upon reading the pages it was not long before I found reference to the cold war and recce troop 3RTR’s involvement in border patrols.
I believe these border patrols came to an end around 1989. Looking back and remembering my own involvement in 1961 which is the year I believe the border patrols started, (it was also the year that the Berlin wall went up) then clearly they went on for a very long time, 28 years according to my calculations. There must be quite a few readers of these pages who at some time or other would have been involved in these patrols?
There have been many stories and publications of one sort or another over those years one I recall and which also happened in 1961 must have been one of the first border incidents. It concerned a West German reporter who had been killed while reporting along the border. The dead man was used for political purposes and also referred to in the briefings we were given prior to doing our patrols. I also remember a troop of C Squadron 3 RTR tanks being sent to do a bit of saber rattling on the banks of the river Elbe where a barge had run aground in disputed waters. Gun barrels were pointed over the river but in the end amounted to nothing more than a dry run. Never did learn who eventually laid claim to the barge.
The pictures below are some I remember taking at the time.