The Last British Commandant in Cold War West Berlin Part 1 (136)

Major General Sir Robert Corbett, KCVO, CB was the last Commandant of the British Sector in Berlin. We start his story with the description of his first experience of Berlin as a young Army officer commanding a military train across East Germany into West Berlin just weeks after the Berlin Wall had been built.  We also talk about his subsequent Army career including his interview with British Foreign Secretary Geoffrey Howe and his early days as the Commandant of the British Sector in Berlin. If you are enjoying the podcast please leave a written review in Apple podcasts or share us on social media. By telling your friends you can really help us grow the number of listeners. If you can spare it I’m asking listeners to contribute at least $3 USD per month to help keep us on the air (larger amounts are welcome too) plus you can get a sought after CWC coaster as a monthly financial supporter of the podcast and you bask in the warm glow of knowing you helping preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ I am delighted to welcome Major General Sir Robert Corbett to our Cold War conversation… There’s further information on this episode in our show notes, which can also be found as a link in your podcast app here. https://coldwarconversations.com/episode136/ If you can’t wait for next week’s episode do visit our Facebook discussion group where guests and listeners continue the Cold War Conversation. Just search Cold War Conversations in Facebook. Thank you very much for listening. It is really appreciated – goodbye. Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations 0:00 Introduction to Cold War Conversations and guest Major General Sir Robert Corbett 2:38 Corbett's firsthand account of the fall of the Berlin Wall and early experiences in Berlin 9:56 Confrontation with East German railway police and Ian Sanders' reflections 16:38 Observations on West Berlin's atmosphere, reconstruction, and damage from World War 2 22:03 Corbett's decision to join the army, career progression, and appointment in Berlin 30:24 Trust and collaboration among commanders during the Cold War and interview with British Foreign Minister Jeffrey Howe 33:43 Interaction with local government and freedom to change things under occupation in West Berlin 39:43 Purpose and importance of the Cold War Conversations podcast 42:06 Demolition of Spandau Prison and construction of British forces supermarket 44:03 Closing remarks and acknowledgments Chapters powered by PodcastAI✨ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices