The Screwjack Letters – No. 25 Tales from the Border
T
he MTO of the 9th/12th Lancers in Osnabruck had a 1962 to dig the anti-tank ditch. Standard VW Beetle for sale, on which he had rebuilt the This was being done with engine. It was an ex-Deutsche Bundespost (German statedrag-bucket machines that run postal service) car with righthand drive. In 1962, this was were in universal use until tried as an experiment to allow the Postman to exit the car hydraulic diggers like JCBs beside the pavement. It was the first of a total of eight old airwere developed. In some cooled Beetles that I or Gill drove until 1999. I bought it for £76. places there were guard The border between the British / US zones of West Germany dogs on running wires. and East Germany (DDR) was heavily defended by the East Occasionally the Eastern side German Grenztruppen (Border Guards), a force totalling nearly sent small rockets showering 50,000. This defence system was not designed to counter propaganda leaflets over the invasion from the West, but to prevent people from the East frontier villages. A favourite escaping to the West. Our border patrols therefore witnessed the leaflet was a banknote depicting cartoons of the West German astonishing sight of people building their own prison. Our British leaders. Army 5 Brigade section was along wide-open countryside. Our On one of our patrols we were at the Gasthaus when the patrols lodged for two nights at a Gasthaus (German-style inn) in village men’s choir made their weekly visit. At the end they all the small village of Immingerode, where the men put their camp sang “Deutschland Uber Alles”. To my surprise, my driver beds in a large function room. I had the luxury of a bedroom. Craftsman Moxam, produced a hymn book and the patrol joined Next morning, we met the British Frontier Force Officer, Lionel in, singing “Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken” to the same tune. Corduroy, in Duderstadt town centre square. He was our guide. During the drive back to Osnabruck I asked him about the hymn His BFF uniform was more Navy style than Army, and he was book. He said “I’m a sort of born-again Christian, sir”. I asked how unarmed. We were fully armed. The purpose of our patrols, I this came about. He said “My last posting was in Munster. I had think, was to demonstrate a continuous British Army presence been out on the beer one night, and on the way back to the and gather information about the East German frontier work. The barracks I read a sign outside the Cathedral saying “God Wants Border Guards themselves, of course, were the people best You”. I said: “If you want me, you’ll have to come and get me”. Back placed to escape, and many did. One Guard said something rude at the barrack room we were just going to put the light out when to Lionel who recognised his three men came into the room. Leipzig accent and he called out They were Army evangelists and in German to the man’s officer one said “We’ve come to get “You should tell the Leipziger to you” Well, that was enough for watch his manners” Lionel had me.” been in the job a long time. During another patrol, Lionel Another time he recognised a showed us where the frontier Guard he had seen before. He turned Eastwards around a called out in German “Why so farmhouse. He said that in 1945 serious today?” The Guard a British Major and a Russian replied “I forgot to clean my Major had the job of agreeing teeth this morning”. After heavy and marking the exact line of rain some of the anti-personnel the border. The German farmer mines in the ploughed strip begged the British Major to were exposed and I was able to keep his farmhouse in the West. draw some for my report. The After some negotiation the watch towers and barbed wire British officer handed the fences were already in evidence, Russian a bottle of whisky and but the main activity now was Meeting the British Frontier Force Officer, Lionel Corduroy (middle) the deal was done.
Drag-bucket machines were used to dig the anti-tank ditches
Halt! Hier zonengrenze (‘Stop! Zonal border here’)
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