ruxy Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/8698056/Berlin-Wall-50-years-on-Germany-throws-full-state-approval-behind-remembrance.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 I was there the night that wall came down - a hell of a sight. I was out on assignment to the Ford plastics plant in Berlin and had gone for a walk in the Tiergarten with a mate when the crowds suddenly stopped milling and headed for the Brandenbug Gate. We tagged on out of curiosity and wathed them milling about by the wall when suddenly a couple of guys with slegehammers were up onto - and then the wall came down.... We grabbed some bits of painted concrete after a while as souvenirs. Funniest thing was watching the guards on the Soviet War Memorial trying to see what was going on without appearing to be curious!! Next day the road down from the Soviet War Memorial to the gate was lined with Berliners selling bits of wall for 200 Dm a pop... The East Germans took to capitalism fast... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RattlesnakeBob Posted August 14, 2011 Share Posted August 14, 2011 (edited) I was there about 1980-ish and that ol' wall was the weirdest and most chilling thing I'd ever seen in the middle of a city........especially the tram lines that just disappeared under it.... .....we spent a lot of time on the 'tourist towers' (on our side obviously! heh!) gawping at the Soviet/East German guards & flicking the 'V's at them and daft stuff like that.. ..I remember one day going to see the Soviet Memorial and my mate asked me "wass them tanks then Smiffy?" ...........there was a T34 either side the memorial in those days ..dunno if they're still there????.... ..I replied "They're T34s...Russian tanks mate".. ...........not realising I was in earshot of soldier guard who very pointedly and loudly said ...and in a proper stern voice ".......not RUSSIAN!!!! ..... SOVIET!"........a bit later we travelled from East Berlin railway station (Tiegel Station????) up thru east germany to Sasnitz (?) up on the Baltic to catch a ferry to Sweden........that was a strange journey I can tell you ...a band of leather jacketted punk-ish rockers travelling thru East Germany to play a gig in Sweden........try explaining that to a grizzle faced east german border guard with a decidely sour attitude!........... Edited August 14, 2011 by RattlesnakeBob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero-Five-Two Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 I was there the night that wall came down - a hell of a sight......... I was about a week behind you when I went there, incredible to see and feel the atmosphere among the people. I think at that point a lot of the locals still couldn't believe the wall had come down by sheer people power. Would like to go back again and see how the Eastern half has changed since then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 A very good friend was a squadron sergeant major in 15/19H, who had been sent to Berlin to cover a Chieftain squadron of 14/20H who had shipped out briefly. The night the wall came down, he organised the removal of a complete section of wall which was then taken back with them to Detmold, where it was mounted near the main gate of Lothian Barracks, 15/19H's home at the time. I often wonder, now that Detmold has been handed back, what happened to that lump of Wall? Probably 1000% of it has been sold off. Amazing how valuable house bricks and concrete can become just by tagging them as Berlin Wall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RattlesnakeBob Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 I have a large section of concrete that could have been part of the Berlin Wall???:cool2: ....well.....put it this way....... ......its made of the same sort of concrete....ish..it's a grey sort of colour and very hard......could well be a bit of it?....... it's currently laid as a path about 200 yards long down through my garden and about 6" thick... I don't want it so if anyone wants it you're welcome to come and dig it all up and take it away... harharhar! :cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArtistsRifles Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 I was about a week behind you when I went there, incredible to see and feel the atmosphere among the people. I think at that point a lot of the locals still couldn't believe the wall had come down by sheer people power. Would like to go back again and see how the Eastern half has changed since then So would I. What struck me at the time was the day before we had walked down to the crossing point and been struck at how quiet, grey and lifeless East Berlin appeared to be compared to West Berlin. I am sure this is no longer the case. :cheesy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 There seem to be as many pices of the Berlin Wall as there are of the true cross. The RE musem at Chatham has a piece, with pictures of it being taken down. One silly thought comes to mind though, who actually owned the damm thing? And do they know its gone?:cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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