A Royal Scots Dragoon Guard in Cold War Berlin (420)

26:49Peter Stewart:I mean I can't remember but we used to come out and go left and go towards, is it Peklstorf or Sturm, up to Spandau somewhere. So long ago and I think towards the Havel. around about that area to protect some bridges or something I believe it was almost trying to put Nigel down for it but that was my job just show a presence with the engineers with us as well it was just madness and St. Louis was the Welsh Guards the Welsh Guards there at the same time as us they were doing quite well with them and it was just everywhere it was madness everywhere Yeah, I think Nigel mentioned in his interview actually about the Harville Bridges.

27:38I'll have to have another listen to that. Nigel's episode is episode 21. I'll be adding a link to the episode information for that. Well worth a listen. Were you under any illusion about your survival rates should they come over the wall? I think in about two minutes, 14 turns against the Russians. Quite funny, really. It was just a token.

28:12Peter Stewart:The word was that they would have went round us, you know, missed their run out and just go round, you know. I think it was just a token. You know, 14 turns, it wouldn't have really done much, I don't think. and the germans the rest of them as well but that was the joke wasn't it? We've got three minutes in our water that's my lot Did you think that day was going to come more or less definitely or not? Not at the time we were having too good a time to think about it about it in Surnalaga, I won't doubt Surnalaga a bit. I didn't know it then but when there was a carry-on in Poland I didn't know it then but it was quite serious because I remember being, we were put on the left then when I was an uprising in Poland or something.

29:11Yeah, it was the Polish Free Trade Union Solidarity was formed in 1980 in August. Yeah. And there were some strange Soviet troop movements round about that time.

29:23Peter Stewart:Right, well I I think that became a bit more serious then and stuff like that, you know. We used to get bussed to the border and then meet with tanks. But one of the things that happened to us was our friend, who's called Swanee, who actually put the tanks on the transporters, right? Then we went inside the tanks on the transporter. and poor chap got up to relieve himself and went down to the bridge and he hit the bridge and that was the poor old Swanee, 21 year old it's the first time they'd ever done it, put the troops in the tanks it was sad I mean you're that age, you feel, well it's difficult to remember being 19 but you sort of feel pretty indestructible at that age don't you?

30:18Peter Stewart:Yeah, and the thing is with two Trooper Swans in the regiment, you're thinking, oh, it's our one. It was our one. Yeah. Such a nice guy as well. And I talk quite a lot on this podcast about the sort of forgotten casualties of the Cold War, like Swanee, you know, like people on exercise, where there's no memorial or anything. for them. You know, there's not even a Cold War medal for veterans either. No, no. I mean, what happened to my regiment, well, the guys from that area actually, the one that really looked after his grave, certainly, and he died this year as well. He looked after his grave, but the guys went down and they actually got him a new gravestone.

31:11You know, they changed it

31:12Peter Stewart:completely from the military one, but yeah, we never forgot this morning. You know, it's always there because it's actually, and I do remember saying this, when we were school-looking, I said, I said, somebody's going to get out with us things. And I asked with Pastor Swanny that they used to, I used to, I said, Swanny, how are you doing? I used to, I'm a singer, you see, I'm a singer now part-time. And I would say, Swanny, how I love you and all that stuff, that I know you. and a poor guy who lost his life and so it was very upsetting for the guys you know but and then the show went on because it was still an exercise just carried on and yeah so that was a sad event with the court board I'm just going through some of the things you put on here pressing the button for exercise rocking horse we've covered that I guess have we or is that no I haven't told you about that it was the most eerie thing that ever happened to me right and it was these old barracks I'm sure they were haunted so to go into a room yourself and they're lying there and you've actually got a red phone next to you the red phone and you've got a big button next to it So I was lying there, listening to everybody coming in, drunk and stuff like that, you could hear them coming in, and then I went to sleep.

32:54And then the red phone rang. And I woke up and I looked at it and I went, huh, and I picked it up. And it was this rather plummy voice. And he just went, exercise rocking horse. Now, what you have to do is you have to repeat the name. I would go, exercise walking horse, and put the phone down.

33:27However, I said to myself, shall I post this quickly? This better not be my friend's phone-in-us number or something.

33:39Peter Stewart:I don't know if it got to the back. It did go through. It went through my mind. And so I better push it. Bang. Oh. What noise. That. You've never heard anything like it. I don't know if you've managed to ever hear the sound of that claxon. You know, if somebody's got it. It was horrific. It was scary. You know. and then I heard shuffling about and I had to get up and open the armoury and issue the submachine goods and get the first two-pump and then there was just bodies everywhere after that coming in and out and it was actually quite exciting that I was the one that pushed the bottom to get everybody in the streets.

34:28Now, I don't know about this, you can maybe help me here. The civilians eventually knew that we were coming out, because seemingly in the papers, a rocking horse would go in the front of the paper, a little rocking horse, so the Germans would know that we were going to be in the streets that night. Okay? Now, I was told when it first ever, ever happened, people committed suicide because

34:57Peter Stewart:They thought the Russians were coming, but I don't know if you heard that, did you? I think I have heard that story, but I'm not sure whether it's based on any fact. I guess that sort of makes sense, putting it, or letting the West Berlin civilians know, so they're sort of like out of the way. Yes. Particularly when you're charging about in chieftain tanks. Yeah. But all that we knew was, I didn't know it was that night, the German police would come in to see us to get the routes arranged and while they were around they tried to get whiskey and cigarettes and they would say don't drink a lot tomorrow night

35:41Peter Stewart:little things like that I'm sure the East Germans or the Soviets knew before you did anyway oh yeah I don't know how they went through because most of them had to really plan it and get streets kind of blocked off and let us through. But Hopkinhurst was an exciting experience going through the streets and going down to where we had to go, everybody on the road. Or just vehicles everywhere, you know. Because I presume that the West Berlin police would be holding up traffic so that somebody didn't drive in front of you. They had those little Volkswagen's and they didn't mess about. They just went out in front and cleared that road.

36:23anybody got the pre-book tickets I believe and just went here take that bang move and that's what happened you know and we just took over the streets we were told when they were manoeuvring that not to break the kerbs and things so we were going to

36:41Peter Stewart:watch where we pass the tanks and buff positions and things like that they didn't want to have left the place Presumably when you went down to Brandenburg Gate The East Germans were scanning you with binoculars and what have you from the other side. They'd been doing everything that worked. They'd been watching everything that happened. And, yeah, they were always being watched. That'll bring you on to my next one you go. I'm just going to say, were you in that Berlin special camouflage with the chieftain at this point? No, we were. I think the regiment did try one tank and put it through a building, but I know that happened later on.

37:25Peter Stewart:We were green. We were actually green. I was fed up of green paint. You know what we did was paint them. That's all we've done, paint tanks.

37:39And I understand you had some sort of incident during the Queen's Birthday Parade.

37:46Peter Stewart:Yeah, we were practicing in the barracks in the square. And it was the right salute. I happened to be in the loader's position. And when the vehicle turned right, the turret turned right to salute, there was one almighty roar came from a person, and that was me, because my foot was jammed in the turret. and they had a birthday chieftain tanks and the next thing and armulens come fleeing in and they'd been told their leg off this is how rumours start but I was taken away at a nice hospital British military hospital and I got a few days lying there with all my nurses but I did damage my leg for a while and then I got some light duties I took it away.

38:42Peter Stewart:So that was the other incident. I don't really, I'll probably have to tell you, I've got a friend of mine, Frank Taylor from Aberdeen, I'll go listen to me, you'll live somewhere else now. So we're done the Queen's Dovey Parade in the Olympic Stadium and all the dignitaries were invited to see us and the tanks were all out in the stadium And we had to march from within it out to the tanks. So off we went. However, at the other end was the Welsh guards. And they marched in with their band. The echo got us. And every one of us was out of step. It was so embarrassing. and the guys in the crowd were taking off their grey berries and hiding and everything.

39:44Peter Stewart:It was, oh, it was terrible. But then we climbed onto the tank by numbers, onto that, and then we went inside the tank and we just all burst out laughing. So that was it. Was that the most embarrassing parade where you hoped the Russians weren't watching? that was the second embarrassing thing that was embarrassing because you do really a regiment watching us and probably americans and and maybe a russian's invited as well but we've never lived it down and uh so but there you go we made we made up for it with the gun salute. We got it right. Fire on the blanks. Yeah. Did you have to polish up the Chieftain for those sort of things as well?

40:38Oh, every day to do that, every day, make sure it was gleaming. Yeah. That's one thing about tanks. I don't know if you've seen Have you seen any bottom of a Chieftain tank? Have I seen bottom? Have you seen the steel plate at the bottom? Yeah. It's for Sheffield steel, Mark. and all that ridges.

41:00Peter Stewart:And, oh boy, cleaning them and polishing them up and everything like that, you know. Tating it under a turret, under a gun, cleaning it. So tanks were a lot of maintenance, you know. I didn't like them in the end. I've heard that, you know, the engine wasn't the best. It was quite underpowered. Right, so that brings me to the next story. We went down to, in my number twos, and we went down to the barreling wall to get our photograph with three chieftains. Right in front of the barreling wall, facing, reversed them, faced back with the tanks, and then one of them broke down. So they'd go over the back and lift the back decks, and the Russians were up, and these Germans were up, they could pick us down.

41:51Peter Stewart:so there were three tanks and one of them had broken down right in front of the Brandenburg and the really guy was in there, there's number two fixing it you know, around his number twos, but we just thought, how ironic the might of the British army and how I have a broken tank Yeah, and one third of it is non-operational and I mean when you were doing those rocking horse exercises what sort of percentage of the of the unit was like non-operational because of breakdowns and stuff like that do you have any idea I don't think it was all that bad actually my thoughts you know I remember sitting along especially at the end of an exercise and you're coming back to go home and you'd meet guys who were lying there with broken down tanks and they had to wait a few more days before they could get home.

42:56Peter Stewart:I've seen them lying in ditches, lost most of their track, stuff like that. But I think that was one of the problems of them. Yeah. Yeah. Did you ever come across Soxsmiths or any Soviet troops when you were around in Berlin? Yeah. So, there was a little dog room, we shared it with the Royal Engineers, and we took turns of me in the garden, you ate good night, etc. And you sat, you sat in a booze. I've been there a few times since actually, I looked at them and said, I'm sitting there at the front, now it was about 2 in the morning. Now, you get a bit sleepy then, you know, your head starts to gnawing.

43:46It's hot and the head goes like that.

43:49Peter Stewart:Well, I didn't sleep but I just went like this and I turned around and I got this fright of my life. Socks must have been sitting at the door. And I'll never forget it because there's four big hats, my peaked cats. They're sitting looking in at me. They just appeared. sat there and I looked back at them and they looked at me and then they drove off. It was a nearly experience and then I had the phone headquarters to let them know. But just a little thing like that, you know. Was that in Berlin or in Senelaga? That was in Berlin. That was in Swatch Barracks from the Rammstrasse and they just pulled in and sat there.

44:41Because I think with Socksmiths, they were only operational in West Germany, so it's probably one of the Soviet flag tours that was out, but basically the same role as Socksmiths, you know, just to see what was going on and put the heebie-jeebies up. They didn't get the space with two in the morning. Yeah. As a young man, I was nearly experienced, you know. so that's where I met them it's the only time I met them yeah because they had the Soviet War Memorial in the British sector didn't they so they were bussing the troops in for that on a daily basis as well yeah and we would take a tank around Billy my friend Billy he was the character we used to we used to take a tank around the back of our

45:35Peter Stewart:barracks where the tanks were and we would go to the snow and the Soviet guards were out watching from Spandau prison we would go into wheelies you would call wheelies take a tank, pull a stick and go round in a circle and have a bit of fun and they were watching us from Spandau prison to see what was happening you know and yeah I do believe that one time that the guard rooms the buildings were the same bricks you know, they looked the same. I do believe the Soviets came in one day as a regiment and they opened the barrier for them and let them in. And this was the guards that were taken over from the Americans or the French or the British.

46:23They had taken their turn guard. Now it's funny that spandau prison though because the lady next door to my ex-mother-in-law she was a prisoner of war with the

46:33Peter Stewart:Japanese and her father became a guard I think they employed guards not soldiers when the Nazis were interred there so he'd been there and do you know who else was there that guy Spears from you know Band of Brothers remember him from Band of Brothers I don't remember him particularly no well he became a governor right of Spandau Prison as well oh wow he'd served his time there so little things that I find out and having these connections with Spandau yeah because Nigel mentioned being the interpreter for Hess at Spandau and gave a really interesting view of what Hess was like and I've also interviewed a guy who ended up being a beef eater at the Tower of London who was a guard at Spandau as well he was only allowed to call him his number yeah prisoner number 7 wasn't it so yeah what a useless bit of information that is to remember no but it's great for people who don't know so that was basically my time in Berlin I've got a friend Cliff from Aberdeen as well and we shared the same room and he says hey Peter do you fancy a flight around the Berlin Wall I said, yeah, how do you manage that?

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49:40Peter Stewart:I'm with the way of a comb box. With the way of comb box. but I went to the bar that night and I think I forgot about it and there was a lovely run called the Myers Run and I believe you could only get it in Berlin it was a Jamaican run I think Myers and I had too many of them so anyway I get up and I seen this helicopter coming in and landing in the playing field the football pitch is not and he says it's for helicopters so I threw my combat and it was one of those little bubble ones, it was like a skilt, I think, and we jumped in the pipe under him, and he says, oh my God, he says, he'd been drinking, I said, oh, sorry.

50:21So we went up,

50:22Peter Stewart:and it was one of the best days I ever heard in Berlin, because they took us right across, along the border, showing us everything, looking over into East Jail, and it was absolutely fantastic. I remember I had a drink, and we went away by tipsy. So my friend's on the side to ask, he says, I heard you can do a thing called auto-rotating. That's when they cut the engine and dropped. And the guy said, do you want to see it?

50:51So that was it. So that was a great day. That was a nice trip.

50:58Peter Stewart:It was, yeah. I got to do something that most people wouldn't. Another big one that I never got on, because that was more infantry base, was the train, the troop train. The train to Helmstadt and beyond. Yeah, never got on that. And then the other one was traveling to Berlin, then back going, you know, to go through the corridor. And then that was an experience, you know, everything you had to do to get through the corridor. But one of our duty fibers turned up to Berlin and he'd gone missing, right? and he came through the East German border but he had a British passport with him they just started to laugh and say I don't know what happened but that was Vince actually and so that was it and that's basically everything that I've done for the city I've been back a few times now and one thing that I always do when I go back again is this I'll go to some snare lumbus and whatever, and that wants to chat to people around about me.

52:16And I pick up, maybe chat to someone that's my age who didn't have to go into the military. And I tell them, but they have got to be happy up in. And then I said, what do you think of the war now? Guess what they tell me? And I've done a few things. guess what the answer is go on surprise me put it back up tomorrow

52:47Peter Stewart:put it back up tomorrow I was a member of Toastmasters International and I went over and I went to the local club and I'd booked in a proper not having a chat in Berlin and there was only youngsters from Hungary or Berlin are there they were all from different eastern countries mainly and they had not a clue about what had happened with the Berlin Wall and they weren't even interested because it was well past the time so quickly things are forgotten and I went also, I don't know if you've watched the lives of others yet, have you? I can't remember the number of times I've watched it I've actually been to the book the bookshop I've been there yeah don't ruin the end for people no no I made I made sure I got I put watch out for them every week yeah so that was that and then in Aberdeen I've done a couple of talks about the girl in law you know, and I went to Auburn University for a wee talk and then gave him a tip off about a lady who was there.

54:10Peter Stewart:And I had a picture of a boy looking out, it was one of those that was killed, I said, who's that? I said, that was the last one that was shot. And then every question I asked this woman could answer it and she didn't put her hand up her and should you show it now? So, this one says, now guess what the name the stoler after Hess had gone? And she showed up to Hess, I says, I can't believe you know all this. Then I went, hmm. I said, I know, why? I told him, I says, you're a relative of the ambassador in Berlin, are you? She said, oh, did you know that? I says, because I know everything. It was great funny, But she knew, she knew the answer.

54:57So that was it. And yeah. And I remember, I went, I went to, it's a local Calfoy, it's a grocery store. And I went there and I was speaking to all the people. And they remembered the tanks coming out the gates. You know, the, you made the notions that you'd been there and even went down to the little pub.

55:21Peter Stewart:And I was taking a lot of pictures. And this little guy comes up in the pub. He says, why are you taking pictures? I says, I was up in the barracks up there. He says, really? He says, I was there. I says, was you? He says, I was the cook. I said, I've been needing to meet you. And he goes, why is that? I says, my stomach's never been the same since.

55:46But they were fascinated. They had a good, you know, a broken chap with a,

55:52Peter Stewart:So what's my memories of Berlin? I've never forgotten. I've read books in the Stasi. I've been to the Stasi headquarters. I like them, but the next time I'm going back, I'm getting a bike. I stayed in Spandau and I'm just going to go about my bike I always pay a visit to the war graves on the Hairstrasza and even young people died there during their service after the war you know it's born crews to young children it's quite sad and so we actually when I went to Nigel's funeral, it was the Anglian Garrison Church that they still use in there. So I'm just going to go back and find places I never seen when I was there because we spent too much time in the bar.

56:55That was one of the problems. Have you ever been to the Stasi prison at Hohenschönhausen? No, I haven't been there either. I would really recommend that. If you're a fan of the lives of others, that's definitely worth seeing. Yeah, yeah. When I was with Nigel one day, actually he had guys from the 16th and 5th Lancers, but he transferred to them for a while, 16th and his guys were over. He met me the next day after, met me the day before. He says, come along. It's been great too. I was even in Hitler's office and had a great time there.

57:34Peter Stewart:But I won't make a point of going to. Actually, I'm watching an American and Berlin ex-Air Force guy. And I'm going to meet up with him as well. I'm going on a little bike tour where I'm showing the different things. Brilliant. It's always been in my heart, Berlin. Yeah, I love it as a city. It is without doubt my favourite city. I mean, there's so much history there. and loads of interesting places to see. There's a couple of other things you had on your list here. A young woman at your speaking club, East German, age 10. Yes. So she was a doctor, can you see? And we all became friends. Toastmasters went to a national.

58:23Peter Stewart:And I went there and actually became a public speaking trainer. So I was chatting to her. And I says, well, have you heard about the Puzzle Ladies? She goes, no. I says, were you in these gentlemen? She goes, yes, I was 10 years old, and I lived with my mother. I says, okay. And she said, oh, really, I didn't know about this. So when she went home, she said to Mum, Mum, have you, did you know about you can get your files? She goes, yes. And I've written. She goes, really? So what happened? And she says, because I kept in touch with people in the West, I went no further than my job. I was pinging hot.

59:09That was it, because I refused not to speak to them. She goes, what about my dad? She says, your dad was an informer. Just like that. Your dad was an informer. And seemingly that many people, I've read quite a few books in it now, that inform us with their own relatives. That's how neat the Stasi went. You're right. It was very pervasive. But, you know, it's the way that the Stasi worked was very clever in terms of putting pressure on people and sort of like, you know, your son won't go to university unless you tell us what your work colleagues talk about at lunchtimes and things like that. You know, it's...

59:58Or worse sort of pressure. You know, your wife will lose that highly paid job that she's in at the moment. Did Nigel ever tell you whose nickname was... His name with the stars he was Hotspur? Did he tell you that? I think he might have done. That was his code name. I'm sure he loved that.

1:00:18Peter Stewart:He said to Peter, we were sitting over on Neil one day, and he says, I thought he got one day, was he at it? And he said, no, is that Helen Dunkley? He says, yes, obviously, you aren't. He says, I need to meet you. Really? Yeah. He says, I was the man that watched you. Hear that? That's now Crispy and McCrispy Strips meeting creamy Caesar sauce. Sounds extra crispy. Caesar sauce at McDonald's for a limited time. Ba-da-ba-ba-ba. So when did you meet me? He said, It's your spies, he said. So they met up, and he said, I just want to ask you one question. That day I followed you at such and such. How did you get away from me?

1:01:10And Nigel said, When a train came past, I told the driver to go alongside it, drive and then turn into trees. And the guy says to him, Thank you. I always wanted to know that.

1:01:22Peter Stewart:I'm going to win.

1:01:26Brilliant. Wow.

1:01:28Peter Stewart:So that was a great story, you know. Yeah, yeah. I definitely need to listen back to that Nigel interview because I did it quite a while back and I remember there were some great stories in there. I think you also had a weird Berlin collection with your art teacher at school. Yeah, I was walking to Aberdeen one day and there was a little art carrier. I actually knew the little American guy that ran it. And it said, Berlin Collection or something like that. It's right with a pen. And there's beautiful pictures of the Berlin Wall and all the drawings from the time. Then I looked at it and I says, who's the artist?

1:02:10And it says, I can't remember, S-Ceen, A-Ceen, Sandy-Ceen. I says, was he a teacher in Aberdeen? He goes, yeah. I says, he was my teacher. And then I eventually met him. He had a book and got him to sign it for me. I says, when? He says, I moved to Berlin. I says, when were you in Berlin? He opened an art shop there. He said, when were you? He was there the same time as we were there. Wow.

1:02:39Peter Stewart:And they'd opened this up. Unfortunately, his German wife died during COVID. And that was, you know, it's a funny meeting there. You know, that teacher Neil, he would have been different from me. I think they had a different view from you, you know, if you know what I mean. I just thought all the little coincidence that came in my life, all leading back to knowing that there was quite a few people from Berlin and I didn't even pick up that accent, one of my customers, and I said, I detect that accent. Where are you from? Berlin. But one of the weirdest ones, I used to do a far-fetching in Aberdeen, and I got really well with the foreman, and he had a bonnet, you know.

1:03:27Peter Stewart:He said, would you like a cup of tea, Peter? I said, aye. So we sat down, and I'd worked for a national pest control firm then. He says, so what's your life then? I said, ah, I was stationed in Germany, I was in Berlin, and he told them, so it's good. He says, I'm a German. I said, what? He was as broad Aberdonian as you could get. I said, what? He goes up. He says, I was a prisoner or what? A way you would not have detected that he wasn't, he was a German. And then I, as I said, and I regretted saying this to him, I said, what do you think about it all now? He says, next time we'll get it right.

1:04:14Wow. He was being serious. Yeah, yeah. I was thinking about your art teacher, Peter. You could have said to him, you know, the art classes came in really useful. I was very good at painting tanks green.

1:04:28Peter Stewart:Yeah. But he was one of my art teachers. We called him Cat Weasel, because he won't call him Cat Weasel, I remember. Yeah, yeah. I'll be honest with you. I'll say, if I was a younger man, and I know now, I would be staying there. Yeah. Yeah. I wouldn't be staying there. Yeah. No, it's a lovely city. And, you know, you mentioned about the guy talking about putting the wall back up. I mean, when Berlin was West Berlin and it was cut off from everywhere else, you know, it was heavily subsidised and, you know, it was a great city to live in. I mean, as you said, you could avoid conscription into the Bundeswehr if you lived in West Berlin.

1:05:14I mean, I went there in June 89 before the wall came down and managed to travel across to the east. And I was just fascinated by the whole way the border connections worked and all of that sort of thing. And little did I know that, you know, like six, seven months – well, no, about four months later, it was all going to disappear. I'll tell you what I was in 1989. I was up in Lossiemouth doing some work on my business. And we went down to the petrol station, and when the wall came down, it was that better women girl in there. And I'll never forget her going, yes, yes, we've got my country back.

1:06:01And I actually said to her, be careful what you wish for. No, no, just be careful what you wish for. and that's what I'm telling you it's changed it really has changed and it's not a great city but it has changed that's why when I go back next time I'm staying in my own sector my sector and I'm going about on a bike to learn a bit more about it and when I was over at Nigel's funeral he became a major general he was in charge of Bricksmas what's his name Peter Williams Peter Williams yes and I had a fantastic chat with his wife you know I had a wife and she left for the army herself

1:06:51Peter Stewart:from the education corps and we had a good chat and it was great it was absolutely brilliant because he'd done he'd done a great job there you know yeah yeah I've got him lined up to have a chat on the podcast I need to chase that up. But you asked me to remind you and say Matt Munro. Munro, no. I'm a part-time singer. I'm a crooner. Really. I didn't fancy that. I actually got a letter from his daughter for keeping his memory alive. But a lot of people don't know this. He sang the song Born Free. I didn't know. I don't know if you know. But a lot of the East Berlingers and that, they really liked that song.

1:07:40Peter Stewart:Because they wanted to be free as well. You know? And so, when I used to go on a stage, I would say, Now, I found out, Matt Monroe was a tank crewman. So was I. Matt Monroe was a bus driver. So was I. Matt Monroe was a lottery driver. All this before he became a singer. so was I Mark McGraw passed away at 55 I says I'm 55 next year I'm a bit worried but I'm down near nearly 66 now I made it but what a beautiful boy but actually I'm saying that song meant a lot to the East Berliners biggest regret is not seeing enough of the place when we were there I've actually had to go back to Berlin and learn more about the area I lived in.

1:08:39Peter Stewart:You know, going up to Spandau itself. We did go there, but there's a lot more there, you know. And so I'm going to... I'd sometimes jump on a bus and just travel about the city. But as I say, I hope to go by bike next time and just stay in my own area, well, Spandau area, and just go down and get as much photographs and videos as I can, you know. Well, you're a member of our Facebook group now, so if you want to share a few of those when you're down there, when you get back, I'm sure people would appreciate seeing particularly the old haunts of the British Army in Spandau as well. Yeah, I'll do that.

1:09:23I'll do that. I used to sit alive at a coffee. The Germans thought I was an idiot to speak to God. I was at the street where Nigel was going to a film premiere right and I said I remember a street do you know why Nigel was in a I can't remember it was a tuxedo a really nice suit something like that and how did he get driven down hanging on to the turret of a chafting tank that's the sort of guy that Nigel was he was quite he was quite eccentric yeah Yeah, yeah, absolutely. With a capital E, I would say. Well, Peter, it's been lovely speaking with you tonight. Great stories there. Yeah, yeah. Not from a major general or anything, but that was the life of Trooper Stewart in Berlin.

1:10:21Well, that's great. The life of Trooper Stewart will be going into the archive, and I'm sure people will be delighted to listen to it. the episode extras such as videos photos and other content are available via a link in the episode information the podcast wouldn't exist without the generous efforts of our financial supporters and i'd like to thank one and all of them for keeping the podcast on the road the cold war conversation continues in our facebook discussion group just search for Cold War Conversations in Facebook. Thanks very much for listening and look forward to seeing you next week.

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