443: Berlin - Part 1

Enough about lockdown. Hopefully we're over the worst and a second wave isn't waiting to bite us on the bum.

Time for some history. Cast your mind back to 1986 (those of you who are old enough).

Here I am being presented with my Long Service & Good Conduct (LS&GC) medal by the Provost Marshal (Army) in the British Military Headquarters in Berlin. Normally this particular medal is presented after 15 years service, provided there has been 'good conduct' throughout. Unfortunately, in my younger days, I was a little bit of a 'Jack-the-lad' and there was at least one 'blemish' on my Regimental Conduct sheet. The Chief Clerk of 247 Provost Company, Royal Military Police, kindly helped me draft a plea of mitigation in which I apologized for my earlier wayward behaviour and pointed out that I had been a 'goody two shoes' ever since those 'tiny' youthful transgressions. As you can see the plea was successful.

What was I doing in Berlin?  

	Between 1984 and 1986 I had the privilege of serving as the senior Russian Interpreter, of a team of five, attached to 247 Provo Coy RMP, part of 2nd Regiment, Royal Military Police. We had duties on the Berlin Military Train and in and around Berlin, which, in those far-off days, was 'occupied' by British/US/French and Soviet Military.
Who taught me to speak Russian? To cut a long story short, I spent a year on an 18-month Russian course at the Defence School of Languages in Beaconsfield, just outside London. (That goes some way to explaining why I could only ever speak 2/3 of a sentence!).

In my next blog I'll tell you more about the British Berlin Military Train (including the tradition of Potsdamer Port), and a bit more about my duties in Berlin, including my tenuous connection to the guy in the video.

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