There must be thousands of these stories out there, some of which have found their way into 'Operational Routes". I've seen photos of the pocket card that BAOR apparently issued to everyone. I don't remember ever seeing them in my day, but we were subjected to many indoctrinations on arrival in BAOR and 'reminders' as time went on, including posters displaying the plates.

We were admonished to contact the nearest MP unit or any establishment that was handy and say: "rubber glove", followed by the pertinent details. I got all excited the first time I got to report a SOXMIS car, although on reflection I suspect I was probably the 50th person to report the same sighting. None the less the RMP sargeant who took my statement patiently wrote it all down and politely thanked me. I guess they didn't want to discourage us eager young bucks.

The story is told of a camera set up through a hole in a garage door across from the entrance to Fort Beausejour in Iserlohn (Epsom Barracks prior to 1957; Corunna Barracks after 1970) where our armoured regiment was stationed, but whether that was a SOXMIS op or run by STASI wasn't stated.

On another note, Tony Gerahty published an excellent history of BRIXMIS about 13 years ago. Don't know if it's still in print, but, like anything of Gerahty's, is an excellent read. (Published by HarperCollins. ISBN 0 00 638673 3.)

You know there must be something missing in my military education. Until I joined this site I had never heard of SOXMIS and as for seeing a Russian Military vehicle, if I had I would probably buggered off sharpish. I know the agreement for exchange Military Missions came into being in 1946, but I never personally came into contact with them, even though at the time 1952-1954 I was stationed in Herford, Bunde (we were the first unit stationed at the newly constructed Birdwood Barracks .. HQ 6 Armoured Div and HQ 6 Armd Div Signals Regt) and then Munster. Hell I was a cipher op and never heard of them. The only presence they had was when one of our 5 figure cipher groups came up with six digits or characters, showing we were being monitored ..

Len (Ciphers)

Anytime I saw them they were driving unmarked (except for the red and yellow SOXMIS plates) civilian pattern Opel Kapitan sedans (saloons if you will).

By the way, were Birdwood Barracks the Waldfrieden Kaserne that was the home of 7 Sigs in the '60s? I have a lot of memories about the place.

Rod

Carried over from another post made to the RMP Operational Signs thread:

Hmmmm...I could have sworn someplace on this site I had posted, several months ago, some stuff about reporting SOXMIS, but can't find it.

I think, instead, I posted it to a Canadian Army Brat site (Lahr Revisited), with hardly any response.

Somewhere I have a small framed postcard given to my father after he reported seeing SOXMIS in the 60's. The postcard was an official acknowledgement of Dad's "contribtution" to the NATO effort or some such thing.

you did stphen,and you got some replies including mine...graham...

Oh good...I don't quite have the trust of my memory or perceptions of things I once did LOL.

I was pretty sure I had posted it here, someplace, but couldn't find it...that tendency to drift off the original topic of a particular thread being the culprit, I suppose :-)

Thanks, Graham. It's a relief to know I haven't totally gone off my rocker quite yet!

I suspect our paths probably crossed in the early 60s Gordon. I had some very good friends in 7 Sigs and spent a lot of my weekends helping the the landlords at Schmidt's and Companions make ends meet with my enthusiastic patronage (to say nothing of the NAAFI and Cpl's mess). We'll have to get together by e-mail and toss a few names around. (Wish we could have a cold Herforder while doing it.)

I was there from Jan 62 till Oct 65..Fell out of Schmits a few times but more often than not it was the Companions..a typical night was Cpl`s mess.Companions.Autobahn Cafe (or guardroom) then pit.And if you were really unlucky an Ex Quicktrain was called.I tended to avoid the "flying tumbler" (NAFFI) unless on duty,and that usually lead to a morning with the RSM.

Happy Daze

BTW ....I was in 5 Squadron..

There's a bit about SOXMIS on my web-site at:
http://www.redcap70.net/SOXMIS.htm

Ian.

Hi Redcap70, I see you were in 6 Armoured .. did you know the Knowlton twins, Arthur and David, they were also 6 Armd at the same time I was there 52/54. One of them, I think it was David also went to Oz. We grew up together in West End, Southampton.
Regards ..
Len (Ciphers)

Hi Len,

I was 1 Corps Bielefeld! I do have a A.Knowlton on my files, but don't know if he is related to the guys you refer to? He was in Army during the early 1950's though. OZ is a big place. Any idea which State?

Sorry Buddy, I think he was living in Sidney but can't be sure .. I did hear that one of the brothers had died and I think it was Arthur, his other twin David was still in the UK. One of my drinking pals in Munster in the 50's was Sgt Ernie Early RMP and I bumped into him again in Kure Japan about 1955 ..

Len (Ciphers)

We had Brixmis, the Reds had Soxmis.
What did the Yanks and the Frogs have?

I spotted a large truck outside York Barracks in Munster in the 80s with what looked like Cyrillic (Russian ?) script on it. Reported to Int Corp, never heard anything more. I know it wasnt Soxmis, they had Izuzu Troopers at that time, saw one of those at another time and reported that.
Did the Reds stray as far as Munster?

"We had Brixmis, the Reds had Soxmis. What did the Yanks and the Frogs have?"

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