Night train to Berlin

Wonder how many of you had ever travelled on the old night train to Berlin. Sounds like a good title for a film.
I did only once in 1953. As a L/Cpl, I accompanied a LT (TOT) to Berlin from Bad Oeynehausen. He travelled 1st class and I joined a group returning from leave to Berlin Signal Sqn (229). I remember that as we approached to border between East & West Germany the guards on the train pulled down the blinds so we could not make any observations. We arrived at Charlottenburg Station early morning to be met by a jeep. The Lt and I then went off to the Telefunken factory to sign for a batch of frequency chrystals.
Had a pleasant few days in Berlin - went on a WVS sponsored bus trip from ReichChancellor Platz to the Russian war memorial via the Brandenburg Gates. Stayed with Berlin Sig Sqn and returned to Herford the following Monday.
Never been back to Berlin since but it looks now on TV a completely different City. The wall came and went etc.
Look forward to any other comments etc.
Jimsigs1

Actually there was a movie made about the US Army Berlin train in 1963 titled Stop Train 349. It starred Jose Ferrer and Sean Flynn and, apart from the terrible over-acting, was a fairly good movie about an East German youth who jumped aboard while the train was stopped to clear an east-bound train at Magdeburg and the resulting political and military kerfuffle. I think you can still buy it on VHS (what's that???)

going on from the night train to Berlin. Can anyone remind me of the other military trains which ran from Hook of Holland. I knew of the Reg train as that was the one we travelled on to Herford in the 1950's. I also seem to remember there was a train which ran down to BTA (British Troops Austria) and British Troops in Trieste.
Jimsigs1

Somewhere in the "back issues" there is a thread about the Red, Green and Blue Trains, but I can't recall where.

Its on a thread titled Troopships....Check your PMs Recce..

Jimsigs1,
Saw your post about, "Night Trip to Berlin" in 1953. My wife and I made a trip to Germany in 1976. We rented a car in Frankfurt and toured around West Germany except for a trip to Berlin. We decided not to go to East Berlin( I don't think our car insurance covered East Berlin) with our car and wisely joined a tourist group on a bus. The guide was a woman from the GDR and we crossed over at Check Point Charlie. The bus could barely navigate between the cement walls. When we entered E B we had to get out of the bus and line up in three ranks with our passports in hand. As they were being checked another guard with a mirror on a two wheeled trolley with handles moved around the perimeter of the bus checking underneath, not sure what for. One of the first places we went to was also the Russian Memorial, a massive monument. We had to listen to a long spiel from the guide about Russian benevolence none of which was evident anywhere. None of the former Government buildings had been repaired and there were small trees and bushes growing out of the roof gutters. And this was 30 years after the end of WW2. The guide tried to explain that the GDR was not a recipient of Marshall Plan Aid like WG. Also saw the East German Honor Guard doing their paradeschritt at the Reich Platz. It was the most depressing tour that we had ever seen. We were never allowed to leave the group or talk to any East Germans.
Bob

Thanks chaps, I'll have a look at the back threads.
Bob, very interesting. I did a tour back in 1953. That was organised by WVS and cost a shilling (BAFV). We also visited the Russian memorial but were allowed to walk around freely. Don't think the East Germans had really got their hostile act together in those days. Loads of yanks doing the same thing with their wind up movie cameras etc.
Never had the pleasure of doing the trip to Berlin by car.
Quite impressed by going around the Berlin Olympic area which at the time was being used for driver training by our lads. Stayed with Berlin Signal Sqn for my five days. Never been back since. Maybe one day.
Jimsigs1

Gordon. wrote:

Its on a thread titled Troopships....Check your PMs Recce..

Thanks for the message Gordon. Sorry for not replying, but I'm having some trouble getting a reply to you. For some reason it keeps bouncing back to me, but not going to you. I know I'm something of a computer klutz, but I usually manage to get the simple stuff right. Will be in touch ASAP.

Rod Macintosh (recce 83)

Ok Rod..I`ve passed the info on to Scouse...He`s in Indonesia so it might be later to night when i get a reply.

Jimsigs

The 1947 film Berlin Express set in part on an overnight journey on the American Berliner from Frankfurt to Berlin Wannsee is based on a thriller/spy story involving American/ British/ French service personnel and a "heroic" German civilian and his daughter. It is still shown from time to time on British TV.

As a self confested railway enthusiast I did write up a brief history of the British Military BAOR troop trains for the then webmaster which can be found off the Home Page (not Forum ) of this site. Others added their memories including photographs. The topic has been raised in discussion but I too cannot find the relevent links

In essence there were three trains for BAOR to and from the Hook. Blue for the northern Garrisons (which split at Osnabruck). Red serving the then HQ BAOR/RAF (G) in the Bad O/ Buckeburg area with a connection to Berlin and the Green which served the southern Garrisons such as Dusseldorf, Paderborn Hildesheim and Brunswick
The terminus varied over the years from Hamburg, Hannover and Brunswick The train names reflected the colour of the ticket/boarding card issued to passengers at the Hook.
In addition there was fourth train (White) which ran to and from Villach/Klagenfurt to meet the needs of British Troops Austria

Thanks a million JPW,

I never knew that the train colours were based on the colour of the ticket. In any case those trains were supurb comfortable trains for the era. Much better that the trains back home in the UK.

Jimsigs1

Maybe from here. Changed a bit from the last time in 1966

The food was also excellent with waiter service, I travelled from the Hook several times. If only the bloody troopers were half as comfortable, the Wansbeck, Vienna and Parkstone - ugh!

Night train FROM Berlin ! I had to escort a Sergeant from BMH Berlin Spandau through the Russian Zone and we had the window blinds shut down also I remember ! Russians came on with big boots and guns and loads of bullets worn. They kept asking for our ID Cards . The Sergeant had cut off the top of his nose in BMH Berlin in the 'Haunted Gallery' and I had to go up there with big torch in the dark to find the broken window and a bit of 'nose flesh' on window-sill and pick it up in Cotton Wool and rush to A and E for Army Surgeons to stick it back on ! ( all this in my VIDEO 'My Life in the British Army Part 2 - Germany' . The Sergeant got off at Hanover and I went on to BMH Iserlohn in safety of the British Zone !