BBC 4 film about the BAOR

Hi,

I hope you can help,

I’m a researcher working on a BBC4 social history series called Timeshift, and I’m making a programme about the BAOR.

The film will concentrate on the lives of the men and women who served in Germany in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. We want to get a sense of what it was like to live and work in Germany and the bases during this period. What was the food like? How well did people get along with the locals? How good were the local schools? As well as the more serious matter of being at the front line of the Cold War.

I’m looking for people who served during this time who would be willing to speak to me and possibly be interviewed for the film. We are particularly interested to speak to anyone who worked for any of the army institutions in Germany such as the British Forces Broadcasting Services, the Army Kinema Corporation and the NAAFI.

If you think you can help please get in contact,

Phone - 01179747637

All the best,

Freddy Mercer

You just might hit it lucky here Freddy..We have a couple of potential film stars ,among our gunner members...

Pick me, Pick me!

I think you have come to the right place and you should look at our main site. It has more information than you'll ever need! I think none of us actually knew how big BAOR was. We all knew about our location, our Battle Group and maybe even our Division but certainly in my case until I started looking and 'listening' on this site I had no idea just how big an entity BAOR was. The Cold War was really quite well known to us but again largely in our own field of expertise. Many of us had our 'finest hours' in Germany and there is a wealth of information, even about NAAFI and the AKC/SKC and it various re-inventions. Despite, or maybe because of, the threat some of the finest socialising was also played out. Ask the questions and I can assure you that somewhere here somebody will give a detailed and interesting answer.

yeah, a lot of people on here know plenty about life in BAOR that's for sure.

What was wrong with us there in the 80's ????????????????????
lol
HUSSAR
atb
Pinky

I can't for the life of me comprehend why, if you want quality information on BAOR that you would want to interview NAAFI, BFBS and AKC staff members? All they can tell you is what was on sale in the NAAFI (we already know who shopped and drank there), what was on the Radio and TV and what was being shown on the cinemas in each Garrison.

I personally was involved with units with such variety as the BKYC and RE Diving Unit in Eckenfoerde near Kiel to Sonthofen in Bavaria and from the Army language school in Mulheim across to Helmstedt and also Berlin with the Potsdam Mission House (BRIXMIS).

You need to be asking people that have a broad spectrum of BAOR and German knowledge, and I would suggest someone with knowledge of what was across the border on the other side too, namely the GSFG - Group of Soviet Forces Germany.

Remember that the Warsaw Pact also had a SOXMIS Unit stationed in Buende near Herford and they were allowed to use NAAFI facilities for shopping, etc.

Hear hear !

Welcome to the madhouse, ronniehay. I can't recall ever seeing the "I Corps" represented here before.

He must have passed the entrance exam.

Welcome ronniehay

Welcome to the site ronniehay. Looking forward to your input.

Just a cotton pickin' minute, is it not the norm for 'I' Corps and Scaleys to be co-located??

Nah Shelldrake The I is not big enough....

Ronnie

Welcome, just ignore the General Staff they are always bickering.

Your comments are in line withe vast majority of this site, far better was the tribute on German TV and produced by NWDR to mark the departure of the British Army from Celle which included archive footage of Hamburg in the 1940s and interviews with both British and German families

ps Your reasoning for editing your input must be a first and must reflect your background, no one else has ever corrected a grammatical error!!

JPW wrote:

Ronnie

Welcome, just ignore the General Staff they are always bickering!!

No we're not!

JPW wrote:

ps Your reasoning for editing your input must be a first and must reflect your background, no one else has ever corrected a grammatical error!!

SOME of us never need to !

Shelldrake wrote:

JPW wrote:

Ronnie

Welcome, just ignore the General Staff they are always bickering!!

No we're not!

I hope that wasn't aimed my way !

brum wrote:

Shelldrake wrote:

JPW wrote:

Ronnie

Welcome, just ignore the General Staff they are always bickering!!

No we're not!

I hope that wasn't aimed my way !

Who rattled your cage?

Just a thought, Sheldrake old horse.

I hope you aren't planning to forward the last email I sent you (Playboy), to Gordon. I don't think his poor old ticker could stand the shock !

over

Au contraire, old bean. I have downloaded it to a special folder next to my boxing gloves.

Quote :

Just a thought, Sheldrake old horse.

I hope you aren't planning to forward the last email I sent you (Playboy), to Gordon. I don't think his poor old ticker could stand the shock !

Harrumph!!...Playboy?????????Is this an upgrade from the postcards you aquired on your last visit to Amiens?
Good lord man..If the old ticker can stand a long weekend with the "chinese" sisters,,what can a few smutty postcards do...????

I watched this programme and was not impressed. Too many braying Ruperts, and as for that Max Hastings.... Grrrr!

brum wrote:

Hear hear !

Welcome to the madhouse, ronniehay. I can't recall ever seeing the "I Corps" represented here before.

Maybe he's a spy checking up on us OOOOHHHH spook

Ah Ronnie, SOXMIS. Remember them well when I was in BAOR in the 1960's for the second time (First time 1952-4). We were told to report to the RMP's in Bunde if we saw these Soviet guys, how many, the time of day, direction of travel they were going etc. The RMP fellow in the desk would glaze over and let his pen travel over the paper automatically. He was bored and had heard it all before. What a waste of effort all round. Utter rubbish!!!
Jimsigs