https://twitter.com/infinite_milos/status/960210613959102464/
Might as well post this in the 'Feeling old' thread.
Had a high school friend, oh around 1968, who had family in Berlin. He told a story about the French Zone n Berlin.
It was next to the tracks of the East German railway. One morning, the Soviet authorities had painted DDR on a water tower.
DDR stood for the East German government, Deutches Demokratishe Republik.
It was against the agreement of the Berlin agreement to put up the name or symbol of the East, or Wes,t German governments in neutral Berlin.
The French are nothing if not sticklers for protocal. They sent a note to the Russian and East German authorities that this a clear violation of the governing agreement. They gave three hours to remove the lettering, or they would take measures.
There was no response, so the French military force in Berlin, drove over to their side of the border, and tank guns were aimed at the water tower. The French commander stood in the midst of the tanks with a large watch and waited.
At ten minutes to the hour, two railway workers scurried up a ladder to the tower. They painted over the first D, leaving DR, which was the name Deutches Reichsbahn, or German Railways.
The French commander visibly sighed, put away his watch, and the French tanks left.
Nice story Bes. Maybe this was the same French officer:
QuoteBecause the Reichsbahn administered the S-Bahn, the East Germans liked to pretend that S-Bahn terrain in West Berlin was their sovereign territory—which it was not. When Tegel Airport was built, an S-Bahn communications tower was in the way of the envisaged flight path. Requests by the French City Commandant to the Soviets to have the tower removed fell on deaf ears. Finally he took matters in his own hands. The next day the Soviets demanded angrily how he could do such a thing. His famous, although perhaps apocryphal reply was, "Avec dynamite, Messieurs, avec dynamite..." Berlin is full of such tales...
http://www.unc.edu/depts/diplomat/archives_roll/2004_01-03/heichler_frontstadt/heichler_frontstadt.html
Thanks for sharing, cool stuff.