An MI6 Director Looks Back at His Time in Cold War Berlin

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Former MI6 Director David Bickford takes us behind the scenes of one of the most unusual and precarious postings of the Cold War. Arriving in Berlin in 1979, the city is still technically under Allied occupation—surrounded by East Germany and governed through a complex web of agreements dating back to the Second World War.

He recounts the day-to-day realities of maintaining access routes into the city, negotiating with the Soviets without the backing of force, and managing constant disputes over transport, tariffs, and air corridors. Against the backdrop of rising tensions following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, David reveals how fragile the balance really was—and how close things could come to escalation.

We also hear extraordinary stories from inside Spandau Prison, home to Nazi war criminal Rudolf Hess, and the bizarre logistical and political challenges of managing a prison built for hundreds but housing just one inmate.

With vivid personal memories, this episode offers a rare human perspective on life at the front line of the Cold War—where ambiguity ruled, tensions simmered, and even the smallest incident could have international consequences.

Check our David’s books here https://amzn.to/4c0WfFD

David’s website https://davidbickford.co.uk/

Linked episodes

Guarding Rudolf Hess, Hitler’s Deputy Führer https://coldwarconversations.com/episode262/
Being present at the post-mortem of Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess https://coldwarconversations.com/episode405/
BRIXMIS, British defence of Cold War Berlin, and Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess https://coldwarconversations.com/episode21/
BRIXMIS episodes https://coldwarconversations.com/?s=brixmis

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