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The book is a pictorial historiography of the British occupation of Berlin from 1945-1994 with insights and detailed information on the military and politicalstatus of the city. With previously unpublished documents and photographs, it reveals every facet of British life at the Wall, from the garrison's dailyroutine, the surveillance activities of the Military Mission (BRIXMIS) behind the Iron Curtain, the YAK 28 coup and the SIS/CIA spy tunnel operation,exposed by KGB's top spy George Blake.Additionally, it discloses the British defence strategy (FIBUA) for its sector, revealing new and unpublished insights. Berlin as a city, deep inside the Soviet Zone, enclosed by the notorious BerlinWall from 1961, was the stage of Cold War operations, spy tunnels and high security radar stations penetrating the Warsaw Pact. It discloses the British Garrison's contradictory engagement between post-war obligations in cooperating with the Soviets, Berlin Air Safety Centre and Spandau AlliedPrison, at the same time preparing for war.
About the author
WILLIAM DURIE is a photographer who was
based with the British Armed Forces in Berlin until 1994. In 1997 he was responsible for the re-discovery of the SIS/CIA spy tunnel (George Blake) and the
PLUTO pipe lines brought to Berlin for the airlift. In 2001 he was awarded a Fellowship by the Berlin United States Military Veterans Association for his
research work on the second Berlin Crisis. He lives in Berlin.
