Cold War Conversations

Latest Episodes:

Britain's first Cold War Nuclear Attack Warning Station at Jodrell Bank (327) Jan 13, 2024

Show notes

The Jodrell Bank observatory in Cheshire in the UK played a significant secret role during the Cold War. It was established in 1945 by Bernard Lovell, a radio astronomer at the university, to investigate cosmic rays after his work on radar in the Second World War.

We hear some intriguing details of the site’s Cold War roles including being Britain’s first nuclear attack early warning station and its signals intelligence collaboration with GCHQ, the UK’s Government Communications Headquarters.

Even more surprisingly it’s also revealed how Soviet Scientists also worked at the site and that the Soviets attempted to get Bernard Lovell to defect during a visit to the Soviet Union.

I’m given a tour of the non-public areas by Tim O'Brien who is a Professor of Astrophysics.

Do make sure you check out the extensive photos I took at https://coldwarconversations.com/episode327/

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0:00 Introduction to the podcast

1:00 Jodrell Bank Observatory's role in the Cold War and its establishment

10:08 The birth and evolution of radio astronomy

15:50 The construction and purpose of the world's biggest radio telescope

32:46 The telescope's role during the Cuban missile crisis and its implications

51:05 The mission of GCHQ at Jodrell Bank and intercepting signals from the Soviet Union

1:04:21 Touring the secret tunnel and discussing its potential uses

1:14:51 Recounting the Soviet Luna 15 mission during the American moon landing and the role of Jodrell Bank

1:29:18 Episode extras and thanking financial supporters

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The East German Tank Commander (326) Jan 06, 2024

Show notes

In the mid-1980s Dag was a T72 tank commander in the NVA, the East German Army and is now a volunteer at the Tank Museum at Bovington in

the UK.

He describes his initial tank commander training, the battle readiness of the NVA, and the challenges of a conscript army as well as a startling revelation about a significant change in doctrine in 1987.

We also dig deep into the technical details of the T72, including the autoloader, deep water wading, radio communication and its advantages and disadvantages versus NATO tanks.

Dag also talks about how Soviet WW2 learnings were applied into the NVA, and his regiment’s role and deployment area in the event of war.

Dag shares a frank view and great insight into life in the NVA as a tank commander and the challenges of life beyond the NVA as the Wall opens and all he has known disappears.

Make sure you check out the videos here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode326/

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0:00 Introduction

10:29 Briefing on NATO armour and perception of NATO as the enemy

18:13 Planning for potential conflict and readiness in the NVA

24:33 Understanding the roles and challenges in a conscript army

33:21 Performance and operational details of the T72 tank

42:20 Training, battlefield strategies and preparations

58:41 East German-Soviet relations and Warsaw Pact exercises

1:13:38 Reflections on service in the NVA and potential conflict with NATO

1:23:59 Reaction to the opening of the Berlin Wall and post-service encounters

1:27:34 Life post-unification: Expectations, reality and personal growth

1:31:28 Podcast extras, appreciation for financial supporters and closing remarks

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Twilight of the Soviet Union – Memoirs of a British Journalist in Moscow (325) Dec 30, 2023

Show notes

Kate is sent to Moscow in 1985 to write articles for The Morning Star, a left-wing British daily newspaper founded in 1930 as the Daily Worker by the Communist Party of Great Britain. She lives in a block of flats alongside Soviet citizens and enrols her 3 children in Soviet schools.

Three weeks after Kate arrives Mikhail Gorbachev comes to power and she finds herself having to cover the disorientating number of rapid reforms and attacks on the Soviet system by its leadership for a newspaper, that had always supported the Soviet Union.

Kate is fluent in Russian, speaks with Soviet citizens on the bus or at the shops, and visits every Soviet republic bar one of the then-largest countries on Earth. In 1986 she reported on the Chernobyl disaster and was one of the first journalists to arrive in the area.

Buy the book here https://www.bannisterpublications.com/product-page/twilight-of-the-soviet-union

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0:00 Introduction and background of Kate Clark

1:32 Journey to becoming a Moscow correspondent and life in Soviet Union

11:09 Placing Ket's children in Soviet schools and their adaptation

15:10 Bureaucratic challenges

18:08 Shopping habits and emergence of supermarkets in Soviet Union

21:00 Impact of Mikhail Gorbachev's leadership and his policies

33:34 Cultural accessibility, promotion and diversity in the Soviet Union

44:36 Covering the Chernobyl disaster and its aftermath

57:17 Relations with the British embassy and dealings with Soviet security services

1:04:47 Visit to Afghanistan and reflections on its political challenges

1:09:31 Reflections on the collapse of the Soviet Union and the role of Yeltsin

1:15:30 Kate's book, "Twilight of the Soviet Union", and closing remarks

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Further Cold War Tank Tales from the Land Down Under (324) Dec 23, 2023

Show notes

Tim participates in Kangaroo 89, a huge military exercise with the entire Australian Army using an area the size of Western Europe and we hear about the Australian equivalent of Wolfgang the Bratty Man who used to turn up on British exercises in Germany.

Tim was also part of an exchange program with the British Army and he describes his experiences there and the advantages and disadvantages between Leopard 1 and the British Challenger 1 tank

Tim also worked with the Bundeswehr where he had a fascinating encounter with a former East German tank commander. This is part two of my chat with Tim., Part one is episode 321 here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode321/

Photos, videos and extra episode information here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode324/

Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, We also welcome one-off donations via the same link.

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0:00 Introduction

1:03 Kangaroo 89: Large-scale military exercise and logistical challenges

9:37 Leopard 1 vs Challenger 1: A comparison and discussion of their advantages

20:26 Evaluation of Russian/Chinese armoured vehicles and Soviet tanks

22:45 Discussion about the arms industry and British involvement in upgrading Iraqi tanks

28:28 Life in the field: Food, rations, and interaction with the local population

34:11 Night fighting capability of Leopard AS1 and limitations of infrared technology

39:24 Cold War tactics and concerns about signals intelligence

45:02 Exchange with the Bundeswehr and bonding with an ex-NVA senior NCO

51:59 Cold War-themed films recommendations and Australian contribution during the Cold War

54:02 Importance of individual Cold War stories and episode extras

55:00 Closing remarks and invitation to join the Facebook discussion group

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How To Catch A Cold War Spy (323) Dec 16, 2023

Show notes

Since 1985, Ana Montes has been an asset of the Cuban intelligence service. In that time, she’s risen through the ranks to become one of the Pentagon’s most respected voices on Cuban affairs with easy access to classified documents.

Peter Lapp reveals Montez's tradecraft and how the FBI found the proverbial "needle in a haystack".

To learn more about the woman labelled "one of the most damaging spies in U.S. history" by America's top counter-intelligence official listen to episode 277.

Buy the book here https://uk.bookshop.org/a/1549/9781915603326

Extra Photos and videos here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode323

Enter the book giveaway here https://coldwarconversations.com/giveaway/

Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, We also welcome one-off donations via the same link.

Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/

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0:00 Introduction to Anna Montez and her role in the Cuban Intelligence Service

7:48 The process of identifying a spy within the US intelligence community

16:43 Introduction of Scott Carmichael and his role in the investigation

28:34 The potential involvement of Anna Montez's family in espionage

34:51 A mistake and the realities of surveillance

41:00 The importance of the Toshiba computer in Anna's arrest

52:22 Arrest of Ana Montez

56:18 The process of reaching an agreement with Ana Montez

1:03:16 Public perception and recognition of Ana Montez post-arrest

1:04:11 Introduction of the book giveaway

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Cold War, Warm Hearts - Hitchhiking behind the 1960s Iron Curtain (322) Dec 09, 2023

Show notes

In 1966 most of Bridget’s friends, in their early twenties, were settling down with jobs and/or husbands…

She, on the other hand, set off alone to travel across Poland relying on the kindness of strangers. Fascinated by what she experienced she continued to wander the highways and byways of, Hungary Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia for the next couple of years seeking out remote rural communities almost untouched by the passage of time...

Bridget travelled with virtually no money, however, this was not a problem but an opportunity: it enabled a rare and deep insight into the lives and experiences of ‘ordinary’ people in these Warsaw Pact countries.

We hear how she stumbles across remote German minorities, gets arrested by border guards and finds love in a youth hostel in Munich.

Buy the book here https://uk.bookshop.org/a/1549/9781915603326

Extra Photos and videos here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode352/

Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

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0:00 Introduction to the episode

3:06 Bridget's journey and adventures in Poland

12:18 Bridget's job in Germany and exploration of the iron curtain

15:56 Bridget's smuggling adventure in Slovakia and visit to Hungary

26:02 Bridget's journey to Yugoslavia and her experiences there

32:04 Socio-economic situation and life experiences in Slovakia

34:36 Encounter with West German border guards

37:16 Meeting Bill in Munich and travelling to Romania

43:30 Journey to Bulgaria and experiences there

48:34 Using travel diaries to write "Cold War, Warm Hearts"

53:01 Acknowledging financial supporters and engaging with listeners on Facebook

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Cold War Tank Tales from the Land Down Under (321) Dec 02, 2023

Show notes

Many of Tim’s family had served in WW1 and WW2 and from a young age, he was determined to follow their path.

Overcoming huge competition for places he became a driver of the Leopard AS1 MBT at 1st Armoured Regiment of the Australian Army.

Australia is largely ignored in most Cold War histories, however, we hear how the Australian Army prepared to fight the Musorians, a thinly disguised notional enemy which was obviously the Soviets or one of their satellites in everything but name.

Photos, videos and extra episode information here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode321/

Part two of our chat is here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode324/

Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, We also welcome one-off donations via the same link.

Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/

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Love history? Check out Into History at this link https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod

0:00 Introduction and Tim Whitford's early life and influences

7:48 Tim's involvement in the reserves and training details

12:16 Transition to the regular army and experience with basic training

19:41 First encounter with the Leopard tank and training experience

28:42 Comparison of Leopard and Centurion tanks

33:57 Posting to the 1st Armored Regiment and first deployment

43:41 NBC training and river forwarding capabilities of Leopard tanks

51:30 Reaction to the fall of the Berlin Wall and shift in military roles

55:09 Preview of Part 2 and recognizing financial supporters

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Jack's dramatic Cold War escape across the fortified Inner German border (320) Nov 25, 2023

Show notes

Jack Wesolek was born in East Germany in 1966. His grandfather was a member of the Red Orchestra, a Communist Anti-Nazi resistance organisation in Germany during World War 2. He later became Chief of the Signals Service of the Volksmarine, the East German Navy. In the 1980s an East German Army signals regiment was named after him.

Jack’s father was an actor and we discuss how accurate the depiction of East German actors is in the film “The Lives of Others”.

At age 6 his parents divorce and Jack stays with his father and grandmother in Rostock where he learns more about his grandfather’s story, however, he is separated from his brother who goes to live with his mother.

Jack has an Uncle who was captured escaping from East Germany and was bought out by West Germany in the 1970s. At a clandestine meeting in Hungary they hatch a daring plan for Jack to escape across the Inner German Border, the fortified frontier between East and West Germany.

Photos, videos and extra episode information here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode320/

Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/

If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, We also welcome one-off donations via the same link.

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0:00 Introduction and background of Jack Wesolek

3:19 Recollections of his father's actor friends

5:20 Jack's views on artistic freedom and family's political climate in East Germany

18:12 Life with grandmother and school experiences

32:20 Military training as part of school curriculum

37:48 Relatives in West Germany and uncle's imprisonment for attempted escape

41:12 Planning and preparation for escape to West Germany

1:00:43 The escape and crossing the border

1:04:33 First moments of freedom and reflections on life in East Germany

1:07:10 Registering as a refugee and first contact with family in East Germany post-escape

1:14:04 Stasi's interrogation and impact of Jack's escape on his family

1:20:36 Episode extras and closing remarks

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How President Kennedy's assassination almost started World War 3 (319) Nov 22, 2023

Show notes

On 23rd Nov 1963 at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea a detachment of US Air Force B-57 Canberra bombers were parked on an alert pad each with a live nuclear weapon in their bomb bay and ready to fly at a moment’s notice.

At 0400 klaxon horns aroused the crews from their slumber and they rushed to their waiting aircraft, for what they likely thought was just one more drill

But this morning was different.

As the crew strapped themselves into their cockpits, they were told to await a signal to fly their war mission…

With targets in North Korea, China, and the Soviet Far East, the aircrews instinctively knew they would be flying one-way missions. But they had no idea as to why they were facing potential oblivion.

I talk with US Marine Veteran John F. Davies who has researched the little-known story of the military response to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Extra episode info including videos here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode319/

Do you have any further information about this episode, contact John via email at JFD3vet "at"protonmail.com

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0:00 Introduction and background

1:34 John Davies' military service and reaction to JFK's assassination

6:38 Initial military reaction to JFK's assassination and subsequent actions

11:18 Events unfolding in Washington post JFK's assassination and transition of command authority

16:13 Dean Rusk's and Admiral Harry D. Felt's response to JFK's assassination

20:45 The military response in Europe and Strategic Air Command situation

26:21 Exceptions in the military response - Fort Bliss, Texas and Cuba

31:46 President Johnson's return to Washington and easing of crisis atmosphere

34:09 Changes in command and control post November '63 and handling of information

43:41 Reflections on the importance of telling this story and predictions on Kennedy's continued presidency

46:29 Acknowledgement of financial supporters and Facebook discussion group

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The lazy schoolboy who became a Cold War Vulcan nuclear bomber pilot (318) Nov 18, 2023

Show notes

Kevin was born in Wigan in North West England and joined the RAF as an apprentice in 1956 with only 3 O Levels. He came top of his course but was posted into supplies at RAF St Mawgan. However, he quickly became in charge of their clothing stores and via a fortuitous route became a trainee pilot.

By May 1963 he joined the RAF V Force as a Vulcan pilot and served with 44 Squadron where Vulcan crews were being converted to low-level flying.

He describes the challenges of low-level flying, Vulcan handling, and the immense power of the Vulcan’s engines and training in Canada.

We also hear about the different methods of nuclear bomb release, what it was like to be on Quick Reaction Alert, and his targets in the Soviet Union.

Kevin also flew a number of the Queen’s birthday flights up the Mall and describes a near collision on one of these events in cloud.

He also remembers some of his colleagues who never came back from missions.

Extra episode information including videos here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode318/

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0:00 Introduction and Background of Kevin