Berlin Travel Document C (BTD/C) 28 April 1984
All travel in and out of Berlin by road or rail had to be authorised by a Berlin Travel Document (BTD) B or C. A BTD/B for people outside Berlin travelling there, was authorised by Commander BAOR and "signed" by him (with a facsimile stamp of course!); the BTD/C was authorised by Commander British Sector Berlin and "signed" by him. The BTD, with all the relevant information typed in, was presented at the Soviet Checkpoints (Soviet Alpha at Marienborn and Soviet Bravo at Dreilinden/Potsdam) for checking against relevant ID documents (Service ID Card, Families and Civilian Component ID Card (for Berlin Personnel) and passports for others). BTDs had to be correct to the last full stop or technically, the traveller (for the BMT, the whole train) could be rejected. In practice, for the BMT, the Sov Duty Officer, on discovering a (rare) error would merely request an assurance that the document be corrected on the train. More authority than that held by the Soviet Checkpoint Commander was needed to turn back a train!
This is the BTD from my very first duty as Russian Interpreter for the British Military Train, freshly arrived from the Army Language Shool in Beaconsfield (Later the tri-service Defence Language School). It was a nerve wracking experience, but got much easier and more enjoyable. In all, with freight trains included, I did over three hundred trains during the time the BMT ran.
This BTD/C carries the facsimile signature stamp of Major-General Gordon-Lennox, General Officer Commanding Berlin on my arrival at the start of what became a ten year posting to the city.
Berlin Travel Document C (BTD/C) 28 April 1984
All travel in and out of Berlin by road or rail had to be authorised by a Berlin Travel Document (BTD) B or C. A BTD/B for people outside Berlin travelling there, was authorised by Commander BAOR and "signed" by him (with a facsimile stamp of course!); the BTD/C was authorised by Commander British Sector Berlin and "signed" by him. The BTD, with all the relevant information typed in, was presented at the Soviet Checkpoints (Soviet Alpha at Marienborn and Soviet Bravo at Dreilinden/Potsdam) for checking against relevant ID documents (Service ID Card, Families and Civilian Component ID Card (for Berlin Personnel) and passports for others). BTDs had to be correct to the last full stop or technically, the traveller (for the BMT, the whole train) could be rejected. In practice, for the BMT, the Sov Duty Officer, on discovering a (rare) error would merely request an assurance that the document be corrected on the train. More authority than that held by the Soviet Checkpoint Commander was needed to turn back a train!
This is the BTD from my very first duty as Russian Interpreter for the British Military Train, freshly arrived from the Army Language Shool in Beaconsfield (Later the tri-service Defence Language School). It was a nerve wracking experience, but got much easier and more enjoyable. In all, with freight trains included, I did over three hundred trains during the time the BMT ran.
This BTD/C carries the facsimile signature stamp of Major-General Gordon-Lennox, General Officer Commanding Berlin on my arrival at the start of what became a ten year posting to the city.