Episode
Former MI5 & MI6 Legal Director Looks Back at His Time in Cold War Berlin (449)
- Published
- Mar 28, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 4667
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://coldwarconversations.com/episode449
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/cold-war-conversations-vivid-compelling-the-ny-times-1014119/episodes/former-mi5-mi6-legal-director-looks-back-at-his-time-in-cold-war-berlin-449/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/cold-war-conversations-vivid-compelling-the-ny-times-1014119/former-mi5-mi6-legal-director-looks-back-at-his-time-in-cold-war-berlin-449.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
Former Legal Director MI5 & MI6, 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 frontline 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 book Cold Protocol is available for pre-order for £5 using code BERLIN1979 here https://davidbickford.co.uk/shop/ Episode extras here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode449/ 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://co…