The Mission House - 1958

CSM's Mission House (c.1989)

The first Mission House was actually a complex of four detached houses in a small close just off the main Geschwister-Scholl-Strasse near Potsdam Wildpark railway station [Map].  The houses included one for the Chief (51F) when he was in Potsdam, a Tour Officers' house (51C) and one for the Drivers (51).  The house shown on this page was the CSM's house (51B) which was permanently manned and acted as the Administrative HQ.  

On 18 Jul 58 the East German authorities organised a riot which resulted in a tour car being overturned in the complex and covered in paint, and the ground floor of the drivers' house being ransacked.  GSFG later paid £1,200 in compensation and provided a  new Mission House which is shown on the Later Years page.

         Rioters outside the CSM's Mission House - 18 Jul 58

A paint stained Chris Hallett & riot damaged tour car

Opel Kapitan

[Submitted by Huw Madoc-Jones on the winch.

Geoff Smith at the helm]

The first operational BRIXMIS Tour was sent to Magdeburg via Route 1 through Brandenburg and Burg with instructions to return via the autobahn. The Tour was detained by the Soviets in Brandenburg and a British protest to CinC GSFG followed.

The first BRIXMIS vehicles were wartime Humber box body command vehicles painted dark maroon with Union Jack flags on the sides, rear and roof. By the early 1950s Opel Kapitans had replaced these and Humber Snipes were also in the fleet.

 George Flint with a 1951 series Opel Kapitan in Berlin 1952

1957

[Submitted by Peter Maylam]

1959

[Submitted by Huw Madoc-Jones]

1960/61

[Submitted by Bill Mitchinson]

1962/63

[Submitted by Gus Stevens]