Brixmis and the Secret Cold War: a collection

An online lecture (fully booked in person) 12-1pm 9th August 2024. Intro:

From: Brixmis and the Secret Cold War | National Army Museum Booking link is there

There are few mentions elsewhere about them.

 

1980s

US Spy Plane - NSA - SR 71 - 31 million dollars per plane.

UK Spy Plane - Brixmis Chipmunk - significantly less.

Operation "Schooner/Nylon"

Gus

 

Those were the days.

Kind regards, always,

Jim.

 

Long ago when the GRD existed I listened to a RUSI lecture by Colonel Roy Giles, who had been a BRIXMIS CO and led the first ever visit to the East German Army (NPA), as BRIXMIS was only affiliated to the Soviet Army. It was an impressive talk and if you search online with: "roy giles" + "brixmis" there are several other sources of information.

A friend did an attachment to BRIXMIS, where his lock picking skills were useful.

 

I read a story about BRIXMIS being tasked to establish the diameter of the machine gun on a particular armored fighting vehicle. The mission spotted several on a railway siding. The NCO crept over to to one it and on close inspection it was exactly what they were looking for. But he had forgotten to take something to take a measurement with. A quick check of his pockets and he found an apple he had planned to eat. He pushed it into the end of the barrel and put back in his pocket. Some time later a cast of the hole punched in the apple revealed the weapons diameter.

Brilliiant.

I think it is mentioned here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brixmis-Untold-Exploits-Britains-Mission/dp/0006386733

Gus

 

One of the remarkable facts - as presented by BRIXMIS - is that their "boots on the ground" patrolling was able to acquire intelligence that all the other collection options could not. A little vague now that included the deployment of the SS-20 missile.

I liked the story that during Warsaw Pact / Soviet exercises the Soviet soldiers on traffic duty were often forgotten and bored rigid. Up would come BRIXMIS, in their cars, stop for chat, offer a cigarette and a warm drink - with information gained.

 

Perhaps of interest:
https://www.militaryintelligencemuseum.org/brixmis-1
This used to be part of the display:

Recall a former Mission G-Wagen there as well.

Saw this in a book a long time ago:

......captioned:
These are the brand new 152mm SP guns of the Soviet Army on rail-flats in East Germany; who took the picture?

Hmm .... who indeed ....?

But not without considerable and ever present risk ..... remembering those in the Missions who were killed and harmed.

 

I have changed the title to reflect there is more here than the 2024 webinar. Yes, there approx. sixteen threads here that mention various people who served in BRIXMIS, easily found using the forum's simple search option.

Yesterday I learnt that:

With a link to a book by Andrew Long published in July 2025; he gave the NAM lecture that led to the thread's creation. See: https://www.andrewlong.info/brixmis...mail&cid=77253bf0-e01d-4de6-8978-280a7dbc80a8

 

Completely true. I received the original report and worked with BRIXMIS. Geraghty put it in his book about them.

 

Took me a while to dig this one out Gus. And for Staffsyeoman too.

All courtesy of Tony Geraghty.

Kind regards, not scrumped, or stumped, always,

Jim.

 

That is an awesome pic.

I was based at RAF Gatow 87 to 91.

Remember bumping into BRIXMIS staff during QBP and Green Week.

Best tour ever.

Gus

 

That it be Gus, that it be!

What a tour. What a shift.

Note: No longer secret; Public Domain since January 2005.

24123810 Serjeant Kenneth George WIKE British Empire Medal.

So good they scanned it twice.

Always remember, Reds were scrumping, never forget,

Jim.











All courtesy of TNA Kew.