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Central(C): Germany (West) (CW). Quadripartite air Negotiations in Berlin

21 Mar 1953

A file of correspondence and memoranda concerning an incident in which a British Lincoln bomber was shot down by Soviet aircraft whilst flying over East Germany, killing all seven crewmembers. The documents discuss whether the Lincoln was carrying any ammunition during its flight; and the view of William Strang, the Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, that the Soviet accusation that the Lincoln bomber was flying "anything up to fifty miles within the Soviet zone" is "substantially correct". The documents also cover a proposal from the Soviet government to hold a four-party meeting in Berlin to "adopt concrete measures" to try and avoid a repeat of the Lincoln bomber incident; and the view of the British government that this meeting should be used to reach an agreement with the Soviet government "on a code of rules, applicable at least so far as flights over Germany are concerned".
united kingdom france united states of america north atlantic treaty organization (nato) aircraft airspace international relations military aviation transportation soviet union air safety military east germany british armed forces royal air force west germany airmen soviet foreign policy Anglo-Soviet relations british foreign policy American-Soviet relations Soviet armed forces Soviet air force French-Soviet relations Frank Roberts West Berlin aircraft crashes East Berlin multilateral talks Berlin air corridors Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) William Strang Harry Hohler Vasilii Chuikov Patrick Hancock Lincoln bomber incident
Collection ID
FO371
Countries
East Germany France United Kingdom United States of America West Germany
Department Reference
Code CW files 1226/24-1226/47
Document Type
Correspondence Memoranda
File Reference
FO 371/104050
Identifier
10.1080/cwee.fo371.104050
Pages
182
Persons Discussed
Frank Roberts Harry Hohler Patrick Hancock Vasilii Chuikov William Strang
Published in
United Kingdom
Subject Countries
Soviet Union
Themes
International Relations Military

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