Western (W): Germany (WG). Alleged Dropping of Leaflets in Air Corridor of GDR by Chartered Bristol Aircraft

A file of correspondence concerning the Berlin air corridor. The documents discuss a Soviet allegation that a British aircraft flying a routine cargo flight from Berlin to Hamburg dropped propaganda leaflets over the East German village of Doberitz; and a Soviet threat that this aircraft could not be guaranteed safe travel through the Berlin air corridor until the incident had been investigated, as "the air corridor is not for this purpose". The documents also cover the assertion of the aircraft's pilot that nothing was dropped from the aircraft; the British view that the "aircraft coincided in the area with a leaflet balloon"; and the possibility that the British aircraft may have accidentally deviated from the centre of the Berlin air corridor due to a fault with the autopilot, which may have been noticed on Soviet radar.