From Vulcan Bases to Communist Bucharest: A Tale of Cold War Intrigue (378)

Cold War Conversations

Ian Sanders

Society & Culture, Documentary, History

4.8 • 758 Ratings

🗓️ 7 December 2024

⏱️ 68 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Ron Mackay further recounts his experiences in Romania, a country teetering between Soviet influence and a desire for independence, offering a fascinating glimpse into a time of uncertainty and intrigue. Among many stories, Ron visits an RAF base in the UK where his brother was a crew member of a Vulcan bomber, Britain’s nuclear deterrent at the time. The RAF quizzes Ron in detail about the locations he has visited in Romania. Back in Romania Ron navigates the intricacies of its society and shares stories of friendships forged under the watchful eyes of the Securitate, Romania's feared secret police. Ron describes his interactions with various characters, each with their own motivations and secrets. From a duck shooting party at a Communist Party hunting lodge to a tense encounter with tanks near the Soviet border, Ron's stories are filled with suspense and unexpected twists. Buy Ron's book here and support CWC https://amzn.to/3Om8kZt Episode extras here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode378/ Related episodes: Hitchhiking behind the 1960s Iron Curtain https://pod.fo/e/2098ae A Childhood under the Eye of the Secret Police https://pod.fo/e/a4730 My life laid bare through secret police files https://pod.fo/e/12e45f A Hungarian Childhood in Cold War Romania https://pod.fo/e/1190aa Escaping from Cold War Romania https://pod.fo/e/11ad63 Emanuela - a Cold War Romanian Childhood https://pod.fo/e/f0376 Reporting the 1989 Romanian Revolution https://pod.fo/e/1ea8c The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history. You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/ Follow us on BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/coldwarpod.bsky.social Follow us on Threads https://www.threads.net/@coldwarconversations Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations Love history? Join Intohistory https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Cold War Conversations, the home of real stories of the Cold War.
0:05.9	Timothy Shalame is Bob Dylan and a complete unknown.
0:09.4	If anyone who's going to hold your attention on the state, you have to kind of be a freak.
0:14.0	Critics agree it's outstanding on every level. Five stars.
0:19.1	Shalemate is a revelation.
0:20.8	What do you want to be?
0:21.9	Whatever it is, they don't want me to be.
0:23.8	Now nominated for the Golden Globes for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Supporting Actor, Edward Norton.
0:29.3	A complete unknown.
0:30.5	Ladies and gentlemen, Bob Bill!
0:32.4	In Cinema's January 17, rated 15.
0:36.1	And I got out of the car with the passports in one hand, the other hand opened to show it was empty,
0:42.1	and the soldiers were totally taken by surprise, but the officer quickly came forward with
0:49.3	his revolver in his hand.
0:52.7	This is Cold War Conversations.
0:55.8	If you're new here, you've come to the right place to listen to first-hand Cold War
1:00.8	history accounts.
1:02.9	Do make sure you follow us in your podcast app so that you don't miss out on future episodes.
1:08.9	Ron Mackay further recounts his experiences in Romania, a country
1:13.6	teetering between Soviet influence and a desire for independence. Among many stories,
1:19.2	Ron visits an REF base in the UK where his brother was a crew member of a Vulcan bomber,
1:24.7	Britain's nuclear deterrent at the time. Ron is quizzed in detail
	...

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