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

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.

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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

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