The Vulcan to the Sky Trust, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, will host a Cold War-themed evening on Saturday, Feb 21, featuring the premiere of a new documentary and a talk from a former Royal Air Force officer with firsthand experience of the era. The film, “BRIXMIS: The Cold War Buccaneers – The Fire Bar Affair“, centers on the 1966 crash of a Soviet Yak-28 “Fire Bar” aircraft into Lake Havel in Berlin’s British sector. While officially an aircraft recovery operation, the incident quickly became an intelligence opportunity for Britain during one of the most tense periods of the Cold War.
The recovery effort was handled by BRIXMIS, the British Commanders’-in-Chief Mission to the Soviet Forces in Germany. British personnel were operating close to Soviet troops throughout the process and had limited time to work with the wreckage before it was handed back. In the years since, the incident has been viewed as one of the more daring intelligence moments of the Cold War, even though it’s a story many people have never heard.
Following the screening, Air Commodore Edward Jarron (Ret.) will speak about his own Cold War service. Jarron flew Vulcan bombers as part of Britain’s nuclear deterrent and later served as Assistant Air Attaché in Moscow. His talk will focus on the role of air power, intelligence, and diplomacy during the standoff between East and West. A question-and-answer session will follow his presentation.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m., with the program beginning at 6:30 p.m. The documentary is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., followed by an intermission and raffle. Jarron’s talk begins at 8:45 p.m., and the evening is expected to conclude around 10:00 p.m. Seating is unreserved. Tickets are priced at £20. Click HERE to book a ticket for yourself. For more information and to support the Vulcan to the Sky Trust, click on this link: vulcantothesky.org.
