REPEATED S1E3: HANNA FLIES TO HELL - THE LAST DAYS OF THE THIRD REICH IN BERLIN

Hello Berlin and Beyond!

This is a repetition of a Series 1 episode - my family and I are about to say goodbye to a very dear person, and my mind is understandably elsewhere. It turned out to be impossible to get the planned episode ready. It will be launched next week. Today, those of you who have not listened to Berlin Companion's 2022 series and do not know the stories yet, might enjoy this particular one. It has it all: a daredevil female pilot (albeit on the wrong side of History), World War Two, Berlin inferno and the collapse of the Third Reich.

Thank you for your understanding and you will hear from me again next week!


In April 1945, as the Red Army was closing its grip on Berlin, coming closer and closer to Hitler's last refuge under the Chancellery gardens, one of his favourite pilots managed to fly a small aeroplane into the burning capital and land it near Brandenburg Gate. On board she carried a wounded future head of the Nazi Luftwaffe.

Aircraft Capitan Hanna Reitsch.  Here is the story of her remarkable Berlin coup. And of her post-war denial.



Music theme:  “Assembly Line Frustration" © Ionics Music | TerraSound.de

Sound effects:
BBC Sounds (artillery barrage, Junkers Ju-88, Stukas, Messerschmitt, air-raid sirens, park ambience)
Search Results | BBC Sound Effects (bbcrewind.co.uk)

Freesounds.org (Junker Ju-52 by Reinsamba, Creative Commons Licence 4.0
https://freesound.org/s/128542/

Frog in the throat: private