GERMANY: BERLIN: SCENE OF DRAMATIC BORDER ESCAPE BY EAST GERMAN YOUTH - AMERICAN WHO HELPED HIM GIVES NEWS CONFERENCE

Record ID: 471625

  • Title: GERMANY: BERLIN: SCENE OF DRAMATIC BORDER ESCAPE BY EAST GERMAN YOUTH - AMERICAN WHO HELPED HIM GIVES NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Date: 13th September 1964
  • Summary: 1. SV PAN. ALONG BERLIN WALL 0.10 2. SV WALL WITH BARBED WIRE ALONG TOP 0.12 3. GV BUILDING ON WEST BERLIN SIDE, BULLET HOLES IN WALLS 0.15 4. SCU BULLET HOLES IN WINDOWS 0.18 5. SCU DITTO 0.20 6. GV PAN FROM BUILDING TO CROWD 0.24 7. LV PAN TO GV AMERICAN JEEP DRIVES PAST, SOLDIER MANS MACHINE GUN 0.32 8. SV TWO WEST
  • Embargoed: 28th September 1964 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: WEST BERLIN
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVAC4BUYWZ1K9XGF8LC30X9ELR15
  • Story Text: A HAIL OF BULLETS HAVE LEFT THEIR MARK ON BUILDINGS CLOSE TO THE BERLIN WALL AFTER A DRAMATIC BORDER ESCAPE BY AN EAST GERMAN YOUTH EARLY TODAY (SUNDAY). POLICE HAVE KEPT A WATCHFUL EYE ON THE SPOT THROUGHOUT THE DAY AFTER THE INCIDENT - THE FIRST IN WHICH AMERICAN SOLDIER HAS ACTIVELY INTERVIEWED TO HELP AN ESCAPE.

    THE AMERICAN SOLDIER, TWENTY-TWO YEAR OLD HANS PUHL, HURLED A TEAR GAS GRENADE AT EAST GERMAN GUARDS TRYING TO PREVENT THE REFUGEE FROM ESCAPING. THE YOUTH, MICHEL MEYER, CRAWLED UNDER THE BARBED WIRE FENCE AND WAS PULLED ACROSS THE WALL BY WEST GERMAN FIREMEN. SAFELY IN WEST BERLIN MEYER WAS RUSHED TO HOSPITAL SUFFERING FROM FIVE BULLET WOUNDS. HE IS SAID TO BE OUT OF DANGER.

    AT A PRESS CONFERENCE LATER THE AMERICAN SOLDIER DESCRIBED THE ESCAPE. HE SAID HE RACED TO THE SCENE ON HEARING SHOOTING BREAK OUT ABOUT A THOUSAND YARDS FROM THE "CHECKPOINT CHARLIE" CROSSING POINT. "TWO CIVILIANS LIFTED ME UP AND I LEARNED AGAINST THE TOP OF THE WALL WITH MY HANDS RESTING ON IT. IN ONE, I HELD MY PISTOL, LOADED BUT LOCKED. I SAW MEYER LYING THERE AND TOLD HIM TO STAY WHILE WE CUT THE WIRE." AT THIS POINT EAST GERMAN GUARDS IN A TRENCH ABOUT A HUNDRED METRES AWAY BEGAN FIRING AT PUHL. TWO WEST BERLINERS CUT THROUGH THE BARBED WIRE FENCING THAT TOPS A THE WALL AND FIREMEN HELPED TO DRAG THE FENCE DOWN. THEN THEY THREW A ROPE DOWN TO MEYER BUT HE WAS NOT ABLE TO HOLD ONTO TO IT.

    FINALLY MEYER MANAGED TO CLASP THE ROPE AND WAS HAULED TO THE TOP OF THE SEVEN-FOOT WALL. "HE COLLAPSED AND PASSED OUT. SO WE DRAGGED HIM ACROSS BY HIS CLOTHES. BLOOD WAS FLOWING FROM HIS TROUSERS AND AN AMBULANCE TOOK HIM TO HOSPITAL."
    (FOUR OTHER EAST GERMAN YOUTHS ESCAPED ACROSS THE BORDER
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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