thousands of people made use of. The problem was to obtain a working permit to be able to stay in the city. At the Arbeitsamt (Office for Labor affairs,) being a mechanic, the permit was denied. He inquired which occupation will get this document and was advised:
“You have to be a motor mechanic and master the English language in order to get a job at the British Forces.” So he left and went to a different line of applicants. When asked for his occupation, he claimed to be a motor mechanic with excellent knowledge of the English language. Of which, the second part, was not a lie. He received the precious permit and was given the address where to report the following day. Luckily no one asked him for his driver’s license, which he did not have, neither did he know how to drive, which would have been very incomprehensible for a motor mechanic. He got the job regardless! To his luck, two men were assigned to work together as a team. He confessed to his coworker the predicament he was in and was assured not to worry. Two hours lunchtime each day, with a hot meal, courtesy of the British Crown, (which was a blessing in itself,) took care of all problems. His teammate showed him how to drive and Harry was left alone with an Army jeep, a perfect vehicle, able to take a lot of abuse from a beginner. Later a jerry-can of gasoline, (better than gold) as payment, produced his driver license. A few months later he became a driver for the same unit at the Royal Navy which was taken over later by the Royal Engineers. Another change took place when he was a driver for British Forces Network. After work he attended an evening school to become an engineer. Some years later, being again with Royal Engineers, he received an offer to get employment with Pan American World Airways, Inc.
The way it was called in those days. Two years thereafter he immigrated to the USA, sponsored by the airline, to become a flight attendant. Until 1988 he flew as purser and took his retirement after 33 years of spanning the globe. Ten years out of New York and the rest out of Miami, where he still resides today.
Edited by:
Stasia Todd
Chapter 1 The Beginning
It was a gray frosty winter day, dirty snow piled up on the sides of the streets. The roads were slippery with icy patches here and there; it was a typical winter morning in this otherwise attractive town of Hamburg, on the Elbe River, all frozen now.
Herbert Frank was sitting behind the steering wheel of this Opel Kapitän, which belonged to the British Royal Engineers. He was waiting for his Colonel, who was having an early luncheon engagement in the Streits-Hotel on the Jungfernstieg. He had the motor running to operate the heater of the car. Nice and cozy, reading a book.
The year is 1955 and only a few days ago the church bells were chiming for the New Year.
Suddenly, Herbert was interrupted in his reading.
Somebody had knocked at his side window. He thought it was his boss, but a friendly smiling, familiar face of a pretty woman looked at him.
“I know her, surely,” he thought.
It was the former secretary of the British Forces Network.
He jumped out of the car and they had such a friendly warmhearted hello, like two people who have known each other for a thousand years.
The truth was, they had never spoken more than ten words to each other.
Inge von Borstein and Herbert were both employed at the B.F.N. before, but had nothing in common while working there.
“Good morning!” at the start of the day, and “Good evening!” before heading home was about the extent of their conversations.
Herbert was driving an old beat-up Bedford Army truck, which used as much engine-oil as it used gasoline. The main feature of this vehicle consisted of a measuring device to receive radio transmissions from BBC London, which had to be probed at numerous locations in Northern Germany and Holland. It was to find a site, where the reception was most favorable, in order to place receiving antennas there.
This truck, like all British Military vehicles, was painted green.
There was a sign with big letters on either side advertising: B F N Fieldstrenghts Measuring Team, on a bright yellow background.
Wherever British soldiers saw this entity, there was admiration and wonderment.
The German population, on the other hand, didn’t know what the heck to make of it.
It was nothing else but a German engineer and Herbert: the TEAM.
Those two traveled a lot all over the place, having a good time.
So, Inge and Herbert had a lot to talk all of a sudden.
They hadn’t seen each other for a long time.
The last time they met was in Cologne, after B.F.N. had moved there from the “Hamburger Musikhalle”.
Neither lasted long at the Rhine River and had moved back to Hamburg.
Herbert went to the British and Inge to the Americans, namely to PAN AMERICAN WORLD AIRWAYS.
She told him.
“Why don’t you come to PAN AM?” she inquired.
And continued, “There is an opening at the moment, why don’t you come with me? It is only a few steps, across the street at the Colonnaden.”
“The District Traffic Sales Manager is in his office, a good opportunity for an interview!”
And so they went!
Inge went to the DTSM, and he asked Herbert to join him in his office.
“You come highly recommended by Frau von Borstein,” is how he opened the conversation.
“Have a seat,” pointing to one of the chairs opposite his impressive desk.
Herbert was fascinated by the jovial manner of this American big boss.
“What a difference from my British officers!” he observed.
The conversation was short and friendly.
Herbert was under the impression that it was only to test his English, and was more than surprised when he was asked, “When can you start with Pan Am?”
He opened his eyes wide in disbelief, not quite realizing what he had heard.
“You mean,” he stammered, “I can have this job?”
“That’s what I said!” he spoke in response with a big grin.
He stood up and offered his hand.
Herbert jumped to his feet and grabbed the hand with both of his, completely befuddled and baffled.
“I have to give fourteen days’ notice,” he heard himself saying.
“No problem,” said his new employer, smiling.
Herbert walked out of this office and closed the door.
“What has happened in the last few minutes?” I don’t know!
Inge waited for Herbert to find out how the interview had gone.
“Now what is going on?” she investigated.
“I’ve…got the job!” Herbert mumbled, still not understanding.
“Congratulation!” she exclaimed and hugged him spontaneously.
“When do you start with us?”
“I have two weeks’ notice to give!” he whispered.
“What about the money situation?” Inge wanted to know.
“I never asked for it,” he admitted sheepishly.
“It doesn’t matter,” he went on. “I don’t have a future with my present occupation anyhow,” he commented.
“That’s true, for sure,” she agreed.
“With Pan Am you have a secure future ahead of you,” she proclaimed