westgermany

On top of the despatch Macmillan has written: "I think Sir C Steel might point out to the Germans that Gagarin's reception was nothing like that which the little dog would have got. HM 18/3." This is a reference to the Soviet Union's use of dogs as astronauts, most famously Laika in 1957.

The National Archives UK Ha!

A politician with a sense of humour. They don't make them like that anymore.

According to wikipedia, F215 in 1960 would have been: F215 Graf Spee (the former HMS Flamingo) (1959–67)

She was sold to the Federal Republic of Germany in 1959, where she was renamed "Graf Spee" and used as a cadet training ship... During her service she undertook a series of training trips abroad , often with her ​​sister ship "Hipper" they i.a. repeatedly resulted in American port cities , from Victoria ( British Columbia ) in the north to Valparaiso and to Cape Horn in the South Pacific .

S. also www.bundesarchiv.de/oeffentlichkeitsarbeit/bilder_dokumen... The Graf Spee was in Dublin together with the Hipper (F214) The ships returned to Germany on June 17, 1960 www.facebook.com/marinekalendarium/photos/pcb.76713335338...

I think the building behind the bow of the ship is Ringsend Tech which we saw last week. www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/30691019416/in/dateposted/

Irish Times 8th June 1960

This is a lovely shot:]

I wonder why the amphicar never took off? ;-)

Great shot, cool idea cool car. I is good for a fishin journey???

Fantastic!!!

Fabulous! The bodywork looks reasonably Heraldish too. Though I don't think the Herald had little fins on the rear wings like that. And obviously it had a radiator grille.