[Citius Altius Fortius]

At June 24, 1948 started the Berlin Blockade by the Soviet Union - the USA started one day later the Berlin Airlift - the United Kingdom joined two days later...



Alongside the British and U.S. personnel were aircrews from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa - France wasn't able to help with pilots since it was involved in the war in Indochine, but France built in West-Berlin the new airport Tegel in 90 days...

The airlift lasted until September 30, 1949 - during the airlift the US delivered 1,783,572.7 tons, while 541,936.9 tons were delivered by the British, totaling 2.3 Million tons from 277, 569 total flights to Berlin.

During the airlift 37 Britons, 31 Americans, 5 Germans, 1 Australian and 1 South African gave their lives for the freedom of West-Berlin and the start of a new democratic Germany...




The most famous pilot, who was part of the Berlin Airlift, is Gail Halvorsen, who dropped candy attached to little parachutes shortly before landing in Tempelhof - he received the Bundesverdienstorden in 1974 and is connected with the German Olympic history, due he carried the placard for Germany during the Salt Lake City opening ceremony in 2002 (SLC is his hometown)...

This post has been edited by Citius Altius Fortius: 25 June 2008 - 02:55 PM

[LA84]

It still amazes me how Britain stepped up to the plate with the airlift so soon after the war ended to assist as well as hosting an Olympics in the same year.

[Citius Altius Fortius]

La84,

of course I knew the facts, but I never recognised that before...

It is really amazing every three minutes landed a plane in West-Berlin during the airlift - West-Berlin was supplied through the air - the planes carried food, coal, petrouleum gas, the material for a complete power plant, etc. etc.

I wonder if an US-member knows a link to a photo with Gail Halvorsen how he carries the placard of German in his hometown Salt Lake City during the opening ceremony?

[arwebb]

The real start of the Cold War.