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Berlin Airlift (1949)

The Western powers airlift of supplies to Berlin during the Soviet Blockade of Berlin. Operation Plain Fare . The Berlin blockade. Post Second World War. Germany. Soviet Iron Curtain.. Deutschmark. 24 June 1948. airbridge . Rosinenbomber, or 'raisin bombers'), 2 million West Berliners with food, fuel and other supplies. At its height one plane reached West Berlin every 30 seconds.

The Airlift officially ended on 30 September 1949, fifteen months after its protracted beginnings in June 1948.
Operation Plain Fare . The Berlin blockade. Sunderland Flying Boat


This movie is part of the collection: British Government Public Information Films

Production Company: British Control Commission for Germany
Sponsor: Central Office of Information for Air Ministry
Audio/Visual: sound, color
Language: English
Keywords: Berlin blockade; Plain Fare; Iron Curtain; West Berlin

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Reviewer: larkrise - - November 23, 2009
Subject: That's Air Commodore R.N.Waite (Rex Waite)
A great archive. If it is repetitive that is how it felt to the airmen and ground crews. This film was made before the short Sunderlands were taken off the airlift due to winter weather conditions. At minute 01.21 you see an air commodore sitting at a desk using the telephone. That is Air Commodore R.N.Waite, also known as Rex Waite. Later at 07.33 he is seen on the tarmac walking next to Lord Tedder. He has a walking stick as he suffered from lumbago. He had been with the Control Commision for Berlin as the senior air officer and when the blockade was imminent he put forward a logistical plan for supplying the garrissons and the civilian population of Berlin (2.2 million) by air. At first General Robertson, the British Governor, was skeptical but a day later he presented the plan to General Clay, the U S Governor. If the plan was to work the Allies needed more planes and the Americans had them. Clay was persuaded. Air Commodore Waite was moved to the British Military Head Quarters to run the British contribution to the airlift.In a letter to another RAF officer he comments "I have a sort of roving commission, which involves everything from the daily demanding, recording and forecasting of supplies for the city to co-ordination of the Military Government Troops and Civil organisations in the complete rearrangement of life for seige conditions".

Reviewer: djinbee - - October 19, 2009
Subject: What a fantastic effort to help western berliners. And for the Jewish people, few years before ?
It is effectiveley a fantastic effort done by American and English forces to help the population from West Berlin from the russian blocus. But I wonder, why this force and organization hasn't been used few years before to finish with the concentration camps in Germany ?

Reviewer: Spuzz - - August 16, 2008
Subject: MORE COWBELL
Fun movie, but yes, slightly repetitive, of the allied effort to make the Russians (and the East Germans) jealous bexause the Aliies were totally walking over the road blockades to West Germany and airlifting cargo to them. Everything went! Grain! Cars! Mail! Back and Forth! Back and Forth! Back and... Well you get the idea. This slightly wears out it's welcome, but it's interesting and informative, so I cant complain too much..

Reviewer: Divetheworld - - May 19, 2007
Subject: Excellent
This is an excellent program. Fantastic footage of some quite plucky airmen flying the Sunderlands.

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Public Information Films