THE story of the Berlin Blockade and Airlift, 1948 – 1949 and its links with RAF Burtonwood airbase, will be told at an online lecture next Monday, April 19.
Burtonwood Association President Aldo Ferguson will be telling the story of Burtonwood’s links with the Berlin Air Lift, when the Freman city was divided after World War Two with the Soviets occupying the east side of the city and the Allies (British, American and French) the west side.
Whilst the Allies wished for a unified city the Soviets certainly did not. They considered a capitalist city over 100 miles inside East German would be a threat to their aims of dominating Europe.
On June 24, 1948, the Soviet authorities announced that the rail link, canals, rivers and Autobahn, the highway connecting West Germany to Berlin, would be closed indefinitely “for repairs.” And the Berlin Blockade started.
The Allies responded with the biggest airlift ever seen in history operating to three Berlin airports and onto lakes in seaplanes. They managed to supply the city with all its needs for over a year. It only just succeeded, but it did, and this is the story of how it happened.
RAF Burtonwood undertook the maintenance of all the USAF aircraft involved in the Lift. They conducted the 200-hour overhaul over 1,500 times by working 24/7 in trying conditions, right through 1948/49 winter and then through the summer as well.
For details on how to attend the online lecture email [email protected]
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