Gerald White provides a captivating account of his time in Germany, working as a Technical Adjutant in the RAF during the Berlin Airlift. As a boy, Gerald witnessed the remains of a V-1 flying bomb which exploded onto the grounds of his school during the Blitz. It would not be the last time he would bear witness to such a display. After the war ended, he began training as a young aeronautical engineer. His skillset would lead him to RAF station Gatow in Berlin where he contributed to the repairs of various planes for the Berlin Airlift, including the Dakota and Avro York aircrafts. He experienced a steady workflow at the bustling station but he was no stranger to incidents. He recalls two converted Lancaster planes, one a skyways tanker which blew up on the airfield and an Avro Tudor (belonging to Air Vice Marshall Donald Bennett) which his team managed to recover after it crashed into a sand bank. Unfortunately, a year later, the same Tudor would be involved in the Llandow air disaster, resulting in the tragic deaths of eighty-three people. He describes a strenuous situation involving the removal of a Stratofreighter which was on a course to a welcome reception in Tempelhof before being forced down to the airfield where it got stuck in the tarmac of a runway. Gerald reflects on his time at Gatow fondly, describing it as an astonishing experience. His work in Germany offers insight into the impact of RAF engineers who served on the Berlin Airlift and the significance of the aircrafts they aided.

As soon as he left school in 1943, Bill Evans began a career in precision engineering, working on munitions, making sights for Bren guns and camera guns for aircraft. In 1947, Bill passed the exam to join the RAF for his National Service and began his training in Padgate near Liverpool. Bill shares details of the various stations around the UK where he honed his skills as a flight mechanic before being sent to Buckeburg, the RAF’s HQ in Germany. He recalls the perks of his job, sharing details of the aircraft he worked on and memories of the limited entertainment options in the nearby town of Minden. He also reflects on the black market and how valuable a tin of corned beef had become. It wasn’t until later in life, upon returning to Berlin, that Bill realised the profound impact of the Berlin Airlift on the city's residents. His story is told with the humility characteristic of his generation, who largely saw their hard work and commitment as simply getting on with the job they’d been given to do.

Born in Birmingham, Jean Eastham experienced the first hand horrors of the Birmingham Blitz. With daylight raids and frequent casualties, she was lucky to survive the devastation, but recounts occasions where survival was not guaranteed. After volunteering for her service, Jean travelled to Berlin to help on the Airlift, where she was shocked by the sheer level of destruction. Inside her new accommodation, stationed in the former Olympic Village, she was met with a wave of unseen modern luxuries, including central heating and low-flush toilets, which provided some hope for the journey ahead. As part of the ATS, it was Jean’s responsibility to care for many of the other women involved, managing much of the administrative work like accommodation, pay, and uniforms. Although her status as a woman entailed some restrictions, like the need for an escort outside of the daytime, she and her fellow volunteers worked hard to keep morale high, which was crucial in easing the fears of anxious Berliners.  Like many others, Jean remembers attending the famous Christmas show of 1948, and getting to meet Bob Hope. She recalls being very proud to serve in the ATS, especially because Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess, was also a member. Even after the Airlift, Jean often returned to Berlin, including a visit to Parliament to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the blockade. Decades later, the Berliners still show their gratitude, and continue to thank Jean for her help. 

Called up to service in 1946, Gordon joined an RAF maintenance unit as an electrician before supporting the Berlin Airlift in Wunstorf, Hanover. He recalls a sweet scent in the air there, which he later speculated may have been the smell of death. Though servicemen experienced some hostility from German residents, Gordon empathised with their situation having seen Liverpool flattened during the Blitz. Interactions with locals were usually cordial, however, and Gordon even befriended and ate with a German family. With aircraft supplies sparse throughout the airlift, maintenance units had to think on their feet and be resourceful. Gordon’s responsibilities included inspecting aircraft, adjusting planes’ carbon par regulators mid-flight, and mending faulty engine magnetos. He describes two plane crashes during his time at Wunstorf, one of which proved fatal. In his time off, Gordon practised photography, relaxed in RAF Malcolm Clubs, and ate in lakeside cafés. As a non-smoker, he rarely spent his own money since cigarettes became currency in postwar Germany. He remembers skiing and tobogganing in the Harz Mountains during R&R breaks. Gordon found his time in the RAF enjoyable and interesting. His story sheds light on Germany’s postwar recovery and the vast operation behind the Berlin Airlift.

David Edwards talks about his service experiences in post war Berlin as a Teleprinter operator sending wireless and telephone messages. David carried out his compulsory National Service in 1947 at RAF in Compton Bassett, and after passing out as Aircraftmen First Class was posted to Germany, with the Air Branch Combined Services Division. David mentions his curiosity at being posted to Berlin after the war, but describes the ‘shocking’ condition of life in the German capital. He describes poignant moments for people living in Berlin at the time, and the ‘impressive’ way they faced life during the joint occupation of allied forces, including the harsh treatment by Russian occupied forces. During his time in the signals office in Berlin, David describes the beginnings of the Berlin Blockade, the development of the air lift, and witnessed first hand the air traffic at the American airbase at Tempelhof. David was also able to use his own time in Berlin for self improvement, finishing his school certificate by learning French; and also learning to touch type, a skill he still uses today for word processing. David was in Berlin just under a year and left just before the blockade finished. He was posted from Berlin to the Island of Sylt, in the North Sea at an RAF training station, before being demobbed.

Ronald Pickersgill came of age during the Second World War. Despite losing his brother he held no animosity towards the Germans, and in his interview he offers a vivid, often humorous picture of life in post-war Berlin. He recalls arriving at a time of runaway inflation — literally burning piles of Reichsmarks — and being confined to camp when the new Deutsche Mark was introduced, a move that helped trigger the Soviet blockade.

Trained first at a base radar station in Wunstorf, Ronald was then moved to the control tower at RAF Gatow, where he logged conversations with incoming and outgoing aircraft. He describes working from a tiny Ground Control Approach caravan, dramatic incidents including a crash with a cargo of coffee and a fatal accident on the runway, and the relentless rhythm of “three-shift” working.

Amid the rationing he remembers Berlin’s Vedin French Restaurant somehow still serving fine food, feeling sorry for the elderly women doing the hardest work, and counting the days to demob. After Berlin he was posted to Westerland to oversee Auxiliary Air Force rocket practice — and tells an unforgettable story about an amorous couple caught on the range.

Based at RAF Waterbeach and preparing for deployment to the Middle East, William Ball recalls how 77 Squadron, with only a few hours’ notice, was redeployed to Germany. Initially unaware of the specific task, he only learned on landing that they were to assist with the Berlin Airlift. In this interview, William recounts his time on various airbases in Germany and his vital role as ground crew, responsible for maintaining aircraft and ensuring their safety for flights to Berlin. As a Corporal Fitter 2E, William shares detailed insights into the technical challenges during the airlift, particularly managing weight restrictions for Dakota planes. These aircraft had to be as light as possible to carry heavy loads, requiring precise fuel management—no easy task. Periods of cold weather also forced the ground crew to adapt their working methods to ensure both their safety and that of the planes, highlighting the skill and determination needed to keep the airlift running smoothly.  Beyond technical duties, William reflects on life on and off base, the camaraderie among the crew, and his thoughts on assisting the Germans post-war. Proud of his contribution to one of history’s most significant humanitarian efforts, and the lasting friendships made, William ends the interview with a poem, Ghost in the Sky, about the efforts of all involved.

Sam was well travelled and hitch-hiked through Germany in 1938-39, where the atmosphere seemed to change as war neared. After joining the RAF in 1941, he was sent to Canada for training before heading to RAF Leuchars in Scotland where he hunted enemy submarines. Following a relatively uneventful period of wartime flying, Sam used his navigator training to join a charter aircraft company flying around Europe. He was then sent to fly planes rescuing Hindu refugees from persecution during the 1947 partition of India. Sam subsequently captained civilian planes during the Berlin Airlift. Unlike RAF pilots who took commands from operations officers, he was responsible for deciding when weather conditions made flying too treacherous. He recalls near crashes with a Russian plane flying off course and an RAF York whose pilot disobeyed tower landing commands. He worked hard during the airlift and had little time for leisure while flying 3 flights per day and sometimes at night. After returning to Jersey in December 1948, Sam joined a civilian carrier that later became British Airways. His account sheds valuable light on the essential role civilian charter companies played in the Berlin Airlift.

Leo Hatcher shares his memories as a young Royal Air Force (RAF) conscript in 1947 aged eighteen. With an older brother already in the RAF as an engine fitter, Leo was inspired to do the same. He instead became an airframe technician, or ‘rigger’, on the Sunderland flying boats (also known as the Short Sunderland). Stationed at Finkenwerder near Hamburg, Germany, supporting the Allied Forces’ post-war operations in June 1948, he recalls witnessing first-hand the utter devastation wreaked upon German cities from the air.  In contrast to the tensions between the Allied Forces and the Soviet Union in Berlin, he remembers the friendliness of Berliners who would gather on the beach of Lake Wannsee to watch the Sunderlands come and go. Told with warmth and poignancy, Leo’s reflection of his role during the Berlin Airlift offers a vivid account of what it was like to fly in one of these iconic aircraft, in addition to describing the logistics of delivering vital aid to a divided city.

Laurence Kennedy volunteered to join the RAF in 1943 after turning 18 years old. He trained in Newquay and following this was posted to South Africa for a year. Whilst there, he celebrated VE day (Victory in Europe day) in Cape Town, May 1945. Laurence continued his training and joined Transport Command. After a bout of sickness, he was sent to Fassburg, Germany, where he joined up with a squadron and was sent to assist in the Berlin Airlift. Most of the cargo being flown in was coal and flour, with aircrafts being packed full, Laurence remembers. Sometimes, they would have the important task of flying children out of Berlin to reduce the numbers in the city. This is when the importance of the airlift  sank in for Laurence. He talks about how sorry he felt for the children being taken away from their homes and families. During the airlift Laurence flew 168 sorties and was housed in several bases throughout Germany, including: Wunsdorf, Fassburg, and Lubeck. He met his wife at Lubeck, she was stationed there serving with the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. Whilst stationed in Fassburg, he remembers there being lots of pubs and inns, and that he enjoyed life there. Laurence recalls bringing coffee from back home and trading it with locals for Deutsche marks. In his downtime, Laurence visited Hamburg and remembers being shocked at the state of the city, describing it as horrific and he couldn’t see how anyone could survive living there during the war. What Laurence and his fellow servicemen and women did during this time is incredible, all of them led us out of a very uncertain time. This interview was filmed by the late Andrew Emslie.

Gwyn Lloyd Hughes talks about his life journey from Kragllechan Farm near Ruthin, North Wales, his life in the RAF, and as a pilot, and ends with his later years as a farmer and his return to Wales. Gwyn joined the RAF in early 1944 as a flight engineer, after wanting to be a pilot. He trained with the Air Training Corps, flying Tiger Moths, and served with 77 Squadron, completing operations in Halifax bombers, including missions over France. He shares his experiences of some missions, including experiencing flak and being attacked on two occasions by enemy aircraft. He reflects on the camaraderie with fellow airmen who he calls “all … one family” who would “do anything for each other”; but also reflects on their loss, asking “why do the good blokes always go? Why do the good die young?” After being demobbed in 1948, Gwyn moved to Transport Command, where he flew during the Berlin Airlift. He talks proudly about his role and how the work they did saved lives by delivering essential supplies including food and flour. Finally after the war Gwyn struggled to find work and moved to Zimbabwe for a job with Cable and Wireless. Leaving aviation and engineering behind completely in the 50s, he became a farmer but lost his farm during the political upheaval in the 1990s.

Gordon was evacuated at the start of WW2 but was back home in time to witness German bombing of his town. He joined the ATC as a teenager and was pleased when conscripted into the RAF at Christmas 1946, just after turning eighteen. During training he specialised as an airframe engineer in Transport Command. He focussed on working on the Avro York, a transport derivation of the Lancaster bomber. His first overseas posting was Gibraltar, then back to Britain for a short while before being given two hours’ notice that he was assigned to the RAF base at Wunstorf in Germany at the start of the Berlin airlift. The effort to keep Berlin supplied was unrelenting and during one period Gordon was on duty every day for ten weeks, with some aircraft flying three sorties a day. In his opinion only a young person could maintain a schedule like that. On leave they travelled to nearby towns, although fraternisation with the Germans was discouraged, along with warnings regarding the hazards of venereal infection. A fatal crash at the base of one of ‘his’ aircraft affected him, and he also flew in an aircraft that had engine failure. He feels that the Berlin airlift was a good thing and that his service helped him in later life.