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DAvidEdwards

A veteran interview with

David Edwards

When the the Russians blockaded Berlin in 1948, one astute man calculated that supplies could be air-lifted in to the city.

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About David Edwards

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.

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
Reviewed by:
Mark Mason

Transcripts:
Please note that transcripts and closed captions in the video player are automatically generated by Vimeo.

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Home | Veterans | David Edwards

A veteran interview with

David Edwards

DAvidEdwards

When the the Russians blockaded Berlin in 1948, one astute man calculated that supplies could be air-lifted in to the city.

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Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Edwards, David. A Veteran Interview with David Edwards. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, 23 Oct. 2012 https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/david-edwards/. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
APA Style:
Edwards, D. (2012, October 23). A Veteran Interview with David Edwards [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved June 14, 2025, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/david-edwards/
Chicago Style:
Edwards, David. 2012. A Veteran Interview with David Edwards. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, October 23. Accessed June 14, 2025. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/david-edwards/
Harvard Style:
Edwards, D. (2012). A Veteran Interview with David Edwards. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee, 23 October. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/david-edwards/ (Accessed: 14 June 2025)
Vancouver Style:
Edwards, D. A Veteran Interview with David Edwards [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; 2012 Oct 23 [cited 2025 Jun 14]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/david-edwards/
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