Fred was a teenager when his home was destroyed in a bombing raid. At the age of eighteen he volunteered for the RAF, trained in gunnery and became the tail gunner in a Lancaster bomber. He took part in the nighttime bombing of Germany and, against the odds, survived 45 missions. There were some close moments and during this period he lost most of his friends in combat. After the war he had a recurring nightmare where, among a landscape of crashed aircraft, there was a space reserved for his bomber. At the start of the Berlin Airlift he was posted to Gatow as an intelligence officer, where his unit at first worked in a tent. Despite misgivings regarding its feasibility the Airlift went ahead anyway, initially using Dakotas and building up to larger aircraft. His billet was at the end of the runway, and at first he had trouble sleeping as the noise was constant, 24 hours a day. The Soviets were close by and made things awkward but never directly interfered although the local population were terrified that the Allies would leave them for the Russians. The devastation caused by bombing in Berlin was awful and the civilians were in poverty, although the airlift ration was about the same as those in Britain. While on duty a plane carrying coal crashed on take-off, killing all the crew. He served in Berlin for the entire duration of the Airlift and felt that it was better than bombing the city.

Terence Crowley was an aircraft engine fitter during the Berlin Airlift. He was stationed at RAF Uetersen near Hamburg. Upon joining the RAF in 1946, Terence was sent to north Yorkshire and commenced his role working on Vickers Wellington twin engine bombers. After gaining valuable experience, familiarising himself with the aircraft and completing training with high marks, he was posted to several difference locations throughout England. This range of postings took him to RAF bases from the west midlands to Bedfordshire and ultimately to Norfolk where he began work overhauling Lancaster bombers. Speaking with great humour Terence recalls how, having never flown before, he was unexpectedly required to became part of a crew for a test flight of a Lancaster bomber which he himself had been responsible for fitting the engines in. Shortly afterwards, he was dispatched to Germany, working on a variety of planes from communication aircraft to any aircraft needing attention during the Berlin Airlift. He recollects many fond memories of his time in Germany, including mixing with fellow workers from Germany and America, ballroom dancing and delivering newspapers to Berlin. In addition to his role as engine fitter, Terence was given added responsibilities including tanker driver and VIP fitter, looking after both dignitaries and their planes. He talks knowledgably about the daily wider operations of the RAF and reflects on the deep sadness of discovering a colleague had been lost at sea. Terence felt relief when the air lift was over but commends the efforts of all involved in a project he remarks as being “well worth doing”.

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.