Those at the Berkshire Masters Lodge meeting on Saturday, 26th February 2022, enjoyed the presentation of memories and pictures given animatedly by Alec Chambers. His subject was his own experience of the Berlin Airlift of 1948/49. At that time, Berlin was divided and encircled by the Soviet Bloc. No rail, road or river routes were open, leaving airfreight as the only way to deliver supplies to the city’s western sector.
Alec, then in his twenties, was stationed in Germany, and during the airlift, based in Hamburg. He experienced many different aircraft of the era, and his memories and photographs were more than enough to whet the appetite of the keenest aviation enthusiasts.
The challenge for the allies was to ferry the 5,000 tons of supplies needed every day, with aircraft only able to carry payloads of 3.5 to 10 tons each. Aircraft had to use safe air-corridors, which were just 20 miles wide and had a ceiling of 10,000 feet. Outside of this safe corridor, aeroplanes were liable to be shot down by the occupying forces. There was just a three-minute gap between landings in Berlin! Britain used five airfields and the United States two, all flying essentials into Berlin. For air traffic control, certain beacons had to be over-flown precisely on time; missing a checkpoint might result in a recall to base to avoid blocking the arrival airfield.
Alec recounted how an illicit trade in coffee sometimes supplemented the official cargo. Aircraft spent only twenty minutes on the ground in Berlin; there was no refuelling facility and a queue for takeoff slots. Sometimes aircrews were changed over in Berlin, and some leave taken there. Each individual might make 3 round trips in a shift.
Alec also mentioned how, during a return flight, a pilot flying low over a Russian airfield spotted Russian fighter crews running for their Yak aircraft. At the same time, the anti-aircraft gun crews were heading for their guns. It seems someone on Alec’s plane had jokingly tossed an empty champagne bottle down onto the airfield, so they made a hasty departure!
Alec explained that many of the people in Berlin were still living in their cellars. Berlin was very much a ruined city still and a challenging time for its residents. RAF Sunderland flying boats were included in the fleet during the first part of the airlift landing on a Berlin river until it froze over in mid-December.
It was an enjoyable talk from a man, one of the few remaining, who had been there and seen it happen. We were privileged to have Alec come and give Berkshire Masters Lodge his first-hand story and illuminating memories.
