Berlin Airlift - The Story Of A Great Achievement (1949)

Courtesy: British Government Public Information Films, Crown Film Unit, The National Archives
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
The Western powers airlift of supplies to Berlin during the Soviet Blockade of Berlin. Operation Plain Fare . The Berlin blockade. Post Second World War. Germany. Soviet Iron Curtain.. Deutschmark. 24 June 1948. airbridge . Rosinenbomber, or 'raisin bombers'), 2 million West Berliners with food, fuel and other supplies. At its height one plane reached West Berlin every 30 seconds.
The Airlift officially ended on 30 September 1949, fifteen months after its protracted beginnings in June 1948. Operation Plain Fare . The Berlin blockade. Sunderland Flying Boat
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[@augustinedennis4865]

Superb. Brings tears to my eyes. Well done USA and Great Britain

[@kitkatchunkymuncher8626]

Who else has to do this for school

[@sunshinesunny8174]

me

[@billy.king0646]

me ;(

[@conordownes_3718]

OQUA Playz me too

[@antoinecharlesdegaulle580]

me

[@fin596]

Yeah

[@Alamyst2011]

60 + years later and only a few countries in the world would be able to pull something like this off.

[@merrickthomas3106]

i know it is kinda off topic but do anyone know of a good place to watch new movies online ?

[@brycentitus5108]

@Merrick Thomas i watch on FlixZone. You can find it by googling =)

[@albertokamdyn5592]

@Brycen Titus definitely, I've been using flixzone for months myself :D

[@merrickthomas3106]

@Brycen Titus thank you, signed up and it seems to work :) I really appreciate it!!

[@brycentitus5108]

@Merrick Thomas happy to help =)

[@MrWilydw]

so proud of my dad who served in the raf ,and was on this mission,.

[@swagkachu3784]

Hero

[@-_dracarysmist_-9880]

nice!!

[@jkirk1626]

"With 'help' from the US Air Force." So nice of the Empire to acknowledge America's contribution.

[@michaelburgarino]

jkirk1626 Ikr!

[@archlich4489]

They are kings of understatement.

[@jimmyhillschin9987]

Check out contemporary German accounts and you'll see you've conclusively won the propaganda war on this one.

[@sian2337]

I'd heard of the name 'berlin airlift' but didn't know what it was, I am most into much earlier history, but now I get it, it's fascinating.

[@vne1981]

It was a great thing the western world did in 1948-9, not likely to be forgotten.

[@keithbrierley710]

Thanks for posting, it is sad that a tiny few people in power make life so difficult for ordinary people.

[@chetpomeroy1399]

Those were some pretty scary days! Fortunately, Stalin decided to not break the Yalta and Potsdam treaties and blockade the three air corridors. If they did, it would have meant World War 3 and we likely wouldn't be here.

[@boreaborea5214]

yes we would the Soviets were still weak during the berlin airlift

[@chetpomeroy1399]

@@boreaborea5214 Stalin's Soviet Union detonated their first successful atomic bomb in August of 1949, just a few months after lifting their blockade.

[@boreaborea5214]

@@chetpomeroy1399 so they wouldn't have it in time for war

[@chetpomeroy1399]

@@boreaborea5214 The Pentagon didn't even have any capability for delivering an atomic bomb 800 miles to Stalin. The B-29 bombers were *propeller-driven,* and too vulnerable to Soviet anti-aircraft fire.

[@thunderbird1921]

@@chetpomeroy1399 Actually, we DID have the capability to reach the USSR with nukes, the B-36 "Peacemaker" was coming on duty just around this time. It was the biggest, heaviest, longest-range bomber in the world, and it DWARFED the B-29. What absolutely terrified the Soviets for many years is that it could simply ascend to an altitude that their fighters and antiaircraft systems of the time couldn't reach. Believe me, we could have flown straight over Moscow in 1948-49 and dropped three nukes on that whole area. The Commies had no major answer until the 50s, when they perfected the TU-95 and started building missile nukes.

[@deliow]

Wonderful historic film. Thanks for posting. Excellent clarity. How I miss the throbbing noise of piston engined airliners

[@express49]

Amazing document ! Thanks for posting !

[@thisis26]

Very cool! Told me everything I needed to know! :D

[@vne1981]

@jrwel14 don't forget the commonwelth. The Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians also involved in the airlift. These nationalities are often classed as British.

[@DgmPremium]

Damn that’s crazy

[@Mephilisttv]

US did a great job. im proud of my county.

[@AlaskanTrain21]

"Jolly good show"

[@MrCalvin1700]

AlaskanTrain21 *begins slow clap* Go, Merica,*sniff, Sniff*

[@creedsteed]

USA did a good job? Where is the credit for the English or the Canadians? To be honest, I'd be more proud of the Germans.

[@Mephilisttv]

hey guys jezz. i was just giving credit to my country, it wasn't insulting all you guys. fuck, if you put "Canada did a great job, i'm proud of my country", nobody would give a shit and just acknowledge it and move on.

[@MrCalvin1700]

lol i was fucking around i support america..not a hater lol.

[@tromattes]

Interesting, one of the main reasons why this had been necessary is "accidentally" not shown in the movie. You don't see a single picture of destroyed Berlin or any other German city. To get a better feeling for the situation check out some of the numerous pictures of US&British air raid destruction in Germany on the web.

[@j777barbasiewicz]

you forgot about destrucion of London, Warsaw etc. moron.

[@hangarrat101]

@proteeus I think there are a few, certainly one of them is "The RAF march past" but I'm not too sure about the others.

[@granskare]

I like the clip showing the boys with their toy airplanes...it's what I'd have done were I them...and this film was directed to the British public so it is no surprise that the efforts of the Americans were not talked about....were this an American film, the Brits might not have had a mention at all.

[@Academicidiot]

'I've got sixpence, jolly jolly sixpence, I've got sixpence to last me all my life; I've got tuppence to spend, and tuppence to lend, And tuppence to take home to my wife, poor wife!'

[@perigrin6]

I like how the video shows that Canada aided in the operation. Too often the Canadians are simply not mentioned in world-wide events

[@Buttnubs]

I wonder what song their singing at 2:52 Sounds catchy.

[@Buttnubs]

Thanks for answer :) Cheers.

[@asmodeus0454]

The Berlin Blockade and consequent airlift June 24, 1948 to May 12, 1949 was a moment in the very early days of the Cold War that could have started a real shooting war in Allied-&-Soviet-occupied Germany. One U.S. or British transport aircraft supplying West Berlin shot down by Soviet anti-aircraft fire and it could have started a real war. It is likely that only the then-U.S. monopoly of atomic weapons prevented this from occurring.

[@sophiewrayy]

Does anyone know when this film was made??

[@kulimarte1]

@xXDesiplayaXx It was 1949! What did you expect ?!

[@frankmontez6853]

Wowww those kids playing with toy airplanes are what ?? In their 80s at least ?? If they're alive ..

[@TheCeleronGamer]

Hello Room 68!

[@KilonBerlin]

Okay video gives no detailled information about the refuel, however thank you, I have no german roots, my mom came to "West Germany" in 1981 but it was right... today there is always this stupid british magazine and maybe some people saying this and that but somehow we live as far as possible in our small corner of the world... sad for the UK that it was one of their last missions as "great power", already during the Sues Operation the US only said "no" and French and British troop had to withdrawal from the Sues Canal, and in the 1960's before the oil crisis/embargo by the OPEC the British Army had to leave Kuwait, aircraft, a small number of aircraft personnel and a total I think around ~1200 British Army members with only a hand full of aircrafts (but the good ones, jet fighters in the 60's), Kuwait offered a deal to cover the cost, deliver all the jet fuel and other oil for electric diesel generators and/or cooling systems, and even maybe pay a bit more than it did cost but London said their soldiers are no mercenaries, after that London never made a important military step alone without the US and 2011 it showed that all European Air Forces were bad equipped, a few weeks over Libya and many parts and small/cheap rockets were short...and a production sooo fast was not possible

[@granskare]

I believe the opening British film censorship certificate might tell you that.

[@DrPilotRedC]

@Guydabest or to be in one of those tenders.

[@tailendcharlie]

And thay hav thu best ejukayshun too

[@robertfromcalifornia4111]

When WWII was over, the allies did what they could to help the German people. It was a smart move to rebuild this country. Abraham Lincoln tried to do the same after the American civil war, but some Confederates still wanted Lincoln dead.I doubt Hitler would have helped the enemy if he had won the war. Thank God (for everyone) he died.

[@deltagpap]

I would suggest you read a personal account of what happened. It was not a fun time for the people of West Berlin.

[@tulayamalavenapi4028]

"To Save A City" Roger Miller... fascinating account.

[@dalebeidelschies6700]

swee info

[@kimberlylaguidice8955]

LOL...!

[@flynn7317]

+Kimberly LaGuidice facepalm

[@Airclot]

Or now.

[@SirNipsAlot1]

Murica.

[@bwild61]

Ron Paul 2012.

[@rorycoverdale3199]

Alas, it was not to be. Unless you were referring to him being removed from office as Representative for TX-14, in which case, congratulations.

[@Airclot]

And they still don't. A few bad apples and all that.

[@grognakthedestroyerattorne9556]

Beans means Hines

[@ZoomSkrt]

toes

[@JDBlessin]

@Invesigator The bombing of Bosnia comes to mind.

[@Kheluva999]

Um... British Board of Film Censors? What's that?

[@rorycoverdale3199]

It's basically just a board that ensured that the content of films was clean and morally good, as the moral norms of the time dictated, for the British population. Thus, it basically removed bad content. "Classification" has replaced "Censorship" in the title, but it still continues. And they have an American equivalent in the Production Code Authority.

[@CheshireSB]

Imagine if social influencers started an Ukraine Airlift. Drones and care packages could go a long way.

[@DrPilotRedC]

Why Berlin blockaded?

[@Mottflyer]

Because communism

[@deseandunlop6145]

...

[@MERCENARIE]

@WawsestilL You dont pay attention to the video do you? They arent Nazi's

[@tomlucas4890]

Look at the full truth, when this started the British were already running an airlift, we had every thing planned out all we lacked were the aircraft, Gradually the US became involved with far more planes then the Canadians, French and more.

[@LordGeorgeRodney]

French did nothing ..lol

[@richardgreen1853]

@@LordGeorgeRodney the French built an entire airport in 90days to support this operation. They simply couldn't help with the flying because they were fighting a war in Indochina

[@LordGeorgeRodney]

@@richardgreen1853 yes that was it.

[@MakeBetterStuff]

An amazing achievement but a bizarre thing to do given we had just fought a war against these people and the Soviets had a legitimate reason to want to keep the Germans weak. An interesting decision by the Americans to spend American tax dollars to do this.

[@tulayamalavenapi4028]

Piety, purity of purpose and persistence. Those words come to mind. After spending the money, and manpower and resources to destroy the evil, the Allies (& Americans especially) had deemed it the right thing to do to help the good people. I think it basically first began as supplies to the Allied military bases stationed in Berlin, because of being suddenly blocked by the Soviets. I read a great book called "To Save A City" by Roger Miller. The details blew my mind as well. It was so organized and opposition was just not there, which is a dynamic sort of unheard of as you say, for the country that was so recently bombing aggressively. Another good take on it is the film "The Big Lift" made in 1950, filmed in Berlin practically as soon as the Airlift was completed.

[@swagkachu3784]

It would have ment a triumph of communism against the west if berlin as a whole wouldve fallen to the soviets. Every taxpayers dollar was worth it.

[@ieo8446]

A strong Western Germany was in America's best interest to shield Europe from the USSR.

[@patrickmorrissey3084]

The Soviets.

[@bwild61]

@Invesigator Your comment is pure Psycho Babble.

[@vince2696]

made in canada

[@PPiTTislakatamia]

second

[@princessolvo2860]

jesus christ, anyone who watched this by choice i feel sorry for you you must be some sort of insane patriot

[@robwilde855]

Why?

[@billy.king0646]

@@robwilde855 school work :(

[@robwilde855]

@@billy.king0646 Thanks! I understand. I hated History myself, at school. :-{ Came to realize much later in life, though, what the reason for that was. It was twofold: a) History was taught very badly, then, in that particular school [nothing more than learning lists of meaningless dates for tests], and b) my instinct against what amounted to a sort of child-abuse [which I think schooling is], i.e. being kept in an institution, by force against one's will, for thirteen years of one's young life, caused me to hate everything that happened there, without consideration of whatever intrinsic value any of the subjects studied might have had. After that - in my thirties - I began to read some History, just a little at first, only because I was finding it more and more fascinating. Stories of REAL happenings that caused REAL excitements, REAL joys and miseries, advances in invention, science, art, culture, retreats into barbarism, the worst excesses of cruelty along with the best of nobility of character - all that actually happened, under real sun and real rain, to REAL people, to ordinary peasants as much as - more than - to kings and queens. Much, much more satisfying that any fictional story constructed according to approved formulas and pushed by the dumbing-down, profit-seeking mass-entertainment industry. But I can see now that, far more important than the pleasure we can derive from an increasing knowledge of the rich stories of history, is the increasing, deeper understanding of this: of which values and behaviours really make life good, and which seem to, but actually don't. And, on from that, how, over all the ages, people knowing and feeling these things have had to push back, time and time again, against other more or less psychologically abnormal people who can only get their own satisfaction from organizing themselves into groupings big enough to be able to seize power over others. People who believe absolutely, though delusionally, that they DO know better than others what is good for them, and cannot rest until they exercise that power, over whole populations, which are therefore brought into subjection, and come into more or less slavery. The fights for freedom, seen through this reporting of history, against these periodical tyrrannies, are tremendous illustrations to us of the primary reality of human life: that if you don't learn to think for yourself, and if you are afraid to stand up for what you believe, then, surely, sooner or later, if not in your generation then in your children's, you will become enslaved. The Berlin Airlift is a particularly inspiring chapter of successfully facing down a tyrant. After the war the Russians controlled all of the eastern part of Germany, although the city of Berlin, in the middle of east Germany, was itself temporarily under the control of British, American, French, and Russian agencies, each operating in their separate zones. [This was to assist Berlin to recover itself from the material and psychological devastation of the recent war.] All of the city's food and necessities [a phenomenal amount, for two million people, I think nearly five thousand tons each day], came in, from the country around and from abroad, mostly from the west, by road and rail. Joseph Stalin, whose secret long-term goal was to take the whole of Germany permanently into the Soviet Union, in the summer of 1948 sneakily ordered his military to cut off all those road and rail links with the west. He thought that the Brits, Yanks, and French would just meekly go away, abandoning the Berliners, already in suffering, to semi-starvation, and leave him as conquerer. Well, he had to think again. The British Commonwealth and the Americans refused to abandon the Berlin people to starvation - even though they'd so-recently been fighting a war against them - and refused to let them be taken over by the Soviet Union, whom the Germans hated and feared so much, still in shock over the way the Russians had viciously raped their way through Poland and Germany to Berlin [where, against their will for complete takeover of Germany, they'd had to stop because the Allied invasion was then complete]. Stalin, a pretty compassionless individual, had not been able to imagine that we would respond at all, never mind deem it important enough to get together such resources to throw at the problem. It was inconceivable to him, both that we should have such strong principles, and that we should venture such economic commitment when already bankrupted. I'd better stop! Only meant to say a few words! But, really, do go into the full story, anyone reading this, when you have time. It's a good one, about the atrocious means of warfare practised in the East by the Germans and Russians, about the mentally-abnormal Joseph Stalin, the dynamics of the Soviet hierarchy, and the strong character and humour and spirit [which, believe me, has been diluted since then, by many and various negative influences] of vivid compassionate men and women, our ancestors [my father and mother, perhaps yours too, or your grandparents or great-grandparents], at all levels, who came together to put right a tremendous wrong. Imagine the atmosphere then! And how good it must have felt to be part of such a superb project! And - the point I originally meant to make! - history helps us to recognize the symptoms, such as distortions of truth, blatant propaganda, riots against property, stirring up of hatred between political factions, and the herding of historically-ignorant ordinary folk into various un-natural compliances, that always show up when a new tyranny is beginning to spread. Whether all or any of that is happening today, I leave to your judgement.

[@billy.king0646]

Rob Wilde u must have a lot of time to write all that

[@robwilde855]

@@billy.king0646 Sorry - I see what you mean, it was a bit excessive! Just writing for whoever else might be interested as well, I suppose, on some ramifications of the video's subject. I won't trouble you again.

[@xXDesiplayaXx]

This is such bad quality

[@bludgerable]

Some good ol' British propaganda.

[@Amills11]

How's that propaganda that's exactly what happened. Saved Berlin from falling into communist control.

[@ericpham4011]

they can have submersible tug pull million ton in 18 wheeler shipping containers is cheaper but the white men is agrogance waybotherwise it would not be white

[@johnsnowkumar359]

The article is inaccurate. By the time the blockade had started, in 1949, the Soviet Union had already been feeding the local population of Berlin for nearly four years. Germany had surrendered in may 1945. Even Germans were dancing ballroom dances with Soviet officers in town halls and on the streets and in town in many towns except Berlin. It becomes the duty of the ruling party or ideology or invading country to feed the local population: There were atleast a couple of incidents which made the key decision makers to never re- start a war or think in those lines: Some historical documentary of the Berlin blockade in black& white that I had seen in the Boston area in about 1987 either in the history channel or National geographic or a similar channel in the late 1980's clarified that : 1) The Soviets were Distributing a Soviet new food stamps in order to alleviate hidden hunger to quickly distribute food among the the hungry residents of Berlin. The Russian leadership claimed that with this new food stamp program they introduce will win the hearts and minds of the Germans in Berlin. Western officials allowed in requested the Berliners to turn down the food stamps even if they go hungry, as Berliners may be possibly be brainwashed into thinking that communism is a good concept. 2) Months after a new currency was introduced in West Germany, the soviets also introduced a new currency in East Germany including Berlin, so that local Berliners and East Germans get paid every time they do work for eight hours or four hours or whatever accordingly. Western officials living in the Soviet Zone were allowed into Berlin and East Germany, but they asked East Germans and Berliners to revolt and to burn those currencies., until the Soviets asked them to leave. Moscow asked the westerners to leave Berlin around 1948 or 1949 because of the above two reasons among other reasons. This explanation pacified the American officials and more importantly, the American president. When these westerners who were living in the Soviet Zone of Berlin finally left, these same western officials were the first to defend Moscow, saying they the food stamps program for hungry Berliners and the new Eat German Deutchmark currency program weren't necessarily bad for locals of Berlin, as Berliners will get aid if they work in a bakery or in the new East German police force and the like. War was never imminent. in post ww2 Berlin. Communists believe in taxing 70 percent of the new yearly income of billionaires, and they believe in distributing the money taxed from the rich among the lowest 10 percent of the population. How did teir food stamps work? suppose a Soviet soldier calls to say that there are 10 hungry children in the neighborhood of his place of duty in Reuterkiez, the soldier calls his officer, "Sir i need 10 food stamps for 10 hungry German children at my place of duty. I just gave away my lunch to one of the children. " The soviet soldier may say, "This is Private Stan Pushkin. Can you send 10 packed lunches for me to hand over to 10 hungry children in my neighborhood of Berlin called Reuter kiez? The East German new officials missed them."

[@tulayamalavenapi4028]

Roger Miller wrote "To Save A City". It's a great read. Also the film "the Big Lift" is good.