Berlin Airlift

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Taken from the window of my dad’s York. A very knowledgeable friend commented :’The river is the Havel on the outskirts of Berlin and the tower is the Grunewald Tower and this photo was shot either taking off or landing at RAF Gatow ‘.  Rob Mather 

206 Squadron for which my dad flew an Avro York C1 during the airlift

Clegg Langley I worked in Berlin 1948- 1950 16 Constabularty Sqn I work on C54 unloading with 8 Germans

My Dad walking away from an Avro York C1 having just completed his record 404 mission in ‘Operation Plainfare’ during the Berlin Airlift. “On August the 16th 1949, British Flt. Lt Roy Mather landed at Gatow airfield, Wunstorf, 11900098_10153756107114533_2966160667834370874_ocompleting his 402nd flight as part of the Berlin Airlift. He holds the record for the highest number of missions undertaken by anyone involved in the Airlift, having flown close to 240,000 kilometers since the 5th of July 1948.” My thanks to Simon Holliday for the translation

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My Dad and his crew beside their York C1
Flt Lt Roy Mather (Capt.), Flt Lt Hatherway (Nav.), Marshall (Sig.) and Bussey (  Eng.)

Dad and his Navigator from 206 squadron Flt Hatherway

 

 

 

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The fist logbook page of ops from operation plainfare

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He managed to fly 4 missions on the 12th Aug 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

The last logbook page of operation plainfare with a record total of 404 missions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Newspaper clipping regarding the record number of flights during the blockade

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Via Mortality As you know, the British, used Avro York aircraft, during The Berlin Airlift, and years after the event; when the said aircraft were sadly scrapped, those taking the aircraft apart commonly found coal dust and small speck sized pieces of coal, in almost every part of the fuselage – a timely reminder of their time serving the populous of Berlin, back in the long dark days and nights, of 1948.

 

berlin1948