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THE CHAIRMANS COLUMN Geoff Smith NEWSLETTER No.36 Website:- www.bbaa-airlift.org.uk Formed 9th September 1994 June 2012 Chairman, Geoffrey W. Smith Committee: Secretary: John Collier. Treasurer: Mrs Janet Howard N.W. Representative: Jack P. Steele Media & Website: Colin R. Cottle Editor:- THE CHAIRMANS COLUMN Geoff Smith. 12 Tyesdale Court, Bretton, Peterborough PE3 9XZ. Tel:- 01733 262599 Introduction. Email:- [email protected] Berlin Visit 2012: Website:- www.bbaa-airlift.org.uk A group of BBAA members and friends visited Berlin for the annual 12th May Airlift Commemorations. They were in Berlin for four nights and afterwards travelled to the Harz Mountains for a three night stay before returning to the UK. See the full report on page 3. Tempelhof Airport: The latest news we have about the current situation at the now disused Tempelhof Airport is that it may finally be rede- veloped as a huge public garden area. We understand (not confirmed) that two Architects have been awarded a contract to draw up plans for this scheme. We will publish more details when they are to hand. BBAA Website: The BBAA Website has now had more than 8,000 hits. In other words more than 900 people have looked at the site in the last five months. We now receive numerous enquiries and complimentary comments via this route. Several people have said that they find it very informative & most useful when looking for information & details about the Berlin Airlift. An increasing number of Airlift sons, daughters and grandchildren are trying to find more information about their relatives involvement. However, we do need information to help to keep it interesting and up to date to those who use it. If you have a story to tell we would be interested to receive it. A recent enquiry was from a relative of Geoffrey Kell who was killed in the Avro York crash at Wunstorf on the 19th September 1948. He was trying to find the location of his grave. John Collier had the information and was able to let him know the location. U.S. Airlift Veterans Newsletter: We have heard from Lewis Dale Whipple, the Vice-President of the US Berlin Airlift Veterans that he has not been very well recently. We wish him better health for the future. After chatting to his colleague Mike Doyle who we met in Berlin during our recent visit in May we have now made arrangements to exchange Association newsletters. Full details will be published in later newsletters. Remembering the 28th June 1948: On the 25th June 1948 eight RAF Dakotas arrived at RAF Wunstorf in the British Zone of Germany and at 06.00 hrs on the 28th June 1948 the first RAF Dakota took off from RAF Wunstorf heading for RAF Station Gatow in the British SectorTHE of Berlin for CHAIRMAN the start of what was known’S as “Operation COLUMN Knicker” and later became the Berlin Airlift. During the following twenty four hours thirteen Dakotas transported 44 tons of food to Berlin. On the 30th June 1948 the operation was renamed rather inappropriately “Carter Paterson” the name of a well known British removals company. This name was soon changed and on the 18th July became “Operation Plainfare.” which was retained right through to the end of the Airlift in September 1949. So, the 28th June 2013 will be the 65th anniversary of the start of the Airlift which became for many one of the most memorable periods of their Service careers. Hopefully, suitable events will take place to commemorate what helped to change history in Europe at that time If anyone has memories of that particular date we would be pleased to hear from you. Copies of photographs would of course be most welcome. Although the Blockade had been lifted on May 12th 1949 the Airlift carried as usual and on the 30th June 1949 the Royal Air Force together with their Civilian colleagues carried out their highest daily total of supplies in a twenty four hour period. A total of 2,263 short tons and on the 3rd July 1949 the Combined Airlift Task Force (CALTF) delivered the two millionth short ton since the operation began. Geoffrey W. Smith. Chairman. ============================================================================== Page 122 BRITISH BERLIN AIRLIFT ASSOCIATION . WEEKENDSecretary’s REUNION Notes 2012 The Annual BBAA Reunion, 2012 As the visit to Berlin and the Harz Mountains was held in May this year the BBAA weekend Reunion for this year will be held in September 2012. This will be from Thursday 20th September to Sunday 23rd September and will be at Principal Hayley Hotels,Horwood House, Little Horwood, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK17 0PH. This is the same hotel group as our previous weekends at Eastwood Hall, Nottingham. The weekend will consist of a full day visit on Friday and a half day visit on Saturday. On Thursday, after the evening meal there will be a video update of the previous 12 months activities. Friday evening will be the traditional Meet & Greet and Saturday evening will be Annual Banquet. Sunday morning will be the Annual General Meeting, followed by farewells. There will be a number of very important items to consider and discuss, including the future of the Association, also the proposal to lay-up the BBAA Standard, plus it’s location afterwards and also where to retain and display the Association’s memorabilia. An application form for the reunion has been mailed to members. If Inside This Issue another application form is required please contact Janet Howard at 80 Chairman’s Column - Page 1. Park Street, Kings Cliffe, Peterborough PE8 6XN Tempelhof Airport. Redevelopment? - Page 1 and also a booking form will be published on the BBAA Website at Weekend Reunion 2012 - Page 2 www.bbaa-airlift.org.uk. Subscriptions - Page 2. ———————————————————————————— BBAA Email Database - Page 2 Brize Norton Refuelling Flights - Page 2. BBAA visit to Berlin & Harz Mountains in May SUBSCRIPTIONS 2012 - Page 3. Members are reminded that subscriptions are due on the 1st January Members Personal Airlift stories on Film - Page 4.. each year. The Annual Rate is now £15.00, wherever situated. Cold War Museum, Berlin. New location - Page 4. Cheques should be made payable to the BBAA and sent to:- Honorary Freedom of St. Helens- Page 5. Memories - New Poem by Member Bill Ball - Page 5. The BBAA Treasurer, Mrs Janet Howard, Centre Spread Photo’s - Pages 6/7. 80 Park Street, King’s Cliffe, BBAA Shop details - Page 8. Peterborough PE8 6XN Escape from Berlin in 1947- Page 9 However, if you wish to pay by Bankers Order. The details are as BBAA Items for sale - Page 9. follows:- Aircraft & Airbases Booklet - Page 10. Payable to: 10 Yr. & Briefing Booklets - Page 10 British Berlin Airlift Association. The Berlin Wall - Page 10 Bank:- Lloyds/TSB Bank PLC Maidenhead. NMA Appeal Fund - Page 10. Airlift Websites - Page 11 Account No. 1223532 Proposed alterations at the N. M.A. - Page 12 Sort Code: 30-95-36 —————————————————————————————— REFUELLING FLIGHTS From John Collier, Association Secretary. 188 Station Road, Cropston, Leicester LE7 7HF Please note! We are sorry to report that no further Refuelling Flights are available at the moment due to the new safety restrictions now being imposed regarding the Royal Air Force carrying civilian passengers. However, RAF Brize-Norton have stated that they would like members of the BBAA to visit the Station on a date to be yet arranged in 2013. Would you please let John Collier know that you will be interested in going on a visit to Brize- Norton if one becomes available. ————————————————————————————————————————————————————— EMAIL DATABASE We have now set up a database of members Email addresses & telephone numbers. This will enable us to contact members more easily and also help to reduce the cost of mailing letters etc. If you are willing to have your Email address on our database would you please contact Colin Cottle the co-ordinator. His Email address is: [email protected] OBITUARIES Ft Lt Alan Melvin - Gatow - GCA Director - Date of death not known Betty Rolley - Widow, John Rolley - Glider Pilot Regiment - Died February 2012 Anthony W. Proverbs - Wunstorf/Buckeburg - TPO Royal Signals Regt. - Died November 2011 Gerry R. Clash - Wunstorf /Lübeck - Air Traffic Control - Date of death not known Page3 11 BRITISH BERLIN AIRLIFT ASSOCIATION BERLIN VISIT 2012 10 Days/9 Nights Coach Tour to Berlin & the Harz Mountains in 2012 Day One – Wednesday 9th May: The tour started at 06.00 with the first people in our group meeting at the depot of coach operator Grey’s of Ely and then on to the Newark Hotel in Peterborough to pick up the second group. From Peterborough we travelled to the Union Jack Club in London to pick up our third group where we encountered heavy traffic causing us to be behind our scheduled time for the ferry at Dover. At Dover we caught the next available ferry to Calais and than set off through France and Belgium to stay at our overnight hotel in Dortmund. Day Two - Thursday 10th May: We had a full day travelling from our hotel in Dortmund to the Potsdammer Inn Hotel, Berlin for a four night stay, which being a city centre hotel gave Kevin, our driver a few overnight parking problems. Day Three - Friday 11th May: We visited the new Headquarters of the Cold War Museum which had been relocated at Kunersdorf to the East of Berlin. It was sited at a former East German army depot and was still being developed as a Museum. Our next visit was a long drive to the Luftwaffen Museum at the former RAF Gatow in West Berlin. The Museum is now being redeveloped as a Military Museum with the former Air Traffic Control and Passenger Building in our Airlift days now being converted to a Display Area.
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