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Berlin-after WW2--and 50 years on

Harold

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Okay--another history lesson--How many people know--remember-- or care about Berlin in the 50 years following WW2? The "Berlin Wall", and the
"Berlin Airlift" was the defining relationship between the big powers. There was a 750 mile wall running pretty much down the middle (?) of Germany
separating East Germany, and West Germany, extending from the North Sea down to roughly Austria---and Berlin was an island 110 miles inside
that wall in East Germany--The "Berlin Wall was built to enclose all of West Berlin, it's 3 airports and it's million -inhabitants, There were 3 hi-ways and rail lines out of Berlin through East Germany to west Germany. One, roughly south to Frankfort.
Another hi-way west to the Rohr Valley, and another hi-way went north to Hamburg--They were "corridors", lined on each side with walls/barbed
wire and guarded the whole length.

There were 3 "air corridors" above following roughly the same routes. I was based in Berlin with Pan American,from 1981 to 1989, and flying those routes
in and out of Berlin--traffic control was very regulated--9,000 ft altitude eastbound, and 10,000 ft altitude west bound. Being watched by
the Russians on radar--making sure we don't do a "runner", and cause an international incident! Every once in a while, a Russian fighter jet
would come up and fly along side and wave--They were just practicing their "interception" procedures.

The "Berlin Airlift" was the real test between Russian and the 3 western powers US--Britain, and France. In 1947 or so, the Russians instituted
the "Berlin Blockade", closing all road and rail routes in and out of Berlin-- to "freeze" us out. The western powers responded with the "Airlift", at first it was a
logistical nightmare--Berlin needed over 10,000 tons of food, fuel, coal and everything that Berlin needed for it's million or so residents every day.
Several airfields in West Germany were used by the 3 powers to fly supplies to 3 airports in west Berlin--"Air Traffic" control was very
primitive--and to make the airlift work, airplanes had to shuttle in from the various West German airports with a landing at a
Berlin airports every 90 seconds.
The airplanes would land, taxi to an unloading pad, keep the engines running--hundreds of workers would unload, and it's back to their
supply airport. If an airplane missed their approach due to bad weather--they had to "pull up", join the outbound traffic and go back to
the airport they started from--with their full load, refuel, join the "queue", and try again--Yes there were accidents--weather is very bad in
Berlin in the winter--I know, I flew in and out of Berlin for 6 or 7 winters! Finally around 1949--Russia gave up--opened up the corridors,
and that ended "phase one" of US-Russia "entente".

I retired from Pan Am and left Berlin in 1989 age 54 (things to do)--the Berlin wall fell in Oct 1989 and Pan Am
went out of business in 1991, and the slow re-unification of East and West Germany began.
"Wikipedia" has a good article on the "Berlin Blockade"--good info--we can access the article since we are all staying at home.

Maybe my car parts will come tomorrow, then I can get off this "reliving the past" bit!
 
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NutmegCT

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Harold - when will you write your book???? Great story.

Here's a British view of the Airlift, concentrating on Commonwealth actions:


Short Sunderland all the way. Plus York, Halifax, Viking, Dakota, Tudor, jet Hastings. USA C46, C47, C54, et al.

I remember going through Checkpoint Charlie back in 1967. Leaving USA sector no problem, but being "scrutinized" by East German police a few minutes later was ... interesting.

Tom M.
 

65_BRG_Sprite

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My dad was a full-time lifer in the Ohio Air National Guard, armaments specialist. I rmemember his unit gettng activated in the early 60's over the Berlin crisis. They were sent to Etaine, Lorraine (sp), Fance for a year. I was stationed in Germany 72-73. I had an oppurtunity to travel to Berlin, Checkpoint Charlie, and tour the other side of the wall. My travel orders and passes were in English, German, and Russian. There was nothing but poverty. It looked like a wild west town with false building faces. Go around to the back and it was still mountains of bombed out rubble. Sobering. Dad was also activated to Korea over the Pueblo crisis; my oldest brother was in 'Nam at the time. Mom was a nut case.
 

DavidApp

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I worked in Berlin in 1979. It was interesting as you flew in at night to see one half light up and the other in darkness.

Seem to remember there was a subway train line that looped under the wall but did not stop on the East side.

Working in Brandenburg in 2011 you could tell the difference in the old East Germany to West Germany. They were still had the old Soviet style housing and less people spoke English. Toured the Steel mill museum in Brandenburg. There were some interesting posters on the buildings as well.

David

Industrial Museum.jpg
poster.jpg
 

NutmegCT

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David - those were indeed interesting days. I remember the East Berlin bus tour guide (1967), who saw we were all Americans, and said "I confess, this is not the workers' paradise we were promised." We were driving past new "workers apartments", which were crumbling even as they were being built.

Here's another memory: Dietrich singing of the black market most Berliners lived with just after the war.

 

DrEntropy

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Both Mitsy's parents fled the Nazis and Russians. They met and married in England, post-war, da 'mits and older brother were born in Oldham. Heard many of the stories of the parents' experiences throughout the war, tough folks! Mitsy recently co-authored a book with her mum, the experiences mother had from 1938 to relocating to the U.S. They even had it translated into German by mum's bro-in-law, for all her family living there. She was the only one to leave Europe.
 

Popeye

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Both Mitsy's parents fled the Nazis and Russians. They met and married in England, post-war, da 'mits and older brother were born in Oldham. Heard many of the stories of the parents' experiences throughout the war, tough folks! Mitsy recently co-authored a book with her mum, the experiences mother had from 1938 to relocating to the U.S. They even had it translated into German by mum's bro-in-law, for all her family living there. She was the only one to leave Europe.

Similar, my grandmother became a widow in 1945, fled from Berlin to western germany (not sure if it was officially "West" Germany yet), with two tiny kids and a pot (literally - she hitchhiked her way across the war-torn nation, patrolled by the Russians. The first night out, everything she had was stolen from her, save for a pot. I have no idea, and may not want to know, what she must have gone through). On the other side, my grandparents were behind the wall, and my dad was the only one who left, sometime c. 1961 - right around the time the wall was constructed, but his escape was not as dramatic as some.

Brings tears to my eyes, and always reminds me, that no matter how difficult my life might be, it ain't nothin. :smile: I am incredibly fortunate, covid and all.
 

PC

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....--How many people know--remember-- or care about ......
Just a guess, but I'm betting around this hangout everybody remembers and cares.


On a lighter note, a buddy of mine was once detained by the East German police (or maybe military, I don't recall) on suspicion of spying.

He was working in West Berlin and spent his spare time traveling around Europe, including the east side.

He carries a video camera pretty much everywhere he goes and has countless hours of travel footage logged over decades. He's also a rail fan, rides trains everywhere, watches trains everywhere and takes trips just to watch trains.

One day he was in the east side and naturally did what he always does, shot video of trains. It wasn't until the guys with AK's shouting HALT!, HALT! came running at him that he remembered that taking photos of transportation sytems in commieville was verboten.

He was sweating bullets big time when they confiscated his camera and sat him down alone in a room with an interrogating officer who gave him the third degree.

Eventually, as the questioning went on he found himself and his interrogator becoming more relaxed and the questions were no longer threatening. It seemed like the guy had figured out that he was just a stupid tourist and was now just curious about this odd American's life and world.

His interrogator sat up and became stern again as other officers returned with his camera. They gave it back to him (tape removed, I think), warned him to never do it again, and let him go.
 

DavidApp

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It was a bit before WW2 and Berlin my Dad was a keen cyclist and would cycle all over Europe staying at Youth Hostels. Somewhere I have a copy of his Passport that has a visa stamp for Germany in mid 1939. Do not think he made that visit but the stamp is a neat reminder of conditions in the months before the war broke out.

David
 

NutmegCT

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David - that passport must have a *lot* of stories to tell, especially about Germany before the Poland invasion.

Here's a story about some guys motorbiking across Europe in 1953. Interesting bikes, cars ... and airplanes.

http://www.go-faster.com/SS100.html

french roads 001.jpg
 

PAUL161

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WOW, What a story! Something some of us could only dream about. From a very young age I was into motorcycles and I would have loved to have an adventure like that. Thanks Tom for posting that and to the author of the photos and story behind them. :encouragement: PJ
 
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